Cupra Tindaya revealed: radical new range-extender concept car offers 489bhp

Cupra has unveiled its brand new concept car, the Cupra Tindaya, and it represents the largest and quickest Cupra yet, with futuristic range-extender technology that allows it to travel further than any EV from the Spanish brand.

The Tindaya concept is likely to eventually go into production as a range-topping sports SUV that will sit above the Tavascan and Terramar in Cupra’s current lineup. It could serve as a rival to other driver-focused SUVs like the upcoming Alfa Romeo Stelvio EV and new BMW iX3.

Under the skin of the Tindaya concept sits parent company Volkswagen Group’s new SSP technology, a scalable platform that’s said to be able to facilitate cars of various sizes, as well as both electrified and combustion power options. It’s set to underpin a number of other future models like the upcoming electric Skoda Octavia and VW Golf.

Thanks to this tech, the Tindaya is said to offer both pure electric power and a range-extender option, which uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine to charge up a battery. The battery then powers two electric motors driving the car (one at the front and one at the rear), offering all-wheel drive.

Those motors offer a total output of 489bhp – punchier than the new iX3. The Tindaya concept is also capable of completing a 0-62mph sprint in an impressive 4.1sec, making it faster than any other Cupra on the market.

With the petrol engine and battery combined, the Tindaya concept should be able to travel a huge 620 miles on a single charge. For reference, that’s enough to get you all the way from London to Zürich without stopping, and you’ll still have some juice left over. Meanwhile, the battery alone has an official all-electric range of 186 miles.

Not only does the new Tindaya concept preview future power options and capabilities for upcoming Cupra models, it also ushers in a new design language for the brand – though any production model of this concept will doubtless receive more toned-down styling.

The Tindaya gets a sculpted silhouette with sharp lines, an aggressive ‘shark nose’ design at the front, sharp triangular LED headlights and chunky 23in wheels. A protruding roof spoiler and width-long lightbar feature at the rear.

Inside, there are certain aspects which are obviously showcar-only and won’t make it to production, such as the reverse-opening doors, floating seats and centre console that stretches to the rear seats.

The interior is decked out in plenty of racing-inspired elements. There are sports bucket seats in a 2+2 configuration, a steering yoke rather than a traditional wheel and a number of physical buttons and switches for important functions. Notably, the Tindaya concept does away with an infotainment touchscreen, instead displaying information on a 24in curved display in front of the driver.

There’s also a new prism-shaped device integrated into the centre console called the ‘Jewel’, which you use to change interior settings and drive mode.

It’s unclear when the Cupra Tindaya concept will make it to showrooms. Indeed, a production model hasn’t yet been confirmed, but the Tindaya could potentially act as a successor to the current Cupra Formentor family SUV.

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