• CUPRA Formentor VZ parked on a leafy street

Don’t read this unless you’re a member of the CUPRA Tribe

18 August 2025/inCUPRA Tribe, CUPRA Vehicle News/

OPINION via Mark Lincoln from Marketing: Here within CUPRA Christchurch’s marketing team, a part of the Miles Group’s office in central Christchurch, we tend to see a lot of vehicle photos. Many of these are provided by global media teams and, while fantastic, are often in a style that’s less relatable for we New Zealanders. For this reason, many of the New Zealand offices of the brands we represent arrange their own local photoshoots.

So when CUPRA New Zealand’s Marketing Manager (thanks Nataliya) let us know that she had the results of a local photoshoot, we were intrigued but still treating it as ‘business as usual’. But when we downloaded the files, we were blown away by how well the photographer has captured the unique style of the CUPRA in a modern New Zealand setting without any Kiwi-clichés (just quietly, we’re happy to see that a local shoot doesn’t predominantly feature a certain sky tower in the background to prove its New Zealand authenticity!).

  • CUPRA Formentor VZ

The photographer, Alex McDonald-Bush, is also unique in that while his work would easily attract attention, likes, and comments… he actually keeps a low profile, preferring to leave social media to others while he quietly produces incredible work for his clients.

  • CUPRA Formentor VZ in a car park.

The CUPRA Formentor launched earlier this year to a small, quietly approving crowd. It looks incredible, the ‘entry-level’ V model is already highly equipped, the VZ model is so fast it pushes you deep into your seat, and details of the V e-HYBRID’s fuel economy and electric-only driving distance will be released soon but are sure to impress.

As for the launch event, we don’t mind being upfront about the smaller size of our audience. While a select number of guests enjoyed viewing the new Formentor, Terramar, and Leon Sportstourer in our showroom alongside our friends from CUPRA New Zealand and Christchurch United Football Club, the event was very much not one for the public masses.

And the reason: CUPRA is not a vehicle for the public masses. That’s by design.

  • CUPRA Formentor VZ interior.

I remember seeing a LinkedIn post by one of the global heads of CUPRA. He said that on hearing his job title, someone said to him that CUPRA’s style is not for them. Instead of arguing CUPRA’s case, the CUPRA exec. responded to say that’s perfectly fine, in fact going on to say that he wouldn’t himself be a fan of CUPRA if it was designed to appeal to everyone.

CUPRA’s strength is not its wide-reaching appeal, it is its ability to find its own audience and appeal to that specific group of people.

  • Rear of the CUPRA Formentor VZ

That group of people has a name, and it’s called the CUPRA Tribe. If you’re a member of it, it’s OK if you don’t spread the word and help it grow. Those who CUPRA is intended for will find their way to CUPRA for themselves. That’s what makes the CUPRA Tribe special.

“The CUPRA Tribe is the personification of the brand, highlighting its determination to be an unconventional challenger, one that takes chances and creates new paths,” – Antonino Labate, CUPRA’s Global Director of Strategy, Business Development & Operations.

  • CUPRA Formentor VZ side profile

In a world where some new vehicles are starting to lose their personal character and individuality, CUPRA’s models hold true to their design ethos and pave their own way.

Thank you to photographers like Alex McDonald-Bush for helping to demonstrate that design as it was intended, and thank you to our own CUPRA Tribe for putting their faith in the CUPRA brand and daring to be different.

  • CUPRA Formentor VZ touchscreen

What brought you to CUPRA? I’d love to hear your stories and, with your permission, add those to our CUPRA Tribe news category. Please reach out to us via the website or social media.

I’ll see you around the showroom and look forward to engaging with you through our social media channels:

Meanwhile, view the new CUPRA vehicle range, our existing stock in Christchurch, and be sure to sign-up to our emails.

Thank you,

Mark

Mark Lincoln
Marketing Manager
CUPRA Christchurch & Miles Group
LinkedIn / mlincoln@milesgroup.co.nz

“I wasn’t aware of the CUPRA brand until my husband started researching into what might be a good car for me. He definitely got it right when he said CUPRA was the way to go. I’m not a car person but I absolutely love my CUPRA.

It’s a high-performance car, and I finally get what it means when people say that a particular car is “lovely to drive”. I love driving it and I especially love the power behind it.”

  • Lyric Newton, Customer Care & Service Advisor at CUPRA Christchurch
  • Christopher Willetts Sales Manager of CUPRA Christchurch
  • Jodie Tait, General Manager of CUPRA Christchurch
  • Marketing Manager Mark Lincoln
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