2026 Cupra Raval review: sporty small hatchback put through its paces

On sale July 2026 Price from £28,000 (est)

Damien Chazelle’s short film Whiplash gained enough interest to green-light the feature-length film of the same name. That was the short film’s intended purpose, sure, but the pressure on the young writer-director must’ve been immense. And in a way, Cupra is in a similar situation with its new Raval electric hatchback. 

You see, Cupra has enjoyed critical and commercial success with cars like the Born. However, most of its models have effectively been spruced-up spin-offs of other Volkswagen group products – in the case of the Born, that’s the VW ID 3. For the Raval, though, Cupra has been properly in charge. 

To be more specific, Cupra has led VW Group’s small electric car (EV) project, which involves new underpinnings that’ll be shared between four new EVs: the Cupra Raval, VW ID Polo, VW ID Cross and Skoda Epiq. All of these models will be the smallest, cheapest EVs in their respective line-ups. 

Official pricing for the Raval is yet to be revealed, but there will be three versions available when it goes on sale in July 2026: Dynamic, Dynamic Plus and VZ Extreme. We expect the entry-level Dynamic to start from circa £28,000, with VZ Extreme jumping closer to £35,000. 

An even cheaper Raval is due after launch, and we're advised that version will set you back closer to £26,000. Little else is known of it as yet, though. 

We do know that Dynamic and Dynamic Plus will both pack 208bhp and offer around 280 miles of range – they’ll just differ in kit. Those are good, competitive figures, seeing as the top-spec Renault 5 (R5) has 148bhp and 253 miles of (official) range. 

The VZ Extreme gets 223bhp and a little either side of 250 miles of range. It remains front-wheel drive, but there's plenty of sporty hot hatch goodies here, including a grip-enhancing limited-slip differential (LSD), adaptive suspension and a wider track. This version is a rival for the Alpine A290 – effectively the R5’s hot hatch counterpart. 

We’ve been to Cupra’s HQ in Barcelona to drive an early prototype of the Raval – specifically, the VZ Extreme version. With high expectations, here's what we thought.

What’s the Cupra Raval prototype like to drive?

Punchy, as the 223bhp figure suggests. An official 0-62mph time is yet to be announced, but the Raval VZ certainly feels on a par with the A290 GTS (6.4sec). 

The VZ puts down its power well, and without making the steering wheel writhe about in your hands under hard acceleration like the A290 does. Mind you, we’d actually prefer a bit more communication from the Raval’s steering – perhaps there’s a happy medium that could be achieved here. The steering is precise, sure, but judging the limits of front-end grip is not as easy as it is in the A290. 

At least the Raval has plenty of front-end grip. There’s bucketloads, actually. The LSD works wonders at pulling you out of corners with great ferocity, while the rear feels planted and even manoeuvrable at the limit. The Raval does feel like it has more of a playful side to it than the A290.

You see, body control is that bit tighter here, aided by the VZ’s adaptive suspension – something you won’t find in any of its direct rivals. This feature gives the Raval a vast breadth of ability. You can stiffen the suspension up for when you find yourself on a twisty road or slacken it off for everyday, casual driving – and you really can feel the difference.  

When in Comfort mode, or if you’ve selected the softest setting via the configurable Individual mode, the ride is compliant and soft. We can see the Raval – like the A290 – being an easy car to drive and live with day-to-day. Certainly more so than firmer, busier rivals like the Mini Cooper Electric JCW and even small SUV alternatives, such as the Abarth 600e and Vauxhall Mokka GSE.  

The Raval also whips up a bit less road noise than those cars, while wind noise is nothing to worry about, either. There's a faint whine from the electric motor, but that can be covered up by the VZ's synthetic engine-like sound. Or not, if you prefer the tune of a light hum. 

Oh, and a special mention goes out to the brake pedal. A fair few VW-group EVs (including the Cupra Tavascan) suffer from spongy brake pedals that result in a grabby response, but the Raval’s is much firmer and easier to modulate to achieve a smooth stop. Hallelujah!

What’s the Cupra Raval prototype like inside?

We wish we could show you, but the design is being kept under wraps until the full Raval’s reveal in February 2026. All we can do is describe what we saw, which wasn’t much. Almost all of our VZ prototype’s dashboard was covered up. 

Still, we could spot some design cues found on other Cupra products, like copper-coloured elements and a curvaceous, raised centre console (with a storage tray underneath). We suspect the Raval will feel like a mini Tavascan inside. 

Interior space is good, too. A six-footer sitting behind another will have about an inch of spare leg room, and plenty of head room. It feels a fair bit airier than the A290 and R5 inside, both of which are quite cramped in the back. 

The boot, on appearance alone, looks bigger than the A290 and R5’s (identical) spaces too. The volume is yet to be confirmed, but we’d expect it to slot in somewhere between those two rivals' 326-litre volume and its bigger Born sibling's 385-litre figure. Oh, and like the Born, the Raval gets a handy height adjustable boot floor.

2026 Cupra Raval verdict

There’s still plenty left to learn about the Cupra Raval, but we will be front and centre when more is revealed. For now, we've come away from our prototype drive impressed. 

The Raval seems to better some of its key rivals for interior and boot space, and it’s looking competitive in terms of price and electric range, too. The driving experience in the range-topping VZ version gives the hot A290 a real run for its money, while soundly seeing off the Mini Cooper Electric JCW. 

We'd appreciate some more communication from the steering, but aside from that, it's positive signs all round. So while we await to drive the entry-level Raval for comparison, know this: if the prototype were a short film, consider this review the greenlight to make the feature-length version. 

Price £35,000 (est) Engine Electric motor Power 223bhp Torque 214lb ft Gearbox 1-spd automatic 0-62mph N/A Top speed N/A Official range 250 miles (est) CO2/tax 0g/km, 3%

Key rivals:

Alpine A290
Mini Cooper Electric JCW

Read more: The best electric cars

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