Meet the Cupra Raval: Barcelona’s latest design-led, driver-focused hot hatch

Ahead of its launch later this year, we take a deep dive under the skin of the Raval: Cupra’s promising new hot hatch.

Since Cupra became a standalone brand from Seat in 2018, it has, at times, struggled to find its performance-focused identity within the Volkswagen Group. Thanks to its upcoming Raval, any notions about whether Cupra is just a warmed-up VW have been cast firmly into the dustbin of history.

When it goes on sale later this year, Cupra promises that the Raval will be among the very best, if not the best, performing B-segment electric hot hatches around. After spending some time with a pre-production version at a top-secret location in Cupra’s hometown of Barcelona (which was far cooler than I will ever be, FYI!), there’s every reason to believe that the boys and girls from its Martorell factory have a winner on their hands. And that’s not just down to the electronic limited-slip differential that comes fitted to the range-topping Raval VZ.

You see, the Raval is a breakout car for Cupra. The smallest Cupra rides on the EV-only, MEB+ platform, which serves as the backbone for the VW Group’s ‘Urban Car Family’ project and was created to introduce a range of EVs priced at around €25,000. Vitally, Cupra was given the lead on the entire project, which also incorporates models from VW and Skoda. This means it set the tone for the platform’s setup, which will trickle down to the upcoming VW ID Polo and ID Cross as well as the Skoda Yeti.  The Raval, then, stands to earn Cupra some serious clout.

What’s more, the Raval adopts a new design path for Cupra. Make no mistake, higher-end Cupras are visually different to their traditionally more conservative VW cousins. After Cupra went its own way, Barcelona introduced a dedicated Cupra copper colourway and an emotive use of light and space to position itself as the VW Group’s sporty brand. That didn’t always work out. The outgoing Cupra Born cannot hide its VW ID 3 lineage, while the Tavascan can still resemble a bejewelled ID 4 in entry-level V1 guise.

Ultimately, though, the Cupra Raval brings together everything Cupra has learned since it became a standalone brand. At last, it can fully lay claim to those performance credentials it has always sought.

Exterior design

Measuring just four metres, the Cupra Raval is a smidge longer than its chief rivals, the Alpine A290 and the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works Electric. Leaning into Cupra’s use of light as a way of conveying emotion, the ‘shark nose’ front end – now a design cue on all new Cupras – is offset by two LED headlights positioned above to create a sporty, focused front visual.

Approach the Raval, and the car will perform its own light show to welcome you. As much as I really shouldn’t admit to liking this, I do. And I liked it on the Tavascan we tested last year, too.

Around the back of the Raval, you’ll find a bold light bar running the width of the tailgate. Paired with the matte green ‘Manganese’ colour of our VZ-trim car, the assertive use of light as a bold design feature makes the Cupra Raval look exactly that. It’s not as pretty as the Alpine, and it’s not as boy-racery as the Mini. In fact, with the devilish Cupra copper badging front and rear, it’s rather aggressive.

And talking about Old Nick himself… the devil is in the details with the Raval. Cupra says that its latest and likely-greatest will have best-in-class efficiency thanks to what it calls a “fully optimised aero strategy”. This means that front air curtains at either side of the bumper work alongside the active-aero grille, the 19-inch two-tone aero wheels, and banned-in-China flush door handles to direct airflow to the rear of the car.

Here, a sculpted C-pillar, a rear spoiler, and a big rear diffuser scream ‘LOOK AT ME!’. With the front and rear aerodynamics working in tandem, the Raval is the most aerodynamic Cupra model yet.

Now we’ve dealt with the clever bits, it’s time to admire the Raval from the side. Thanks to a heavily sculpted waistline that runs into a ‘Z’ form down the doors, the Raval’s aggression is amplified, and the matte green paint job shifts to heighten its sharp curves. Meanwhile, the dark grey used on the bottom section of the doors and bumper provides contrast.

The Cupra Raval adopts a front-forward glass box, which it describes as being “helmet-inspired”. Given Cupra has a Formula E team, I’ll take their word for it. Ultimately, the Raval reflects Cupra’s now clearly-defined sporting ambitions. In fact, it’s not visually dissimilar to a small touring car. In fact, if there were a Formula E supporting race series with electric hot hatches like the Raval, that would be brilliant. If you’re reading, Alejandro Agag…

Cupra Raval interior design

Step inside the Cupra Raval, and the interior immediately reflects the exterior – it’s daring without getting stupid. Like its recently updated big brother, the Cupra Born, the Raval gets a centrally mounted touchscreen running on an Android-based operating system. This is no bad thing, as it’s easy to use, and Google’s built-in tech has been adopted by the likes of Renault, Volvo, and Polestar – all companies that know a thing or two about building a competent EV.

Everything in the Raval is very driver-focused. The cabin feels dark and tightly packaged, while the hooded digital instrument binnacle is largely free of distractions. Unlike the upcoming ID Polo, the Raval doesn’t adopt physical switchgear for its climate control system. While proper buttons would be preferable, don’t forget that Cupra is trying to form its own path. A more contemporary, modern aesthetic is perhaps what it’s chasing.

And minimalism is what’s key here. Besides the 3D-printed seats, a centre console, and air vents, there’s very little else in the Raval’s cockpit. Yet the striking colours and unconventional materials add a layer of visual intrigue that’s fast becoming a Cupra ‘thing’. Tiny projectors built into the dashboard project different, brightly coloured patterns onto and around various surfaces depending on the lighting mode and how you’re driving. Again, Cupra insists this design is all part of the Raval’s emotive experience. A cynic would suggest it’s a gimmick.

The Raval uses a variety of unusual finishes, including a parametric trim on the dashboard and door inserts. Paired with the overall matte green interior colourway, everything works together in a unique way that cleverly pairs form with function.

Cupra Raval trim levels and pricing 

The Cupra Raval comes in four trim levels. The entry-level car is the Core model, which comes with 114bhp and a 37kWh battery good for around 186 miles of range. Being the base model, the Cupra Raval Core will be the cheapest, priced at around £25,000. More expensive V1 and V2 models with more toys are also available with the same battery and power output. Both cars have a peak charge rate of 90kW, with a 10%-to-80% top-up achievable in 27 minutes.

The V1 and V2 Cupra Raval models are also available as long-range models with 208bhp and a 52kWh battery capable of up to 280 miles on a single charge.

It is, however, the range-topping VZ Cupra Raval that you’ll want. Expected to be priced at around £35,000, it comes with the electronic limited-slip differential and 15-way Dynamic Chassis Control, which allows for what EV Powered editor, Matt, described as “proper hot hatch handling” in his drive of a pre-production car in November last year.

The VZ, or “veloz”, meaning ‘speed’ in Spanish, shares its 52kWh battery with the pricier V1 and V2 cars, but its 223bhp means range is slightly reduced to 250 miles. This larger pack on both models can be charged from 10% to 80% in 23 minutes courtesy of 130kW fast charging.

Across the board, each Raval benefits from Cupra and Performance driving modes, as well as vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality. Another clever aspect of its MEB+ platform is the “one box” braking system, which brings together three disparate control elements. It is also the first all-electric Cupra to benefit from rear disc brakes.

Analysis

The Cupra Raval is named after one of the trendiest districts in Barcelona – the Spanish answer to Manchester’s Northern Quarter, if you will. Initially, I wasn’t sure whether it would be a case of marketing spiel over product. But from what I’ve seen, it isn’t. Far from it, actually. Martorell’s engineering team have made the Raval as aerodynamically efficient as possible, and with that limited-slip differential, it should be a hoot to drive.

When we talk about those key ingredients that make a Volvo a Volvo, or an Alfa Romeo an Alfa Romeo, we know exactly what they are. By pairing clever, distinctive design with its own bold, driver-focused attitude, the Raval has now firmly given Cupra its own recipe book to work from. ¡Bravo!