Cupra Tindaya Is a Crazy New Concept with Batmobile-Like Styling

Cupra

Cupra opened the Munich auto show with a new concept car, a handful of special editions for the tribe, and the promise of more to come.
The Cupra Tindaya stole the show with its messy-but-beautiful front end, a rooftop spine, and a jewel of an interior.
Don’t expect the brand to offer any self-driving features, though, given the heavy repetition of the “No drivers, no Cupra” slogan heard throughout the night.

Cupra, the Volkswagen/Seat subbrand that got its wish to become a real brand in 2018 with the launch of the Ateca compact SUV, revealed what it called the most important Cupra yet. The brash concept was revealed as part of the IAA’s Open Space events, which are held in public locations around downtown Munich, Germany, on a temporary stage designed to mimic some of the design cues seen on stage.Meet the Cupra TindayaNamed after the Tindaya mountain on the Canary Islands, Cupra’s new concept is also the brand’s largest at 186 inches long. Featuring 23-inch wheels, the Tindaya is the opposite of subtle. The design lines point in enough directions atop and beside the grille that you’d think they’d be a mess, but Jorge Diez, head of design at Cupra and Seat, and his team managed to keep the parametric design under control enough to stay cohesive. A thick black stripe under sharp headlights contains a digital screen layer that can mimic the lights, and the triangular pointers are repeated in the taillights in the rear with an illuminated brand logo and a slightly less convoluted pile of lines (which, again, hold together well).CupraThe concept’s matte metallic gray color is meant to remind people of the warm tones of the Atlantic Ocean near the real Tinadaya. Cupra’s central spine design, previously seen in the brand’s interiors, makes an appearance on the roof, which has been stretched out in a fastback silhouette that’s meant to give a feeling of speed, Diez said in Munich.”We wanted to create something totally different,” he said. “We took this concept from the interior and brought it to the exterior. This 3-D-printed aluminum spine on the roof that defines the vehicle skeleton allows the roof to open, a radical rethinking of our brand: free spirit.”CupraInside, the Cupra Tindaya features a 2+2 configuration with seats made from sustainable materials. The concept-y interior—steering yoke with gaming-like controls? a large central display? check and check—includes an interactive interface that Cupra calls “The Jewel.” Cupra didn’t allow people to test this device out on stage, but it said the Jewel offers “a seamless orchestration of light, sound and digital visuals.”Cupra Rejects Self-Driving TechInterim Cupra CEO Markus Haupt also addressed the “No drivers, no Cupra” message heard throughout the evening, which started with Seat’s global communications director saying that even though the industry is embracing “autonomy and detachment,” Cupra will keep its focus on drivers, well, driving.➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used Cars”We cannot conceive a world without drivers, because without them, we risk losing much more than just our autonomy,” Haupt said. “If we lose emotion, passion, rebellion, we lose our humanity.”CupraCupra had more to offer at Munich, from four new Cupra Tribe editions—for the Terramar, Formentor, Leon, and Leon Sportstourer models—that will give the brand’s fans the option to personalize their new rides, which will be offered in the new Manganese Matte exterior color. These Tribe editions use 3-D-knitting technology for the bucket seats and will use bio-based paint on some components, such as the air vents and dashboard. The special edition alloy wheels will be made with 20 percent recycled material.
Cupra also revealed a camouflaged version of the production Raval, which will be the brand’s first model in its upcoming Electric Urban Car family. The front-wheel-drive EV’s compact length—around 13 feet—will make it easy to park in city environments, and the fact that it uses the Volkswagen Group’s MEB+ platform should make it a contender in Europe and other markets. Cupra will confirm more details when the production version of the Raval is revealed in Barcelona in March 2026 and the market launch that is scheduled to take place shortly after that.
CupraStill Coming to America?Through the end of August 2025, Cupra has sold 216,000 units, a 36 percent increase over last year, and the company’s total sales for the past seven years should reach a million units in the coming months. Cupra’s recent success means there are thoughts of expansion. Already available in 50 countries, Cupra announced at Munich that it is considering entering the Middle East market, but it did not answer Car and Driver’s questions about potential U.S. sales.
“We are continuously looking to expand our global footprint as part of a strategy that Cupra, one day, will become one of Spain’s truly global brands,” Sven Schuwirth, Cupra’s VP of sales, marketing, and after-sales, said. “[The Middle East] offers us a unique opportunity quite close to Europe, and it’s one of the fastest-growing economies of the planet . . . What truly defines Cupra is not just where we go, it’s who we go with, and that’s the story of the people.”More Cupra Reading