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Hybrid Cupra Terramar to boost SUV range

Plug-in hybrid Cupra Terramar will have a 100-kilometre electric range.

Terramar was the location in Spain where the Cupra brand was officially launched only a few years ago in 2018 and it will also be the name of the company's next electrified SUV. The all-new plug-in hybrid model will slot into the line-up under the range-topping electric Tavascan and above the Formentor, which has sold more than 100,000 units to date.

Sensible design

Sticking to traditional SUV proportions, the Terramar has a trapezoidal grille in the front bumper and that same shark nose bonnet contouring that features on the Tavascan and Urban Rebel. Less dramatic than the Formentor in side profile, the Terramar is clearly being pitched as the more practical family SUV of the Cupra range.

Cupra has high expectations for the Terramar as it enters one of the market's most competitive segments. More than 200,000 Cupra vehicles have been delivered since the brand was established and the company plans to ramp that up to 500,000 per year.

However, with the planned ban of combustion engines in Europe set for 2035, Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths confirmed at the Terramar's global reveal that it will be the firm's last new model to use an internal combustion engine.

Speaking at the car's debut, Jorge Diez, Design Director at Cupra, said: "Terramar is where everything started for Cupra. Our new sporty hybrid SUV perfectly combines bold proportions with a long striking bonnet, while the shark nose means breakthrough resistance and the determination to win.

"Thinking of how the driver will feel, we provide a unique experience with the latest technology, thanks to the driver orientated interior concept. All in all, a 4.5m long SUV with Cupra DNA ready to shake one of the most competitive segments."

PHEV tech shared with Audi

With capacity at its existing facilities already close to their maximum, Cupra has decided to produce the Terramar at Audi's Györ plant in Hungary. That's where the Audi Q3 and Q3 Sportback are made and CompleteCar.ie understands that the two models will share similar powertrain technologies, including a plug-in hybrid system. Benefitting from the latest generation of battery technology, the Cupra Terramar will, the company says, have an electric driving range of 100 kilometres.

Alongside the Cupra Tavascan, it is expected that the Terramar will go on sale during 2024.

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Published on June 9, 2022