I thought the Cupra Born was great but here’s why Cupra Raval could be even better
Ticks just about all of the right boxes when it comes to electric mobility
If you’ve driven or are lucky enough to own a Cupra Born you’ll know what a great EV it is – so it carries a lot of weight when I say the upcoming Cupra Raval could be even better. Granted, my first taste of the 2026 electric supermini was a reasonably short run, and we were in convoy chaperoned by Cupra engineers, but the experience was a very good one indeed.
The Raval is one of four new models that’ll make up the Volkswagen Group’s electric urban car family, and will be closely followed by the VW ID.Polo.
Picking through the specifications of the three different model variants, which are based on the firm’s MEB+ platform, it’s clear there’s going to be something for everyone. The front-wheel drive Cupra Raval Dynamic kicks off the range with a 210 horsepower motor and up to 279 miles of range. It’ll be available in Fiord Blue and feature special Dynamica bucket seats on the inside, plus 18in alloys on the outside.
The Raval Dynamic Plus will feature the same powertrain and battery, but will be differentiated from the lowlier model with iridescent Plasma paintwork, 19in copper alloys and matrix LED headlights. Inside there will be advanced ADAS features, intelligent parking functionality and a beefy 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system.
Performance EV fans will probably want to head for the Cupra Raval VZ Extreme I drove though. This will have slightly less range at 248 miles but a bigger battery and more potent 226 horsepower motor. The car will be distinguishable thanks to a Manganese matt finish for the outside, with specially detailed 19in alloys. I’ve seen how these have been designed and let’s just say they’ll offer a unique meet and great when you approach the car.
Inside, the cockpit will boast special cup-bucket seats, a high-end Sennheiser audio system, also with 12 speakers, plus more of the advanced ADAS and intelligent parking features as seen on the Dynamic Plus car.
The 4-metre-long Cupra Raval VZ Extreme looks set to be a real driver’s car. The VZ platform features a 10mm wider track width, there’ll be an ESC Off mode, and sport suspension will be an option. Adaptive shock absorbers, tweaked steering knuckles and an electronic slip differential should make the handling sportier. Oh, and there’s 290Nm of torque on tap from that motor, which should also make it decidedly perky. Top speed will be 108mph.
Cupra software engineers have even created a unique interior sound signature to mark the occasion, which comes into full swing when the car is dialled into all things sporty.
The entry-level Cupra Raval Dynamic is expected to be priced from €26,000.
Rob Clymo
