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SEAT teases interior of new Cupra electric SUV

Spanish performance brand will reveal its new battery concept in two weeks.

SEAT's spun-off high performance brand Curpa will show off a new all-electric, sporty, SUV at the Frankfurt motor show, and will display the car to the public just ahead of the big German car bash.

Skeletal steering wheel

In the meantime, we have this - a slightly occluded shot of its interior, which shows off a skeletal steering wheel with an Alcantara suede-effect rim. Although not a dramatic departure from the interior design of current SEATs and Cupras, the wheel has a touch-sensitive surface that spreads out to its spokes, meaning that you'll swipe to use the steering wheel buttons, rather than twiddle and click.

Behind that wheel is a free-standing digital instrument screen, which we're going to guess is about 12 inches across and which features the signature dark blue and bronze Cupra colour scheme.

Structural carbon-fibre

Further behind that you can see very small, heavily stylised air vents, and a vast sweep of carbon-fibre leading into the top of the door. Cupra says that the carbon used inside the concept's cabin won't be merely decorative, but actually structural - part of a drive to save weight to maximise both performance and battery range.

Cupra also says that the concept: "brings new ideas to what a Cupra can offer, with the ability to switch its personality to meet the needs of whoever is cocooned inside." Does that mean more in the way of autonomous features? Or just a glorified Sport and Comfort mode switch? We shall see...

Low-slung SUV shape

Cupra has previously released some obscured images of this SUV concept's exterior, which seem to show a very low (by SUV standards, anyway) and very sharp nose - almost Lamborghini-esque, with the (occasionally controversial) Cupra twin-pronged badge incorporated into the rear high level brake light.

Underneath will be a version of the Volkswagen Group's MEB all-electric platform, which will first see production, in SEAT terms, under the body of the upcoming El Born battery hatchback.

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Published on August 22, 2019