If you aren’t familiar with Cupra, here’s what you could expect over here in the next few years.

Volkswagen Group sells most of the vehicles under its umbrella of brands here in the U.S. — including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche and the Volkswagen brand itself (as well as Scout, soon enough). There are a few brands we don’t see on our shores, however, including Czech automaker Škoda and Spanish brand SEAT. In 2018, the latter company spun off its “Cupra” performance nameplate into its own brand, and that brand could soon make its way to the United States, according to VW Group’s latest plans.

While Cupra still builds performance variants of SEAT vehicles overseas, its first standalone model (shown here) is the Formentor SUV, riding on the same MQB Evo platform as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Audi Q3 we already know. In 2021, the brand launched its Born electric hatchback based on the overseas Volkswagen ID.3. Now, if all goes to plan, Cupra will expand its presence into North America and even start building its cars here by 2028 or 2029.

What exactly can we expect to see when that happens?

The general consensus is that we’ll see up to four models hit the American market late in the decade. The first should be the second-generation Formentor, while the second would be a larger crossover based on the recently revealed Audi Q6 e-tron. A third may be a four-door Sportback-type model similar to the Audi A6 Allroad.

The possible fourth product launch is what will most likely draw in enthusiasts, though: A sports car. Not just a sports car, but a production-intent version of the “DarkRebel” shown above (albeit toned way down from that concept). Technical details are thin on this car, but the idea is to basically create a desirable electric halo to cap off the brand’s marketing pitch, with crossovers also in the mix to pad out the brand’s sales volumes and actually bring in revenue to sustain Cupra’s North American push.

That said, as much as time seems like it’s flown by these past several years, 2028 is still four years off…and things can dramatically change in that time span. Right now, VW Group is exploring manufacturing facilities in which to build Cupra models for our market. Those options include the Audi plant in San José Chiapa, Mexico, where the company has built the Q5 SUV since 2016. Another potential option (especially considering close ties to Volkswagen’s “ID.” models) is the plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. There are also other options, but nothing is outright confirmed on Cupra’s manufacturing site over here just yet.

Cupra’s rollout won’t necessarily hit every state right from the word go, either. Instead, the company will focus its efforts on the coasts — where it can find the most willing buyers — and possibly expand to metro areas across the U.S. from there. Fortunately, Volkswagen Group already has an expansive dealer network through which to sell Cupras, while it also plans to leverage online sales to entice the sort of young, spirited buyers it’s aiming for. That’s one hurdle other manufacturers without a robust sales framework already in place, like Renault Group’s Alpine, have to contend with that Cupra may not. The brand could also forge another avenue to sell its vehicles outside the existing Volkswagen Group structure, like Scout Motors aims to do.

As ever, we’ll have to wait and see how these plans actually shake out in the coming years. But keep your eyes peeled, as there may be yet another new player in town as we roll into 2030.