Cupra Ateca

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 14 Jun 2019 15:28
Cupra Ateca - badbusdriver

Saw my first 'Cupra' today, just looked like a Seat Ateca with a decidedly aftermarket looking badge (has a whiff of 'Transformers' about it!) and wheels. Not really sure what the point is?. Fords Vignale brand, i kind of get, because it is a more luxurious offshoot. Citroen's DS brand, i get that too, as not only do the cars look different from the Citroen's, they are also more luxurious and distinctive. But the Cupra brand seems to just be a sporty Seat, and given Seat paints itself as a sporty brand anyway, i just don't see the point. Can't really see Cupra doing much, certainly in the UK.

Looked on the Cupra website, and there are two models, the Cupra Ateca and the Leon Cupra. Note that Cupra comes after Leon, that is because the pics on the website show the car badged as a Seat!,

eh?!

What are other members thoughts on Cupra being a brand in its own right, (supposedly) seperate from Seat?.

m.atcdn.co.uk/vms/media/w1200/c449aad4314f4a23bcd6...g

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 15:40
Cupra Ateca - daveyjp
I saw a black version of the one in the link at a car show a couple of weeks ago.

It was knocking £40k, so good luck to Seat if they can get buyers to pay so much more for a different badge.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 16:57
Cupra Ateca - 72 dudes

I agree BBD, I think Seat would have done better keeping the Cupra 'brand' as a trim level with higher power, a bit like AMG, M Sport, R Line etc.

However there is a Cupra on the way I was reading about which bears little relation to any other Seat, so the Cupra Ateca may be a stepping stone on the way to a more autonomous brand.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 14 Jun 2019 20:10
Cupra Ateca - Avant

Yes - as I understand it, SEAT has now set up Cupra as a separate brand, but the Leon Cupra pre-dated that move. Its successor will presumably be a Cupra Leon.

Branding is a strange science, perhaps because success or failure depends so much on customers' perception. Do you resurrect an old name for your up-market models (VW wth Audi - success, Mercedes with Maybach - failure, Citroen with DS - not sure yet)? Or do you invent a new name (Lexus - success, but Infiniti and Xedos - failure, at least in the UK)?

People on here who have been in the industry will have a better understandng than I do: but it seems to me that you have to find out whether enough potential customers 'want one'. An upmarket VW or Toyota - yes because of the basic brands' good reputation, albeit fror different reasons. An upmarket Mercedes - no need as Mercedes are seen as upmarket anyway. An upmarket Nissan - well, would you?. Maybe Mazda at the time they introduced Xedos weren't well enough known themselves. Personally I wouldn't want an upmarket Citroen but maybe others would.

Maybe Cupra is in with a chance as the image is meant to be sporty, not just upmarket. As already suggested, the SEAT brand itself is supposed to have the sporty image - but I'm not sure that many people know that unless they read the motoring press.

.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 02:04
Cupra Ateca - drd63
A sub brand of a sub brand of badge engineered dull but worthy products. Good chance of succes then?



Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 02:23
Cupra Ateca - veloceman
Yes, VAG appear intent on producing more and more models that compete with each other.

As for the Cupra brand I think it’s a bad move for Seat.
Personally I think Fiat has a more dull range now it’s farmed out all it’s sporty models to Abarth.
Accepted Fiat has a limited range anyway but I think it dilutes the brand.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 15 Jun 2019 03:20
Cupra Ateca - Senexdriver
For me, the obvious strategy is to make models that don’t look like models of the ‘parent’ brand. A Cupra Ateca looks too much like a Seat Ateca with a more expensive paint job. However, as mentioned above, a future Cupra model will be purely Cupra (I think it’s the all-electric one) so maybe they do have the right idea.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Choosing a child seat can be a quite baffling experience – there are so many sizes, types, brands and price points available that you might not know where to start.

How to choose the right child seat