Cupra Raval review: Spicy Spaniard nails the hot hatch brief
The Cupra Raval is set to put ‘el gato’ amongst the compact EV pigeons with its blend of style and performance
Remember when Seat announced it was spinning its Cupra performance badge out into its own sub-brand? When Seat dealers had special “Cupra Corners” selling rebadged Leons and everyone wondered if the Spanish wing of the VW Group had lost its mind?
Well just look at it now. Eight years later, Cupra is the big name in the family, enjoying the lion’s share of sales and launching cars that have nothing to do with its parent company.
On the EV front we’ve already had the Born and Tavascan. And now we have the Cupra Raval – a compact hatch that not only carries the Cupra name but marks the first time the brand has led platform development for the wider VW Group. The VW ID.Polo will be based on the Raval, not the other way around.
So the pressure’s on Cupra to deliver. The EV supermini world is hotting up and the Raval et al have to compete with the Renault 5, Mini Electric and Peugeot E-208, as well as their various performance-focused alter-egos.
While the Polo will trade on VW’s usual solid, stable image, the Raval is making a play as an edgy, rebellious new option. It’s all about more radical design, youthful appeal and a deliberately sportier attitude, while still competing on price and practicality.
Design, interior and technology
Cupra says the Raval is “built to command attention” and it certainly does that through taut, angular bodywork that delivers a confident, purposeful look. It’s helped by some striking paint finishes that include a colour-shifting “Plasma Iridescent” and a fantastic Manganese Matt green.
Apparently the Raval’s silhouette is inspired by a racing helmet, with the bodywork rising from a prominent shark-nosed front end to the bold 3D taillights that jut out over a huge upswept diffuser. A few well placed creases give the Raval the impression of movement even when standing still. That’s an impression enhanced by this car’s low, wide stance and short overhangs that combine to scream hot hatch.
Cupra’s triangular logo is evident not only in the illuminated badges front and rear but also in the three-segment headlight units and the multi-faceted rear lights. These, like the fronts, perform an intricate ‘dance’ as you approach the car. There’s also the usual Cupra copper details that provide a link to the bigger cars in the marques’ range, unless you opt for the VZ Extreme with its dark chrome exterior and green-tinged interior trim.
At just four metres long, the Raval is the baby of the Cupra family, but Cupra says its 2.59m wheelbase provides interior space from the segment above. That 10cm gap over the rival Renault 5 is evident both in how big the car looks from the outside and how big it feels inside. There’s noticeably better rear space, and four average-sized adults will fit easily. There’s also significantly more boot space. The Raval’s 441 litres shames pretty much every car in its class/price bracket.
Away from such practical considerations, the Raval’s interior is intended as a “driver-first” space that blends a sensible user interface with fancy design touches and the latest in infotainment tech.
There’s definitely a pleasing logic to things, with clean lines, a simple focused layout, high construction quality and interesting materials. While entry-level cars make do with fabric seats made of recycled materials, higher-spec get faux-suede, faux-leather or a fascinating 3D-knitted fabric.
Top-grade cars also get 3D-printed dashboard elements which provide some interesting extra texture. And there’s dynamic ambient lighting across the doors and dashboard, which is linked to the driver assistance systems such as blind-spot warning and navigation.
Every Raval gets a clear, configurable 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.9-inch central screen running the latest Android-based operating system. This is the same as in the updated Born, and is sharp, responsive and sensibly laid out with big easy-to-hit icons.
The screen also houses the permanent haptic sliders to adjust the air conditioning. This feels like an odd choice when the related VW ID.Polo gets proper buttons. The Raval, however, does get real physical switches on the steering wheel and for window controls, addressing a long-standing criticism of early Cupra cars.
Having seen the interiors of the other cars based on this platform, it’s pleasing how different Cupra has managed to make the Raval feel.
Battery, motor and driving
While some rivals keep it simple with one or two powertrain options, Cupra is giving buyers a wealth of choice.
Basic Origin cars get a 113bhp motor and 37kWh LFP battery which should be good for around 186 miles of range. Above that a 133bhp option uses the same battery but boosts DC charging from an embarrassing 50kW to a still sub-par 88kW.
A larger 52kWh battery is standard on more expensive models and boosts range to 277 miles and DC charging to 105kW. It can be paired with a 207bhp motor or, in spicy VZ spec, a 222bhp unit.
Every model is front-wheel-drive and uses a new motor and battery setup designed to cut weight and complexity in the name of performance and efficiency. While the focus in lesser models might be about saving energy, in the spicy VZ version, it’s all about performance.
This is a proper hot hatch intended to take the fight to the Alpine A290, Peugeot E-208 GTI and John Cooper Works Mini.
Compared with every other car on the platform, the Raval is 15mm lower and 10mm wider but the VZ also gets bespoke steering hardware and tuning, along with 15-stage adaptive damping and an electronic limited slip differential. There are also VZ-specific wider tyres and an E-launch mode that unlocks a unique lighting, cockpit animation and sound “ceremony”.
Using E-launch will get the Cupra Raval VZ from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 108mph.
When a family SUV can hit 62mph in 3.9 seconds, that doesn’t sound very fast but it’s on a par with cars like the A290. And hot hatches aren’t just about straight line speed, they’re about the whole driving experience.
Which is where the Raval excels.
On the tight twisting mountains around its native Barcelona, all that steering and chassis work comes to the fore. Performance drive mode delivers a sharp, lively package but it’s when you hit the dedicated Cupra button that the Raval really comes to life.
The directness and nimbleness in how it darts between corners really delivers on the promise of a hot hatch for the EV era. The steering could perhaps offer a touch more feedback, but it is immediate and laser accurate. You can throw the Raval around with complete confidence. The combination of grippy Bridgestone tyres, the clever E-diff and a responsive throttle that delivers oodles of mid-range torque complete the playful package, backed up by the one-box braking system that delivers one of the most positive braking feels in the EV sphere.
In extremis, the Raval doesn’t have quite the ferocity or edginess of an Abarth or Mini but it counters that with being far more manageable when you’re not hammering along an empty B road.
For a start, even in its stiffest setting the suspension is supple and capable. Body roll is never an issue, but nor do you feel like your fillings are being shaken loose. In calmer modes and around town, the Raval displays road manners and composure of a car in the class above, and it’s only at motorway speed that some wind noise starts to impose itself.
On the prosaic matter of efficiency, even with plenty of spirited driving in the Spanish mountains, our test car delivered 3.7m/kWh – far, far better than key rivals manage and a promising sign for more sensible variants. Helping eke out the most miles is a four-stage regenerative braking system with one-pedal mode.
Price and specification
From launch, the Cupra Born is offered in four standard trims – running from the £23,785 Origin to the £36,310 VZ Extreme – plus a limited-run V2 Launch Edition. It’s likely all versions will get approval for the £1,500 Electric Car Grant, but that’s not been confirmed yet.
Origin models only come with the smallest battery and motor and get 17-inch alloys, auto-dipping LED headlights, the 12.9-inch screen with wireless phone mirroring and connected services. Adaptive cruise, rear parking sensor and single-zone air conditioning are also standard.
Above that V1 (£26,995) and V2 (£29,580) both come with the 133bhp/37kWh powertrain as standard or can be upgraded to the longer-range 207bhp setup for an extra £3,000.
V1 adds 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and tinted rear glass, along with heated front seats and steering wheel and a reversing camera. V2, meanwhile, brings 19-inch wheels, a Sennheiser sound system, “smart” ambient lighting and bucket seats.
At the top of the range the VZ starts at £34,995 and brings the biggest motor, e-LSD, DCC and vegan leather upholstery for its bucket seats, as well as an extended ADAS package and Matrix adaptive headlights. On top of that, the Extreme edition features Cup bucket seats, a top-view camera and unique “Rebel” 19-inch wheel design as well as dark chrome interior and exterior trim.
Verdict
Cupra wants the Raval to be a statement, to declare its arrival as a major EV player. And, on first impressions, it nails that brief.
It’s a lively, fun and stylish new entrant into the segment that delivers hot hatch performance without any of the compromises its rivals have made. As well as being a hoot to drive, it is spacious, comfortable, refined and solidly made.
What will be telling, however, is how the lower-specification cars look, feel and perform. If they can maintain the VZ’s strong showing at the lower price points, the Renault 5 will need to look out.
Cupra Raval VZ
- Price: £34,995 (£35,990 as tested)
- Powertrain: Single-motor, front-wheel-drive
- Battery: 52kWh
- Power: 222bhp
- Torque: 214lb ft
- Top speed: 109mph
- 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds
- Range: 239-273miles
- Consumption: 3.9-4.5m/kWh
- Charging: up to 105kW
Rivals
- Renault 5 – brilliant to look at, to drive and to use. Cheaper that the basic Cupra too, although the VZ-rivalling Alpine A290 is a similar price
- Mini Electric – Offers “basic” or hot options, an iconic name and interesting interior. But more expensive and rides appallingly in JCW spec
- Peugeot E-208: A stylish compact, if slightly ageing, option from France. The upcoming GTI is likely to give the VZ a run for its money in the handling stakes
