Cupra Postpones Its US Market Launch

Cupra has confirmed that the launch of this brand on the American market, which was planned for the next five years, has been postponed.

Citing “continued challenges in the automotive industry” and “evolving market dynamics,” Cupra has abandoned its strategy to expand into the US by 2030, and while the company didn’t go into more detail than that, the state of the electric vehicle market in America and import tariffs on cars exported there from Europe are certainly behind this decision.

Under the terms of the agreement reached between the US and the EU, European cars will be burdened with tariffs of 15%, up from just 2.5% before the tariff chaos began this spring.

Cupra previously planned to appear on American soil with two electric crossovers, one successor to the current Formentor, as well as a second, larger electric SUV.

The larger model was to be produced at a Volkswagen Group plant in North America, although it is possible that it could also be built in Mexico, whose production is now subject to a high tariff of 30 percent.

Cupra is making it clear that it is not completely giving up on its ideas for expanding into North America, but rather that it is indefinitely postponing plans.

“We are not stopping; we are just postponing our launch in the US and will continue to monitor market developments in the coming years to determine the best timing and approach, aligned with the long-term vision of the brand,” said Sven Schuwirth, executive vice president of sales, marketing, and aftersales at Seat, the parent company of Cupra.

Global Cupra deliveries rose 33.4 percent to 167,600 in the first six months of 2025. The best-selling model was the Formentor with 54,700 units.

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