Cupra goes radical with 489bhp range-extender sports SUV

"When we created this car, we didn't want to create another machine - we wanted to create a car that is alive, like an animal, with some kind of connection with the driver," he explained.

Design overhaul

As such, there are display screens at each end of the car that are said to give the effect of breathing, while the muscular haunches and accentuated curves down the sides are described as 'humanised sculptures' - complete with exposed 'under-skin' in the lower portion, where lightweight BComp material represents the Tindaya's "muscles and nerves".

BComp – a "more respectful" alternative to carbonfibre that Cupra will use on upcoming models – is also used to mark out the prominent 'blister' motif that runs around the rear arches. 

The use of lots of different materials and colours in the Tindaya's design is all about managing the proportions to "reduce the visual effect" of its substantial silhouette, Rodriguez Bosch said.

The Tindaya's cabin is more conceptual, and certain elements like the pillarless reverse-opening doors, floating seats and full-length centre console will never make it to showrooms - but it nonetheless gives a good idea of what future Cupra cars will look like inside. 

"It's a vision that will influence our products in the future," Rodriguez Bosch told Autocar, with the prevailing priority being to emphasise the brand's commitment to driver engagement.

"No drivers, no Cupra," he said. "We love driving, we love cars and we create products for our customers who also love driving their cars."

That driver-centric focus manifests in a cockpit that has been designed with heavy influence from sports cars and racing, and majors on tactility. The steering wheel, for example, is swapped out for a serious-looking yoke (that is connected electronically to the wheels and so only needs to turn through 180deg); all four seats are carbon-tubbed buckets; there's a 24in wraparound display and control panel ahead of the driver; and most core functions are controlled using traditional switches and buttons.

"All the elements are for the person that is in command of the car", explained Rodriguez Bosch, adding an emphasis on analogue controls over touchscreens.

"We are going back to more physical buttons. For example, we could have done capacitive switches [on the steering wheel] but these are mechanical switches.

"We are bringing back the physical because the interaction is better."

It's not all about preserving tradition, though: there is a full-width wraparound digital display at the base of the windscreen, an advanced voice control system and a unique, interactive prism-shaped device in the centre console that's used to change the interior settings and drive mode. 

However, in a notable shift away from convention, the Tindaya does not feature a touchscreen - and that's because Cupra sees the potential for artificial intelligence to eventually be able to serve much the same purpose.

AI could replace touchscreeens

"We see AI as an enabler for new ways of interaction for the future," explained Rodriguez Bosch. "A few years ago, voice assistants didn't work properly, so it was very difficult to drive by voice, but we see AI as a potential opportunity to improve that."

Asked if that means Cupra thinks its customers are ready to ditch touchscreens in their cars, he said: "We will be soon. Maybe not now, but soon. One year ago, there was no AI, and now that technology is evolving really, really fast, and people are adapting as fast as the technology is evolving.