CUPRA Tindaya Showcar – CUPRA’s bold vision for the future
CUPRA uncovers the CUPRA Tindaya Showcar, the embodiment of the brand’s vision, and home to its future design language.
“The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar is not a dream, not even an ambition. This is our CUPRA statement, and it’s going to be a reality. While many move away from the driver, we double down on what matters most – the connection behind the wheel. Our focus will always be on the emotion of driving”.
Markus Haupt, Interim CEO of CUPRA
CUPRA takes to the stage at IAA Mobility 2025, uncovering the CUPRA Tindaya Showcar, the embodiment of the brand’s vision, and home to its future design language.
The CUPRA Tindaya is named after a volcanic mountain that rises from Fuerteventura, part of the Canary Islands in the wild Atlantic Ocean. Its copper-toned rock echoes the signature of CUPRA, while its raw form connects with the materials and textures of our design language.
The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar embraces its namesake’s dramatic character, with an exterior and interior design that comes alive with a radical yet simple idea: “No Drivers, No CUPRA”. A showcar that delivers the maximum expression of driver focus, while offering a unique experience, enhancing the driver’s emotions.
A Revolution in the brand’s DNA
The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar revolutionises the brand’s DNA. Unfiltered and unconstrained, it’s built with one purpose in mind: to elevate your emotions to their peak. It captures CUPRA’s rebellious spirit, a core element of the brand’s design philosophy.
Everything begins and ends with the illumination of the CUPRA logo. It represents the soul of the car. The logo ignites the spark of life in the ‘front black mask’, becoming humanised, alive. The light expands, through the front, toward the side, to the beat of a living breath, forming the pupil of the Tindaya’s eyes through three triangles, like the vehicle is awakening. That energy emerges upwards to the sleek headlights, placed on the bonnet, where three progressive triangular lights reveal the new iconic signature of the Tindaya Showcar. It’s the transition ‘from digital to physical’.
The front-end features a pronounced shark nose, flanked by aerodynamic keels that guide airflow into the side intakes. The instantly recognisable ‘front black mask’ defines the CUPRA Tindaya Showcar’s expression and mood. Its assertiveness clearly reflects the CUPRA DNA. The front black mask’s constant illuminated motion, echo the steady breath of the Showcar. The bonnet’s power dome forks either side of the logo, with two sharp sculpted lines, linking to the vehicle’s roof rack, and featuring slots that highlight the front luggage compartments.
From the side, the car’s striking proportions immediately come into view. The contrast between the cabin and the body, with its “Pushing Forward” stance and sculpted shape, defines its bold character.
At 4.72m long, with large 23’’ wheels, a 1/3 cabin to 2/3 body ratio and high ground clearance, highlighted by the progressive trim of the wheel arches and lower rocker panel, the car showcases rugged proportions. The fastback silhouette, in contrast with a compact cabin and an athletically expressive body, define the Tindaya Showcar’s personality.
A sharp line runs with a striking wedge, from the front bumper through the side, giving the body an athletic shoulder that catches light, creating a strong contrast with the sculpted body. This line continues forming carved air channels behind the front wheels, ending against the rear shoulders, compressing the body before the rear shoulder starts.
The pronounced rear shoulders enhanced by its new iconic graphic signature, cuts the skin to reveal the fibre under skin. It highlights the car’s unconventional inspiration: the human body.
The roof features an ‘ýpsilon’ shaped central structural spine, connecting visually with the lines on the bonnet. It’s the architectural focal point of the vehicle’s character, as in the human body, the ‘SPINE’ is the skeleton revealed under the skin. Holding two detachable roof panels.
The rear completes the narrative. A prominent double spoiler extends from the cabin, triggering the impression of speed and showcasing a combination of a Shooting Brake and Fastback profile. Lines flow from the rear shoulder to frame the rear lights with a ‘coast-to-coast digital mask’. Emphasised by the advanced technology, the rear lights float, with sharply cut shapes and a sculpted triangular cut-out housing an inner light source. The rear bumper features two side keels, like the front, joined by side air channels to create a unified, performance-driven finish. Lastly, the bold rear diffuser, accentuates the aerodynamic character of the design and acts as a powerful finishing accent.
A New Icon That Puts the Driver at the Centre
With the Tindaya Showcar, CUPRA redefines interior design with a radical yet simple idea: “No drivers, No CUPRA”. The cockpit has been conceived as a fully driver-centric architecture, inspired by motorsport and cutting-edge technology.
At the heart of the design lies the ‘Driver Axis’ – a sculpted dashboard built in layered structural forms framing a 24-inch freeform display. The racing– and gaming–inspired steering wheel features satellite buttons for total control with zero distraction, while the elevated centre console serves as the backbone of a fully integrated, tactile and functional mono cockpit.
The experience is elevated through advanced phygital – the blending of physical and digital – interaction. At its core sits ‘The Jewel’ – a sensory and symbolic interface that awakens the vehicle, adjusts driving modes, and transforms the atmosphere through lighting, sound and ambient responses. A projection band at the base of the windscreen, haptic controls and a high-fidelity sound system created in collaboration with audio experts Sennheiser mobility, turns the cabin into an immersive, resonant space.
The interior features a 2+2 configuration with saloon-style opposing doors and new-generation CUPBucket seats: a modern reinterpretation of the classic ‘Eames Lounge’, combining sustainable materials, high-performance ergonomics, and enveloping ambient light.
The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar stands as a new icon for a new era, true to the CUPRA DNA: muscular, emotional, and tech-driven design – where every surface invites touch, emotion and driving pleasure
Innovative use of material and colours
The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar matt body colour shifts from front to rear, flowing from deep metallic grey, evoking the nearby Atlantic Ocean, to a soft beige that merges the dry earth and warm tones of the mountain.
Crystal clear transparent elements seamlessly integrated into the body, subtly illuminated in a digital copper tone, project a digital aura that enhances the vehicle’s progressive character without disturbing the calm of its surroundings. On the roof, 3D-printed structural parts in aluminium allow the design to adapt organically to the vehicle’s flowing lines.
Bcomp flax fibre, dyed in the same beige tone as the bodywork, adds a layer of sustainable sophistication and performance. This material not only ensures high performance but also reinforces a commitment to environmentally respectful mobility. Beneath the surface, the parametric design of the claddings appears like organic leaf nervures, giving the Tindaya Showcar a look of something, not inanimate but alive.
Upon entering the cabin, the Tindaya reveals its soul. The seats and central console, upholstered in a sustainable bio-attributed leather, follow the parametric curves of the under-skin texture with fluidity, revealing the pulsing, living creature, responsive to both environment and driver. In a dynamic gesture, the central console transitions from soft to hard materials toward the rear, following the natural flow of the design.
The interior is infused with warmth thanks to the waxed bronze microfibre, adding depth, texture, and a refined touch. Interior structural elements, also made from 3D-printed aluminium like the exterior, create a sense of continuity and solidity.
Yet the true heart of the vehicle is ‘the Jewel’, a glass prism, a unique and symbolic element. This phygital material acts as a sensory connection between the driver and the car. Through it, the user accesses experiences exclusive to CUPRA, where driving modes, light, sound, and tactile sensations come together in a holistic way.
The glass interior parts shimmer a copper glow, providing an evolution of the CUPRA copper application.
Digitalisation
Resembling a resting creature, the CUPRA Tindaya Showcar has a phygital awakening that merges digital graphics with striking physical elements. A warm welcome follows, as dynamic lights on the exterior guide the way into a spacious interior.
Aligned with the driver’s axis, the large central display is paired with the CUPRA Monitor+, which displays secondary content and information along the windshield.
The yoke steering wheel design allows all key visuals and shortcuts to remain in clear view, while also highlighting our emblematic satellite buttons and novel layout.
‘The Jewel’ is at the core of the interior, an interface to physically engage with the vehicle’s behaviour and the key to unlock new driving experiences. This interaction is elevated through a seamless orchestration of light, sound and digital visuals.
The evolving nature of the digital content allows for a progressive touch, where not only the main content but also the side shortcuts and CUPRA Monitor+ adapt to the driver’s needs at any given experience.
Three different selectable modes enhance the driver’s emotions, and place critical information exactly where it’s needed on the high-definition displays:
Immersive Experience — Pure Driving
Designed as a catalyst for emotional driving free from distractions, this experience enables a deep connection with the vehicle through digital physicality.
Striking graphics and a minimalistic layout add a warm human touch. Only the essential information and functions are displayed, making room for refined visuals that resonate with the interior’s design and respond to the rhythm of the car’s core.
Rider Experience — Thrilling Performance
Built for thrill-seekers and adrenaline lovers, it delivers an electrifying performance inspired by CUPRA’s DNA.
All key information is grouped at the top, creating space for a dynamic digital surface that reacts to the vehicle dynamics. The G-forces and speed feedback slide up into the CUPRA Monitor+, while the side shortcuts morph to provide essential functionality in a single tap.
Tribe Experience
A showcase of the potential of smart connected mobility, AI-powered recommendations and a direct link to the CUPRA Tribe.
The CUPRA Monitor+ extends sideways to showcase connected content, allowing a wide 3D Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) view alongside informative widgets on the main display.
With a quick activation of the CUPRA Radar, access to a curated feed of personalised experiences is granted, shifting the role of the CUPRA Monitor+ into a gateway for Tribe engagement and interaction.
In other CUPRA News
Harper Collective x CUPRA: CUPRA has joined forces with Harper Collective – a forward-thinking brand founded by Jaden Smith and Sebastian Manes – to co-create a bold and sustainable luggage collection, each designed to blend innovation, functionality, and style.
The Harper Collective x CUPRA collection will be exclusively available in Munich for two weeks at Oberpollinger and the CUPRA City Garage, before launching online from 22 September onwards via the official CUPRA and Harper Collective websites.
Vichy Catalan x CUPRA: following its successful debut in Spain and the UK, the CUPRA Drink by Vichy Catalan is set to launch in Germany this September, marking its arrival during IAA Mobility in Munich. Created in collaboration with Vichy Catalan, the CUPRA Taste is a bold and unconventional beverage that fuses ginger’s spicy kick, lime’s zesty freshness, and the signature sparkle of Vichy Catalan’s natural mineral water.
MAM x CUPRA: as part of the IAA, CUPRA offered a sneak peek of its upcoming lifestyle accessories collection, consisting of five unique products: a series of bags and key rings designed to reflect the brand’s commitment to innovation and emotional design.
CUPRA Scent: CUPRA introduces the CUPRA Scent; a spatial fragrance developed in collaboration with LUCTA and guided by the olfactory expertise of the Fundación Ernesto Ventós. It invites you on an immersive sensory journey that speaks of electric performance, striking design, and the unconventional essence of the brand.
Sennheiser x CUPRA: At this year’s IAA in Munich, CUPRA once again pushes the boundaries of innovation and emotion through the power of sound. In collaboration with Sennheiser, CUPRA’s reveal experience is elevated through Sennheiser AMBEO’s immersive capabilities. During the unveiling of the CUPRA Tindaya Showcar, the audience was immersed in a captivating soundscape powered by AMBEO’s next-generation 2-Channel Spatial Audio renderer. This cutting-edge immersive audio technology from the Sennheiser Group transforms any conventional loudspeaker setup into a multi-dimensional audio experience—enveloping listeners in spatial depth and emotional detail that perfectly mirrors CUPRA’s bold design language.
CUPRA’s momentum rises
CUPRA continues to break boundaries, and between January and August 2025, the unconventional challenger brand delivered 216,000 vehicles, marking a 36% increase compared to the same period last year. With a fully-fledged portfolio and a growing global fanbase, CUPRA is on track to reach one million deliveries in the coming months. In 2026, the brand will celebrate its eighth anniversary and the launch of its eighth model: the CUPRA Raval.
