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Cupra will beryllium among the archetypal Volkswagen Group brands successful Australia to connection factory-backed connectivity and distant solutions successful its vehicles, but we're inactive not definite erstwhile that volition happen.
In a connection supplied to CarExpert, caput of merchandise for Cupra Australia, Jeff Shafer, said: "connected services for Australia person been confirmed and we're moving intimately with our planetary and Volkswagen Group colleagues to bring the exertion to market.
"There are a fig of engineering and localisation requirements that request to beryllium completed to guarantee the strategy delivers the acquisition our customers expect, and that enactment volition yet find the rollout timing. While we can't supply a steadfast day today, we're encouraged by the advancement being made and look guardant to sharing much details arsenic the programme advances," Mr Shafer added.
It's understood the Spanish brand's section part is hurrying to guarantee its connected conveyance tech is acceptable to spell up of the motorboat of the compact Raval electrical conveyance (EV), which is firming for an Australian motorboat sometime successful 2027 and volition onshore with a new-generation infotainment strategy powered by Google's Android software.
Mr Shafer's latest comments travel aft helium told CarExpert past twelvemonth that Cupra Australia was "pushing truly hard" for an embedded factory-backed connectivity solution, alternatively than opting for a third-party app with constricted functionality similar the Volkswagen marque has done with Goconnect successful Australia.
"It's a truly blistery topic,” Mr Shafer said successful August 2025. "It's an contented that exists astatine a Group level, not conscionable a Cupra level, but we’re pushing truly hard."
The Volkswagen Group successful Australia has been incapable to instrumentality a factory-backed connected services diagnostic set, thing that has besides impacted the specification of its products – particularly, its scope of EVs based connected the dedicated electrical MEB platform.
While online navigation and unrecorded postulation updates are features that galore Australian buyers could unrecorded without, the deficiency of due app functionality arsenic recovered successful astir rival EVs – bringing owners the quality to cheque artillery complaint presumption and execute conveyance functions similar compartment preconditioning remotely – stands retired successful a marketplace successful which this is becoming progressively common.
The MEB level requires a connected services module for definite features which are presently near retired of Australian models, similar outer navigation (with online routing and postulation updates), integer cardinal and exigency telephone functions, arsenic good arsenic over-the-air bundle updates.
In the lawsuit of the original Cupra Born, it besides missed retired connected the VW Group’s clever Travel Assist semi-autonomous road mode arsenic a result, arsenic it requires connected functionality.
It's understood the updated Cupra Tavascan – which lands imminently – volition bring the aforesaid Android-based infotainment arsenic the Raval but without connectivity. Further, the related Skoda Elroq and Enyaq volition soon adhd the Czech brand's mentation of the aforesaid interface for exemplary twelvemonth 2027 (MY27) without connected features.
Last year, Volkswagen Australia’s rider and commercialized divisions rolled retired a third-party solution successful lieu of proprietary services, successful the signifier of Goconnect.
Via the Goconnect telephone app, owners tin presumption their parking position, visualise the vehicle’s astir caller trips, interact and publication appointments with their dealer, presumption important errors and warnings, cheque their high-voltage artillery status, and spot their vehicle's driving speed.
At the motorboat of the ID. Buzz electrical van range, Volkswagen Group Australia manager of commercialized vehicles, Ryan Davies, said: “Australia is presently 1 of those [markets] we don’t person a existent representation of erstwhile the connectivity that’s disposable successful Europe volition marque its mode into Australia”.
Despite besides falling nether the VW Group banner locally, Audi Australia has agelong offered its ain connected conveyance solutions via the Audi link positive system, which offers a scope of online features and distant functions. However, the MEB-based Q4 e-tron misses retired connected these features, astatine slightest initially, owed to the embedded connected module successful its platform.
With Cupra's confirmation of inbuilt connectivity and distant functionality moving forward, different brands wrong the Volkswagen Group unchangeable successful Australia volition nary uncertainty travel suit. Rival manufacturers person made strides successful the connected conveyance abstraction of late, arsenic person galore caller brands from China – further putting unit connected VW Group brands to bring akin functionality to Australia.
Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda and Toyota each connection connected services and app-based distant functions, arsenic bash the likes of BYD and MG. All connection complimentary subscriptions with conveyance purchases, though the duration and disposable functionality tin alteration depending connected the marque and subscription type. Not each of those brand’s models are compatible, either.
MORE: Cupra "pushing truly hard" for connected services successful AustraliaMORE: Explore the Cupra showroom
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