From sports to lifestyle, passing through fashion and motorsport: the brand of the Volkswagen Group expands its universe and strengthens its bond with an increasingly diverse community. We spoke about this with Pierantonio Vianello, CUPRA & SEAT brand director at Volkswagen Group Italia.
Pierantonio Vianello, CUPRA & SEAT brand director at Volkswagen Group Italia There are sports that are played and others that are experienced. Padel undoubtedly belongs to the second category: made of instinctive gestures, shared challenges, and an energy capable of transforming every match into a collective experience. In recent years, it has established itself as an international phenomenon, giving rise to an increasingly broad community of players and enthusiasts. It is in this dimension that the bond between CUPRA and padel fits. Performance, dynamism, competitive spirit, and a desire to create authentic connections are values that unite the world of sports and the identity of the automotive brand. A relationship that has been consolidated over time, finding a new opportunity for meeting during the CUPRA Press Padel Challenge, organized on October 17 at the Padel8 center in Milan, as part of the OYSHO Milano Premier Padel P1. For the fifth consecutive year, CUPRA participated in the tournament as the Official Automotive Partner, confirming its presence in one of the reference events on the international padel calendar. The day represented an opportunity to get closer to the CUPRA universe through different experiences: from dedicated test drives to the e-HYBRID range to the opportunity to take to the field, up to watching the tournament semifinals, with some of the best players in the world competing for a spot in the final. But padel is just one of the expressions of a broader strategy, in which the automobile becomes the starting point for building relationships, experiences, and a recognizable identity even outside the automotive sector.
CUPRA and padel: a bond built over time
“Padel is in our DNA,” says Pierantonio Vianello, CUPRA & SEAT brand director at Volkswagen Group Italia. “We got into it when it wasn’t so widespread yet and we continue to maintain a significant presence internationally, through tournaments, athletes, and collaborations.”
A presence that, over time, has helped make CUPRA a recognizable name even outside the automotive world.
“I believe we are the most recognized non-sports equipment brand in the padel world,” emphasizes Vianello.
The choice to link to this discipline is not only about the brand’s visibility but also about the opportunity to connect with a dynamic, cross-cutting audience sensitive to a lifestyle where sports, socializing, and design come together. This direction is also reflected in CUPRA’s other sports partnerships. The brand continues its commitment in MotoGP, through collaboration with Valentino Rossi’s team, and continues in motorsport, including Formula E. Different areas, united by the centrality of performance and the ability to engage the audience through highly emotional experiences.
Beyond the automobile: the CUPRA world opens up to lifestyle
However, CUPRA’s vision does not end in sports. In recent years, the brand has expanded its scope, developing projects that intertwine design, fashion, accessories, and experiences. An evolution that is also reflected in the commercial results of the lifestyle collection, as explained by Vianello: “The turnover results are surprising everyone. At the CUPRA Garage Milano, in Corso Como, we have recorded very interesting sales.” A particularly significant fact is that these results have come without a dedicated communication campaign.
“It is a spontaneous demand, generated by people who enter the dealership and discover the collection. In Milan, we also have many buyers who are not automotive customers.”
This is where one of the most interesting aspects of the project emerges: the ability to reach people who identify with the brand’s aesthetics and values, even without owning a car. The collection, in CUPRA’s intentions, aims to go beyond traditional merchandising.
“We have created a collection that is truly wearable. You can see that they are well-crafted products of a certain quality level. We rely on suppliers who normally work in the clothing sector,” explains Vianello.
Fashion thus becomes another language through which to tell the brand’s identity, bringing its style into everyday life. 
Fashion Week and new projects. The focus is already on the future
The dialogue with the fashion world has also been strengthened through the presentation of a new collection during Paris Fashion Week, preceded by a prototype study presented at Milan Design Week. 
Among the elements of the proposal is a convertible vest into a backpack, an example of research that combines functionality, design, and versatility. After the Paris presentation, the collection is also destined to reach the Italian market. At the same time, CUPRA is working on new projects for 2027, with the aim of further expanding its universe through collaborations, lifestyle initiatives, and dedicated experiences. 
CUPRA challenges the codes of design with MAM at Paris Fashion Week Vianello maintains the necessary caution about the details, emphasizing that the agreements have yet to be finalized, but confirms the direction taken: “There are interesting initiatives, even in areas like lifestyle.” Even the next new automotive model should fit into a broader communication path, capable of enhancing not only the product but also the experiences surrounding it. However, the characteristics of the project have not yet been revealed. 
A conquering brand, with an eye on Europe
Within the Volkswagen Group, CUPRA stands out for a well-defined position. “It is a conquering brand”, says Vianello, highlighting the ability to attract customers from other brands and gradually expand its audience. Geographically, Europe remains the reference market, alongside Mexico, where the brand records interesting sales volumes. In this context, visual identity and stylistic research continue to play a central role, also through the development of colors dedicated to specific ranges and models. A strategy aimed at making CUPRA immediately recognizable and consolidating its positioning, linking automobile, design, sports, and lifestyle. The CUPRA Press Padel Challenge fits into this path: not just an opportunity to take to the field or get to know the e-HYBRID range up close, but a moment of encounter between different worlds, united by the same idea of energy, sharing, and the search for new experiences. For CUPRA, padel continues to represent much more than a sports partnership. It is a space where the brand can express its personality, meet new communities, and tell an identity that increasingly develops well beyond the boundaries of the automobile.
