Battery size: 37–52kWh
Max charge rate: 90 – 130 kW
WLTP Range: 186–277 miles
Introduction – new Cupra Raval
The Cupra Raval is a small electric hatchback that measures 4.0m long, 1.78m wide, 1.50m tall and with a 2.6-metre wheelbase. Interestingly, this compact EV segment is predicted to be the fastest growing segment in the next few years, and analysts reckon that it will triple in size over the next six years – growing to account for around 18% of the new car market. So Cupra needs to get the Raval right, first time.
It’s based on the same platform as the VW ID.Polo and ID. Cross. as well as the Skoda Epiq, which means that it’s front-wheel drive and has potential for great tech, efficiency and range.
Cupra reckons that the Raval will feel really different to its siblings thanks to sportier dynamics - courtesy of a 10mm wider track and (in the case of the hot VZ models) a 15mm lower ride height than the other cars on this platform. It also looks pretty dramatic, don't you think? I particularly like it in the Matte Manganese Green paint, which looked brilliant on the car I drove all around Barcelona and the surrounding mountains on the launch.
Anyway, it looks cool, but it's not cheap. The longer range Cupra Raval starts at nearly £30,000, which seems punchy next to rivals like the Renault 5, Nissan Micra and Peugeot E-208. It's got a lot to prove, then, the Raval - so let's find out if it can live up to expectations!
Range, battery and charging
Right, there are a couple of different batteries on offer in the Cupra Raval. The entry-level model is the Cupra Raval Origin. That comes with the smaller 37kWh LFP battery, and a lower power output. Cupra is quoting a range of around 186 miles, so it’s safe to think of this as a great option for drivers that don’t routinely do very long journeys. Which, given that the average daily mileage in the UK is around 20- to 30 miles, there’s clearly a big market out there for these smaller battery EVs. You can also get the 37kWh battery with in V1 trim, which brings quite a bit more kit, so I suspect that'll be the more popular option for people who want the fun dynamics and cool looks of the Raval but don't need the longer range.
The bigger, 52kWh NMC battery versions of the Cupra Raval will probably be the bigger sellers! Cupra is quoting up to 277 miles WLTP if you stick with one of the mid-spec V1 or V2 trims, while the more powerful VZ models lose a bit of efficiency and see range drop to as little as 236 miles depending on which wheels you go for.
As for charging, the 37kWh Raval makes do with 90kW DC rapid charging, while the 52kWh cars get 130kW. That's good for a 100 mile top-up in roughly 30- or 20 minutes respectively, while both will manage a 10-80% charge in around half an hour or less - provided you're plugged into a fast enough rapid charger and have got good charging conditions!
Every Cupra Raval uses Type 2 and CCS charging sockets, which are the European standard and are compatible with every home car charger and the vast majority of public rapid chargers in the UK and western Europe. The charging flap is on the front driver's side (in the UK) wing of the car, which I'm not sure is the most practical place as you'll have to drive nose-first into a lot of charging bays. I prefer reversing into most parking spaces, but that's a matter of personal preference!
I’m impressed that the Cupra Raval, VW ID.Polo and Skoda Epiq are all going to be offered with vehicle-to-load (V2L), too, so that you can charge up your electrical devices from the car’s high voltage battery. Perfect for charging up your e-bike when you’re out camping. A heat pump is a pricey option on the Raval, and costs nearly £1,000. I'd say that's only worth adding if you really do a lot of miles in winter; the engineers at Cupra estimated that it was worth roughly 10% more range in cold conditions, so I'd save the money and just charge a bit more often...
You’ll also be able to register for ‘Plug and Charge’, which means you can save your bank details to the car’s system and just plug into certain rapid charging stations in order to charge without having to tap your card or use a phone app. It’ll just do it all automatically. Unfortunately that won’t be compatible with all rapid chargers, which is very annoying (no car maker offers plug and charge for all chargers yet, sadly) but it’ll be valid with Ionity and various other charge providers.
Practicality and boot space
Packaging is the whole point of this class, I reckon. Because you want it to be small outside but practical and roomy inside. Cupra’s claiming this car can do both: city friendly footprint, but still enough space for actual real life.
Having now driven it and spent time in it, I have to agree with them! I think the Cupra's interior space is one of its big selling points over the Renault 5. Even with the chunky sports seats that you get in the Raval VZ that I drove, I can still sit pretty comfortably behind a tall driver - and I''m 5ft 6in, so a fairly average height! You can seat three people, of course, although you’ll be a bit tight for elbowroom, to be honest. There’s no centre rear armrest in the Cupra Raval, I’m afraid, but this is a compact, affordable EV after all – and you don’t get in one in most rivals, including the Renault 5 and Kia EV2.
Because this baby electric Cupra is front-wheel drive, it frees up lots of space over the back wheels and you have loads of space in the boot – 441 litres, to be precise. That’s really good for a car of this size. For context, the VW ID.Polo is pretty much identical at 435 litres (Nicola also fits in that one), while the Kia EV2 gets 402 litres of boot space, the Renault 5 gets 326 litres and the Renault 4 gets 420 litres.
If you want more space than that then there's always the Skoda Epiq or VW ID.Cross, which are a fraction bigger and more SUV-ish, as is the Ford Puma Gen-E that's another electric crossover rival to the Cupra Raval - and a good option if you want loads of boot space.
So, while it’s not class best, the Raval still comes out looking really competitive for boot space and practicality. It’s got useful underfloor storage for your cables, too. In fact, it feels quite a bit more grown-up than you might expect of a compact car and should make a really good small family car. Compared to the Renault 5, which I suspect is going to be its chief rival for those wanting a small, fun electric hatchback, the Raval's interior space is a big selling point.
- Dimensions (length/width excl. mirrors/height): 4.46m / 1.78m / 1.52m
- Boot capacity: 441 litres
- Max towing capacity: TBC
Interior, design and technology
I have good news for you, here! VW Group and Cupra have listened. They’ve added more physical controls for the drive modes, and you can control the volume easily on the steering wheel… it’s a good blend of physical and digital controls. Although I am a bit disappointed that we’ve still got the touch-sensitive slider things beneath the screen – it’s just too easy to hit them by accident, and not easy enough to control them accurately.
Anyway, apart from that, Cupra is really leaning into the idea that this shouldn’t feel like a basic, budget EV. Have they nailed that brief? I’d say they have, yes – certainly on the high spec car that I spent time with.
You’ve got a 10.25in Digital Cockpit (I like to call this a ‘screen’) behind the wheel, and a 12.9in infotainment touchscreen running a new Android-powered system. Now, I’d like a bit more time with this system but on the brief encounter I’ve had with it, it does seem to respond quickly and it’s all pretty easy to work out.
There are configurable shortcuts, and it's easy to swipe down and turn your driver assist systems on- or off. I reckon it’s a really good step forward from Cupra’s previous system – even if Ginny tells me that she thinks system in the Kia EV2 is probably a bit more intuitive in terms of finding your settings easily and hopping between functions. Of course, you get nav (on all but the entry-level Core model), intelligent charger search function and route planning, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
They’re also making a big deal about the display quality, which is really nice and sharp, and there’s access to a Group Store with over 130 apps. Plus, when the car’s parked, it’ll let you stream services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to make the charging stop more enjoyable.
And let’s talk about lighting. Cupra’s doing its “interior drama” thing with lighting. The Smart Light setup is a funky, reactive light that can communicate driver-assist alerts. In terms of aesthetics, I’m a particular fan of the dynamic projections onto the door panels, which just looks really cool and makes the car feel quite special at night as it has subtle, intricate patterns and colours. Subdued, but very nice.
Oh, and there are sounds! The Cupra Raval’s standard sound system has seven speakers with the option of upgrading to a 12-speaker Sennheiser Sound System, which has been custom built for the Raval. And the sounds have been inspired by Formula E, because Cupra competes in it. It kicks in when you activate Performance or Cupra driving modes - I actually prefer the slightly more subdued sound that you get in Performance to the more aggressive tone that the Cupra mode brings - and reacts to how fast you’re driving, effectively mimicking an engine noise. I really like these systems, but it's worth pointing out that you can use the Individual mode to set the car up to have all the sporty driving stuff without the noise, if that's what you prefer.
Motors, performance and handling
Speaking of engine noise, shall we talk about what the Cupra Raval is like to drive?! I drove the Cupra Raval VZ, which is the sporty one, all around the mountains around Barcelona with a fair bit of time on the motorway and in town, too.
Now, Cupra has done a lot to try and make the Raval feel sporty. Every Cupra Raval model has a 10mm wider track than any other car on this MEB+ platform (other than the Polo GTI, which also gets the wider track). That means that the axles are wider so that the wheels are further apart, giving more grip and better handling. It makes the Raval look almost as wide as it is long, for that properly chunky stance.
The VZ Extreme that I drove is only offered with the big battery, plus a 226hp electric motor powering the front wheels. It sits nice and low on the road, It grips really well and it feels very chuckable as you swing through corners. The e-diff that the VZ gets really helps to keep the car's nose tucked in, and you can feel the car pulling itself round as you accelerate out of corners. It's fun. Properly fun! It really does feel hot hatch enough to rival stuff like the Alpine A290 and Abarth 600e. I had an absolute ball driving it on fun, twisty roads.
There's one caveat to this: the Raval VZ also gets adaptive dampers, which seemed to do a decent job of softening the bumps over speed bumps and potholes out in Spain. But it does still feel quite firm in the sportier settings, so I think you'll really notice the ride comfort around town. Not in a jarring, horrible way, but the Raval feels quite taut and sporty so you'll feel what's going on with the road surface. We'll have to drive it in the UK to really find out just how well it copes with our notoriously patched-up roads. I think it'll be okay, provided you're happy to live with a slightly busier ride than you'll get on the ID.Polo and Kia EV2.
We also haven't driven the other Cupra Raval models, yet, which is a shame as the VZ is pretty expensive and I think the mid-spec 52kWh V1 and V2 will be the big sellers. They get 211hp and I reckon will do 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds, which will still feel seriously punchy enough to suit the Raval's sporty image. You don't get the adaptive dampers, but they're probably still a better balance of price, fun and equipment for most people - we'll just have to wait and see!
The smaller 37kWh battery Raval Origin gets 116hp, while the same battery in V1 trim gets 135hp, and I bet with the lower battery weight these will still be great to drive. It's not all about 0-62mph times, you know!
- Power: 116hp / 135hp / 211hp / 226hp
- 0–62mph: 10.5 (est) / 7.1 / 6.8sec
- Powertrain: Front-wheel drive
Running costs and pricing
Orders will open for the Cupra Raval in early summer 2026, and pricing starts from just under £24,000 for the Raval Origin with its 186 mile WLTP range. Now obviously, that’s for the basic version - once you start ticking boxes, going for the bigger battery or even looking at the sporty VZ, that price can climb to over £36,000 for the VZ Extreme! More realistically, a mid-spec Cupra Raval V1 52kWh costs just under £30,000. Given that you have keyless entry, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, and the full-fat infotainment system all included, that's not too bad. Or the V2 trim adds sporty seats, the funky interior lighting, bigger 19-inch alloys wheels and a few other extras for under £33,000.
Of course, the real crunch point will be monthly PCP and lease costs, which haven't been confirmed yet. If the Raval is going to be competitive with rivals like the very funky and fun Renault 5, and the more practical but very cute Kia EV2, it’s going to need to come in at around £300 - £350 per month for a 52kWh model, after a modest deposit, so here’s hoping that the monthly costs will be as competitive.
It's not confirmed yet, but the Raval is likely to be eligible for the £1,500 electric car grant. We'll confirm when we can, and in the meantime you can find out which cars are eligible for the UK electric car grant, right here.
Every electric Cupra gets a five year, 90,000 mile warranty, which is very good – if not quite as long as the warranty you get with Kia, Toyota and Peugeot. The battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles.
Verdict
Clearly, the Cupra Raval has plenty of top competition – the Renault 5, the Fiat Grande Panda, the Kia EV2, the Skoda Epiq, the VW ID.Polo... But the good thing is that all of these cars have different characters. Same school year. Same class. All completely different personalities. The Raval is surprisingly useful but feels distinctly sporty, and I reckon it’ll do really well provided those monthly costs are good enough.
So, which one would you go for? Which character were you at school? You want a Raval, don’t you. You were the one smoking behind the bike sheds weren’t you… I know.
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