Cupra Tavascan long-term test

The Tavascan is Cupra's first electric SUV, with slightly sportier pretensions than many of its rivals. But will it be satisfying to live with? We're running one to find out...

Updated02 May 2025

The car Cupra Tavascan 77kWh V2 Run by Allan Muir, managing editor

Why we’re running it To find out whether Cupra's electric SUV can combine sportiness and practicality in a more convincing way than the Ford and Volkswagen models that share its underpinnings

Needs to Be better to drive than the average electric SUV, as well as being practical and having a long enough real-world range to dismiss any concerns about charging

Mileage 229 List price £53,845 Target Price £51,557 Price as tested £56,175 Options fitted Winter Pack (£1335), Tavascan Blue metallic paint (£995) Test range 262 miles Official range 339 miles

2 May 2025 – Pedal to the metal

Copper really is a gorgeous metal, isn’t it? Long-lasting, malleable, relatively light, aesthetically pleasing and a great conductor of electricity, it has been used since ancient times for everything from pipes and tools to the roofs of grand buildings. It’s also what the Statue of Liberty is made from, in case you didn’t know. And it features liberally, inside and out, in my new Cupra Tavascan electric SUV, as it does in other models from the Spanish brand.

The alloy wheels, badges, seats, dashboard, steering wheel, doors… all of these areas of my car glow with the rich colour of copper, like something out of a steampunk fantasy. Okay, some of it is actually copper-coloured plastic, but it makes the car look classy and significantly more striking than the Volkswagen ID 5 with which it shares its basic shape and underpinnings. That’s one of the reasons why I chose the Tavascan over any of its stablemates, including the reborn Ford Capri.

Like the ID 5, the Tavascan has a dramatic, coupé-like curve to its roofline, while still leaving plenty of head room for occupants inside. You get a choice of four versions: V1 and V2, with a 282bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels, or VZ1 and VZ2, with two motors, 335bhp and four-wheel drive. My V2 example provides such lively performance that I don’t regret the decision not to go for a higher-powered version.

Unlike with some of its siblings, though, you don’t get any choice of energy storage; all Tavascans come with a 77kWh (usable capacity) battery. That yields an official range of up to 353 miles in the entry-level V1, but that figure drops to 339 miles in V2 spec, which includes larger (21in versus 19in) wheels. While that isn’t as far as some other electric SUVs can go (the pricier Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan Electric get close to 400 miles, officially, and the cheaper Renault Scenic is around the 380-mile mark), it’s still very respectable and should be plenty for my needs.

Although my V2 is a big step up in price (around £6000) over the V1, you get a lot of extra standard kit by way of compensation. This includes adaptive suspension, a panoramic glass roof, a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system, an augmented-reality head-up display (which projects driving information and graphics onto the windscreen), matrix LED headlights, 12-way electric adjustment for the front seats (which are also heated), a top-view camera and a height-adjustable boot floor. I added a £1335 Winter Pack (consisting of a heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior, a heat-insulating windscreen and heated rear seats), while moody Tavascan Blue metallic paint was an extra £995.

The Tavascan’s interior is striking in a number of ways – not just for the copper trim. In the front, the driver and passenger are separated not only by a console between the seats but also a floating, textured plastic ‘spine’ that extends out from the undulating dashboard. This serves no functional purpose that I can see (the only control it houses is the switch for the hazard warning lights), but at least there’s a tray below it for holding (and wirelessly charging) a phone. Meanwhile, the skeleton theme continues with substantial air vents that look like ribs.

What’s more, the dark, suede-like material that covers the seats and door panels is full of little cutouts in an arrowhead shape, with contrasting colours showing through from the layer below. These look terrific (the ones on the doors are illuminated at night), although you have to wonder how well the seat fabric will wear over time.

First impressions are that the driving position is sound, with enough adjustment in the seat and steering wheel for me to get comfortable with ease. There’s lots of space front and rear, while the boot is a good size and, despite the sloping roof, still reasonably tall, with space below the floor for charging cables. In contrast to the Renault Scenic I had previously, though, most of the Tavascan’s secondary controls are on the infotainment touchscreen and therefore aren’t as easy to access and operate while driving.

The Tavascan immediately feels quicker and sharper to drive than the Scenic. The ride is on the firm side, and there’s a surprising amount of side-to-side rocking from the body over uneven surfaces, but hopefully comfort won’t be an issue.

Electricity and copper often go hand in hand; in the Tavascan, they could be a match made in heaven.

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