Cupra Tindaya escapes the show stand and storms toward production
The radical Munich concept is heading for the road. Markus Haupt told Autocar his team is already shaping the final version of the Tindaya — and it could top the entire Cupra lineup.
Nobody expected the concept to morph into a road car this fast. Cupra is putting the Tindaya crossover into production — the very show car that made the whole Munich crowd stop and stare at IAA Mobility 2025. Seat and Cupra boss Markus Haupt was unusually blunt with Autocar: designers and engineers are already working on the final version. The production crossover will hit the road within the next few years.
The Tindaya takes its name from a volcanic mountain on Fuerteventura — and the character matches. The 4.72-metre (185.8-inch) show car was unveiled as an EV with a range extender: 365 kW (489 hp) of system output, around 300 km (186 mi) of pure-electric range, and roughly 1,000 km (620 mi) combined. The generator job goes to a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine — yes, a classic VW unit, except it no longer drives the wheels, it feeds them power.
The production Tindaya will sit above the electric Cupra Tavascan and could very well become the brand’s new flagship. The platform is the Volkswagen Group’s SSP. It was originally tuned for pure EVs, but the architecture now supports Range Extender setups too. Convenient timing.
Cupra is holding back the final powertrain call. The brand wants flexibility to match the drivetrain to specific markets and customers closer to launch. Among the 2026 and beyond newcomers, the Tindaya is the marque’s sharpest weapon in its electric offensive.