Golden Steering Wheel 2021: CUPRA celebrates hattrick.

CUPRA triumphs at the 2021 Golden Steering Wheel awards. The Spanish challenger, which places emotion at the heart of driving, celebrated a triple victory, making it the most successful brand at one of the most important global competitions in the automotive industry.

Successes in three competitive categories

The CUPRA Leon won the Golden Steering Wheel in the “Small & Compact Cars” category, while the CUPRA Born, the brand’s first all-electric model, came out top in “Small & Compact Electric Cars”. To round things off, the 287 kW (390 PS) CUPRA Formentor VZ5 came out on top in the star-studded “SUV” category.

“Three years ago, a group of believers had a dream: to create an entirely different brand. Big dreams start with a few believers “said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA. “The CUPRA Formentor VZ5 is the ultimate statement of what CUPRA is capable of achieving in the combustion world. Racing is part of CUPRA’s DNA and we will continue this way with our future electric models: the CUPRA Tavascan in 2024 and our CUPRA Urban Rebel in 2025.The hattrick with three Goldene Lenkräde shows that the CUPRA Formentor is not a one hit wonder and that more and more customers are looking to join the CUPRA Tribe.”

The CUPRA Formentor VZ5 faced stiff competition in the “SUV” category. Voters had a total of 17 cars from 12 different brands to choose from in the first stage, with the top three making it through to the final at the Lausitzring circuit in northeast Germany. There, the most powerful CUPRA of all time impressed with its 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, with 287kW (390PS) of power and maximum torque of 480Nm. The design, interior, safety and technical features also contributed to the expert jury naming the CUPRA Formentor VZ5 the winner.

There may have only been five candidates in the “Small & Compact Electric Cars” category, but all of them were strong vehicles from renowned competitors.

This category showed, however, how the CUPRA Born is shifting the market as the impulse of a new era. The first 100% electric vehicle from the unconventional challenger brand delivers an emotional design and instantaneous performance, while challenging the status quo.

“We believe electric vehicles shouldn’t be boring. For this reason, we’ve developed a car with a strong CUPRA character that proves that electrification and performance are a perfect match,” said Dr Werner Tietz, Vice-President of R&D at CUPRA. “The CUPRA Born is the brand’s first 100% electric model and the impulse in the EV sector. It is leading the brand’s expansion into new markets, delivering new business models and marks an enormous shift in the industry. The CUPRA Born is a game-changing vehicle; environmentally conscious while inherently dynamic and exciting.”