CUPRA Unveils the Tindaya Showcar

At IAA Mobility 2025, CUPRA revealed its boldest vision yet the Tindaya Showcar. Named after the volcanic mountain on the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, the Tindaya is more than a showcar, it is a manifesto for CUPRA’s future. With its radical design, immersive technology, and unwavering focus on the human connection behind the wheel, the Tindaya embodies the brand’s daring philosophy: “No Drivers, No CUPRA.”

A Manifesto on Wheels

“The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar is more than a car, it’s a radical statement. A bold expression of our design language, our values, and our innovations. We can’t wait to see how our Tribe respond to this new expression of our vision,” said Markus Haupt. interim CUPRA CEO. “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. We believe in our Tribe, in the drivers: our cars are designed for them to fully express themselves“, shares CUPRA team.

This is not just marketing rhetoric, it’s a commitment woven into every line of the Tindaya’s form. The car’s name pays homage to the raw, copper-toned rock of Mount Tindaya, a natural monument rising from the Atlantic. Its volcanic character resonates through the car’s sculpted surfaces, natural materials, and earthy tones, grounding futuristic technology in a sense of timeless connection to nature.

Radical Exterior Language

The exterior of the Tindaya blends sharp athleticism with natural inspiration. The front-end is dominated by CUPRA’s new illuminated “front black mask,” which pulses like a living organism, echoing the rhythm of breath. Its shark-nose silhouette, aerodynamic keels, and power dome give the car a muscular stance, while the triangular light signature creates a new, instantly recognizable face for CUPRA.

From the side, proportions strike a bold balance: a compact 1/3 cabin perched above a 2/3 sculpted body, 23-inch wheels, and high ground clearance create an aggressive yet elegant fastback profile. Strong wedge-shaped lines carve athletic shoulders, while air channels and flowing contours lend the vehicle an organic quality, as if shaped by wind and stone. At the rear, a double spoiler and “coast-to-coast digital mask” of floating lights combine shooting-brake practicality with futuristic aesthetics. A bold diffuser and sharp cutouts finish the look, expressing CUPRA’s blend of performance and emotional design.

A Driver’s Sanctuary

Inside, the Tindaya takes its philosophy to a new level. The interior is unapologetically driver-centric, built around the idea that CUPRA exists to elevate the emotional experience of being behind the wheel. At its core lies the Driver Axis a sculpted dashboard layered around a 24-inch freeform display. The racing-inspired steering wheel integrates satellite buttons for precise, distraction-free control, while the elevated center console becomes the architectural “spine” of the cabin.

Technology meets artistry in The Jewel: a prism-shaped interface that awakens the vehicle, changes driving modes, and orchestrates light, sound, and tactile responses. Surrounding this centerpiece, a projection band across the windshield and haptic controls immerse the driver in a phygital (physical + digital) space, enhanced by a sound system engineered with Sennheiser.

The cabin follows a 2+2 layout, with opposing saloon-style doors and new-generation CUPBucket seats. Inspired by the classic Eames Lounge, these seats blend sustainable materials with performance ergonomics and enveloping ambient light. The result is a cockpit that feels alive, responsive, and deeply personal.

Sustainable Materials, Living Aesthetics

CUPRA’s commitment to sustainable innovation is woven into the Tindaya’s design. The body’s color gradient shifts from deep Atlantic metallic grey at the front to soft desert beige at the rear, symbolizing the balance between ocean and earth. Transparent crystal elements, illuminated with copper tones, create a digital aura without overwhelming the natural calm of the vehicle’s form.

Materials such as Bcomp flax fibre and bio-based vegan leather underscore CUPRA’s pursuit of environmentally respectful mobility. The interior’s textures flow organically, with parametric patterns resembling leaf veins, waxed bronze microfiber adding warmth, and 3D-printed aluminum structures creating continuity between inside and out. In CUPRA’s words, the car is not inanimate it breathes with the driver.

The Digital Soul

Beyond aesthetics, the Tindaya represents a leap in digital mobility. Its phygital awakening blends physical design with dynamic digital graphics, guiding drivers into an immersive interior. The CUPRA Monitor+ extends across the windshield, offering layered information and AI-powered recommendations tailored to each journey.

Three distinct digital experiences highlight the car’s versatility:

Immersive Experience is designed for those who seek the purest form of driving. By stripping away non-essential information, it reduces clutter and emphasizes minimalism, allowing the driver to focus entirely on the emotional bond with the car. Clean visuals, refined lighting, and subtle digital touches create a calm environment where every movement and response of the vehicle feels amplified, turning every drive into a moment of flow.
Rider Experience is CUPRA at its most thrilling and performance-driven. It transforms the digital displays into a dynamic playground, projecting G-forces, speed data, and vehicle feedback in real time. The layout adapts to performance demands, placing key information within immediate view so drivers can react instinctively. It’s a mode built for adrenaline seekers, offering a visceral connection to CUPRA’s motorsport-inspired DNA.
Connected Experience takes the driving journey beyond the road, linking the car seamlessly with the CUPRA Tribe and the digital ecosystem around it. Through AI-powered recommendations, 3D ADAS visualizations, and real-time community interaction, this mode keeps the driver engaged both with the vehicle and with like-minded individuals. It turns the cabin into a hub of personalized content, shared experiences, and smart mobility, embodying CUPRA’s vision of a truly connected future.

In every mode, the driver remains at the center, a striking contrast to the autonomous-first strategies of many competitors.

CUPRA’s Growing Legacy

Since its launch in 2018, CUPRA has built a reputation as an agitator in the automotive world, blending rebellious design with raw performance. With seven models launched and over 800,000 vehicles sold worldwide, the brand has quickly carved out a distinct identity. Its current portfolio spans from the best-selling Formentor to the all-electric Born and Tavascan, with the radical Raval urban EV set to arrive in 2026.

The Tindaya Showcar is not a production vehicle yet. Instead, it serves as a design manifesto, signaling where CUPRA is heading: toward sustainable innovation, phygital experiences, and above all, the unshakable belief in the emotion of driving. Because for CUPRA, change needs drivers. And without drivers, there is no CUPRA.

The CUPRA Tindaya Showcar made its world debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich, Germany, with an unforgettable night featuring DJ Miss Monique and special guest Spanish singer-songwriter and guitarist Guitarricadelafuente.