Cupra Raval review

Like Keith Richards, Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher, the new Cupra Raval is the “bad boy” of its group. It’s the rebellious one, according to the brand. 

But first, to sprinkle in some context, the group consists of the Raval, as well as the Skoda Epiq, VW ID Polo and VW ID Cross. These four electric cars all exist under the banner of the Volkswagen Group, and they share the same underpinnings. However, they’ve been designed to give off different personalities. 

As mentioned, Cupra pitches the Raval as the rebellious one, and you can see it in the styling which is much sharper and more aggressive than its peers’. You can also see it in the sporty toys found in the version we’ve tested: named the VZ, it has a grip-enhancing limited-slip differential (LSD), to name just one of its performance-focused features. 

Its main competitors are the Abarth 600e, Alpine A290 GTS and Mini Cooper Electric JCW. Still, petrol-powered hot hatches – such as the VW Polo GTI – warrant a place in this conversion too. Read on to see how the Raval fares. 

What’s new?

- May 2026: we return to Barcelona to drive the production-ready Cupra Raval (VZ)

- April 2026: the new Cupra Raval is revealed in full. It’s a small electric car with an official range of up to 275 miles and prices as low as £23,785 in its upcoming, entry-level form (named Origin)

- November 2025: we drive a prototype Cupra Raval (specifically the VZ Extreme version) in Barcelona 

How fast is it and which motor is best?

The Cupra Raval will be available with a few different power outputs, but so far, we’ve only sampled VZ and VZ Extreme. Between them, it’s just a difference of kit (they’re mechanically identical). 

If you’re playing Top Trumps, you might want to keep the VZ’s 0-62mph time of 6.8sec to yourself, because the Abarth 600e (6.2sec), Alpine A290 GTS (6.4sec) and Mini Cooper Electric JCW (5.9sec) are all a bit quicker. 

Still, there’s not a lot in it. The Raval certainly feels fast enough, and because it's fully electric (meaning its power comes on instantaneously), it’ll give the petrol-engined VW Polo GTI a good run for its money around town.  

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Yes, the Raval feels agile, but that’s mostly thanks to the VZ’s suite of performance-focused goodies. Namely, there’s the adaptive suspension and limited-slip differential (LSD) – you can’t get either of those with an Alpine A290 or Mini Cooper Electric JCW.  

Thanks to the grip-enhancing LSD, the VZ puts down power remarkably well both in the straights and corners. What’s more, you don’t have to wrestle with the steering as much as you do in the 600e, A290 or Cooper Electric JCW. The VZ has very little torque steer too, which aids its case. 

If we’re being picky, we’d actually prefer a little more communication from the Raval’s steering – perhaps there’s a happy medium to be achieved here. The steering is precise, sure, but judging the limits of front-end grip is not as easy as it is in rivals. 

It’s a small mark against an otherwise impressive record, though. The Raval VZ feels sharp and even quite playful at the limit, more so than 600e, A290 and VW Polo GTI. The Raval is only really challenged by the Cooper Electric JCW as something to get in and drive for fun. 

There’s a catch with the Mini, though, which is that its ride can be punishingly stiff at times. The 600e is pretty uncomfortable too, and while the A290’s is better, the Raval and the Polo GTI are the most comfortable of the group. 

Especially in Comfort mode (which softens the adaptive suspension), the Raval rides remarkably smoothly for a hot hatch. It tackles bumps, big or small, with good compliancy and composure. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The Raval is – expectedly – quieter than your average petrol-powered hatchback, with very little road or wind noise, and of course, no engine noise either… sort of. 

You see, in its sportier drive modes, the Raval plays a fake engine sound through the speakers. It’s never too overbearing, though, and you can turn it off completely by switching modes (or by using the configurable Individual mode). 

Similarly, there are a few regenerative braking modes to choose from, ranging from zero assistance to full one-pedal driving. When you do have to use the brake pedal, it’s firm and easy to judge. 

In fact, all the controls are well weighted and easy to use, making the Raval a doddle to drive smoothly. 

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The Raval’s 52kWh (usable capacity) battery delivers an official range of up to 277 miles, falling to 236 miles in VZ versions. For comparison, the Abarth 600e manages 200 miles, the Alpine A290 GTS 226 miles, and the Mini Cooper Electric JCW 250 miles. 

Later this year, you’ll be able to buy versions of the Raval with a smaller 37kWh battery; it promises a range of around 200 miles, but official figures are yet to be finalised. 

The 52kWh’s maximum charging speed is 105kW – that’s about on a par with rivals – and using a DC charger, you can expect a 10-80% charge to take around half an hour. 

As for the smaller 37kWh battery, it’ll have a maximum charging speed of 50kW if you choose the Origin trim, rising to 88kW in V1 cars. Again, expect a 10-80% charge to take around half an hour.

“I love hot hatches and, if I had to go electric, I’d seriously consider the Raval VZ. I’d be tempted by the Mini as well, but the ride is far better in the Raval.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The Cupra Raval’s interior certainly looks more artsy and futuristic than some rivals’, like the VW ID Polo. Its mix of dark grey and copper is sure to give it some showroom appeal, plus the ambient lighting spans across the dashboard and a variety of patterns can be projected onto the front doors. 

As for quality, the interior feels a clear step up from the more plasticky Abarth 600e, but it’s not worlds apart from the Alpine A290 and Mini Cooper Electric JCW, because they all feature soft-touch materials in the places you’re most likely to come into contact with. We’ll have to wait and see if the entry-level Raval is just as plush feeling as the VZ, though. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driving position is highly adjustable and it’s easy to find your ideal setup. Visibility is good all around and every Raval gets rear parking sensors. 

As standard, the Raval has a set of sports seats, but these can be upgraded to a set of bucket-style seats which offer more side support. If you choose the VZ Extreme, they’re clad in a 3D-knitted fabric made entirely from recycled materials.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Every Raval features a 12.9in touchscreen that uses a new Android-based infotainment system. It’s more intuitive and customisable than systems in larger Cupras, and it has access to more than 130 different apps, including video streaming services such as Netflix.

On the other hand, the Raval’s dashboard exchanges physical buttons for touch-sensitive sliders, which can be harder to operate while driving. Unlike the bigger Cupra Born, though, the Raval’s steering wheel does feature tactile buttons (as opposed to plastic rocker panels).

“On V1 trim and above, the level of regenerative braking can be adjusted via paddles on the steering wheel. I found that feature useful when going from stop-start traffic to country roads and motorways. It’s easy to make quick adjustments.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

The Cupra Raval has plenty of room for front-seat passengers, and there’s more rear-seat space than there is in the Abarth 600e, Alpine A290 and Mini Cooper Electric. A six-foot adult will have just enough room to get comfortable, but anyone taller will likely find their knees up against the front setbacks and their hair touching the headlining.

Sitting three abreast in the back is certainly doable, especially as the floor is completely flat since there’s no transmission tunnel to straddle here. Still, we’d stick to shorter journeys if you’ve got five people in the car. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

There are plenty of handy cubby spaces dotted around the interior, including one under the centre console for your phone and/or wallet. There are two cupholders up front – something that the Alpine A290 lacks – and reasonably big door bins. 

The rear seats split 60/40, and the Raval’s 430-litre boot is larger than the A290, Abarth 600e and Mini Cooper Electric’s. It comes with a height-adjustable floor as standard, and even in its lowest position still has space underneath for a charging cable. The 600e and Cooper Electric get a moveable floor, but the A290 doesn’t. 

“If the Raval still isn’t spacious enough, you might want to look at an electric SUV like the Skoda Elroq.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

When the Cupra Raval goes on sale in June, the most affordable version will cost almost £30,000, making it more expensive than most rivals. Other versions will be available later on, the most affordable of which costs roughly £24,000. It’ll be called the Origin. Cupra is expecting every Raval to be eligible for the £1500 government EV grant, too. 

Even then, the Raval will be the most expensive member of the VW Group’s small EV family, the rest of which will lean closer to the £22,000 mark. Still, if you compare the Raval Origin with the rival Hyundai Inster, MG 4 Urban and Renault 5, they’re not too far apart in price. 

How much does it cost to upgrade to the VZ? Well, this version commands around £35,000 – yes, quite the premium. But before you throw your hands up, remember that its core rivals are barely any different: the Abarth 600e, Alpine A290 GTS and Mini Cooper Electric all cost about the same. 

If you want something more affordable, you might have to go for a petrol-powered hot hatch like the VW Polo GTI – although even then, adding on a couple of options will take you past the £30,000 threshold. 

When orders initially open, you’ll have just the 52kWh battery and five different trims to choose from: V1, V2, V2 Launch Edition, VZ and VZ Extreme. Order books for the entry-level Origin trim will open in September. 

If you’re curious about Origin trim, it has 17in wheels, single-zone climate control, a seven-speaker sound system and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. 

Going for V1 means 18in wheels, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. V2 then gets 19in wheels, bucket-style front seats and a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system. V2 Launch Edition has a different style of 19in wheel, Matrix LED headlights and a 360-degree parking camera.

The top-spec VZ gets different 19in wheels (again), different bucket-style seats, and opens up a new choice of interior finishes and seat colours. It also gains the power upgrade, an adaptive suspension and that limited-slip differential we talked about. 

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

We’ll have to wait and see how reliable the Cupra Raval proves to be, but we do know that Cupra, as a brand, came 13th out of 30 manufacturers in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey – above Skoda (16th), Renault (20th) and VW (24th) but below Mini (second). 

The Raval will get Cupra’s five-year/90,000-mile warranty, which is longer than you get with Abarth, Alpine and Mini (three years). 

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The Raval is yet to be safety tested by Euro NCAP. However it does have plenty of safety features, like seven airbags, lane-keep assist, driver monitoring and tiredness recognition, rear-traffic alert and 360-degree sensors. 

To protect against theft, the Raval has a ‘smart security setup’ that can detect break ins, interior movement and unauthorized towing. Its alarm sets off both visual and audible alerts.  

“I think it’s a bit of a shame that it’ll start off with a near-£30k price tag.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if…

- You want a sharp-handling electric hot hatch…

- … but you’re still after good comfort and practicality

- You’d like a selection of trims and power outputs to choose from

Don’t buy it if…

- You want the fastest electric hot hatch

- You like physical, tactile climate controls 

- You don’t like sporty styling

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