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By simplifying trim levels to just three options, CUPRA is making life easier for fleets delivering vehicles more quickly and efficiently than rivals

For fleet decision-makers trying to establish a company car choice list or drivers looking to choose their next car, vehicle trim levels can provide a confusing alphabetti spaghetti of acronyms and one-word descriptions. Is a GL better specified than an LS? Will a Dynamic be more richly equipped than an Excel? Does an Active have more, er, allure than an Allure?

And then there’s CUPRA, which offers a simple trim walk with V1, V2 and V3 and for their higher powered engines VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3.

“Having a simpler line-up, with a clear walk between the different trims makes it much easier for customers to understand,” says Aidan Whitwell, CUPRA product marketing manager.

“When customers are choosing a car, it can be a very complex piece of research, so we want to make it as easy as possible to understand our line-up.”

“Less complexity with our models at the factory means shorter lead times, which means we have good availability for both Born and Formentor, and will do for Leon V1 when manufacturing starts”

As a challenger brand in the premium sector, CUPRA has gone overboard with its equipment levels, making sure the appeal of its dramatic styling and dynamic performance doesn’t stop when a customer climbs into the driving seat. Perhaps the biggest challenge for buyers is scrolling through the generous specification levels of the V1 and puzzling what else a higher trim level could offer.

Study the equipment list of the Born V1 with a fine toothcomb, for example, and you will see how strong the specification is.  The V2 trim builds on this with heated seats, tinted rear windows, a larger alloy wheel at 19” and an augmented reality head-up display.

Perhaps the most telling difference between the three levels to other motorists is the size of the wheels – the Born V1 rolls on 18-inch alloys, the V2 on 19-inch alloys and the V3 on 20-inch aerowheels, with options to upgrade further to glossy black and copper-detailed wheels as well as different metallic paints.

“We want to be offering customers the simplicity that our cars have everything you need, while still retaining the ability to personalise the cars,” says Whitwell.

“With the simple trim line-up across all CUPRA cars, it’s easy for fleet managers to put choice lists together and it helps company car drivers choose the car that meets their needs,” adds Whitwell. “We also get really positive feedback from leasing companies that our approach helps them to set their rentals.”

The steady progression from V1 to V2 and V3, which is mirrored on their performance cars with VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3, allows employers to feature the same model of CUPRA in different choice bands.

If this approach is winning support among fleet and business customers and their drivers, it’s also proving hugely successful for CUPRA internally, by enhancing the efficiency of the product planning process.

“Less complexity with our models at the factory means shorter lead times, which means we have good availability for both Born and Formentor” says Whitwell.

In an industry plagued by lengthy and unreliable delivery times, this quicker, simpler production schedule might prove to be the biggest win of all – interestingly, the simple trim level strategy started in the UK, and is now being adopted by CUPRA in other markets.

Discover more from CUPRA For Business here.

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