In an unusual move, Cupra has revealed facelifts for three of its current models at least a year before their launches – and weeks before the first pre-facelift cars hit Australia.
Facelifted versions of the 2022 Cupra Leon, Formentor and Born have been revealed – weeks before the pre-facelift versions roll into Australian Cupra retailers.
While soon to launch with the Cupra brand in Australia, the Leon hot hatch and Formentor medium SUV have been on sale in Europe since early 2021, and the Born electric car since earlier this year – and therefore are due for mid-life updates around 2024 or 2025.
Mid-life facelifts for existing models are typically revealed a few months before they go on sale in Europe – but Volkswagen’s Spanish subsidiary has taken the unusual step of previewing them two or three years ahead of schedule, at a recent media event in Spain.
While no official photos have been released, images snapped by attendees (as pictured courtesy of Cochespias and Autonotizen) indicate all three cars will receive a makeover inspired by their range-mates, with aggressive air intakes and triple-triangle headlight signatures.
MORE: Cupra Terramar, Tavascan and UrbanRebel: Three new models revealed, set for Australia
New alloy wheel designs are visible on the Born and Formentor, while the Born gains a new dark green colour not previously seen on the car in Europe. The vehicles’ rear ends are obscured, however.
Missing from the range previewed at the event last week is the Cupra Ateca, the third member of the Australian launch range next month, and sized similarly to the Formentor.
While Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths hinted in February the Cupra Ateca would still be on sale in 2025, the European-market Seat Ateca model it’s based will be eight years old in 2024 (having launched in 2016) – making it due for replacement or, more likely, discontinuation.
The Ateca’s role in the line-up would be filled by the new Cupra Terramar, a 4.5-metre-long mid-size SUV twinned with the next Audi Q3 (and built alongside the current model) – sitting alongside the Formentor as the Spanish brand’s second medium SUV model.
Other new Cupra models due in the coming years include the Tavascan electric SUV in 2024, and the small UrbanRebel electric SUV in 2025.
Details of when the facelifted Cupra Formentor, Leon and Born will launch isn’t clear, however overseas showroom arrivals in 2024 or 2025 seem likely.
In the meantime, the Cupra brand will launch in Australia within the coming weeks with the current Leon, Ateca and Formentor, with the Born electric car to follow early next year.
The post 2024 Cupra Formentor, Leon and Born facelifts revealed appeared first on Drive.