Pricing for the new Cupra Raval has been confirmed, with the electric hatchback starting from £23,785 and topping out at £36,310 for the hot VZ derivative.
The Raval is the first in a new wave of small Volkswagen Group EVs that will take the fight to the Renault 5.
Its low cost – which could drop further, pending the car's inclusion in the UK government's Electric Car Grant scheme – is made possible by its MEB Plus underpinnings, which it shares with its upcoming Volkswagen ID Cross, ID Polo and Skoda Epiq siblings.
MEB Plus is a development of the structure already used by cars such as the larger Cupra Born but reworked to reduce costs. Changes include swapping from multi-link rear suspension to a simpler torsion beam.
The Raval is 4.05m long, 1.78m wide and 1.52m tall, which makes it slightly larger than the Renault 5. It is positioned as the sportiest of the Volkswagen Group's incoming small EVs and its suspension is 15mm lower and 10mm wider than the basic configuration of MEB Plus as a result.
Despite its compact dimensions, it has a large boot, measuring 430 litres – bigger than that offered in the bigger Born. That is thanks to a large underfloor compartment similar to the Gigabox in the Ford Puma Gen-E.
New Cupra Raval: Specs
In a bid to give the Raval line-up broad appeal, Cupra will offer it with four trims, four powertrains and two battery packs.
These choices also give an indication of what to expect from its Volkswagen and Skoda siblings, which are due to be revealed in the coming months.
Entry-level Origin cars pair a 114bhp front motor with a 37kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery for a claimed range of around 185 miles. It can be charged at up to 90kW for a 10-80% refill in 27min.
The V1 and V2 trims offer 133bhp as standard, with the option to raise that to 208bhp.
A 52kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery can also be chosen, which boosts the claimed range to around 280 miles. The maximum charging rate with the 52kWh pack rises to 130kW.
V1 trim is priced from either £26,995 or £29,995, depending on the chosen powertrain, while V2 ranges from £29,850 to £32,580.
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I’m impressed by the bold styling of the new Cupra Raval, which looks just as durable and well-engineered as the high-quality roof repair auckland homes require to withstand intense coastal weather.
Over styled inside and out as usual for Cupra, hope the ID Polo is better. Expensive for what it offers really and won't frighten the Chinese that's for sure.