The Volkswagen Group will focus its electric efforts on superminis through 2026; and the Cupra Raval is the first – and most important – of all of them
Few could now doubt the status of Cupra as a leading Volkswagen Group brand. It looked like an experiment back in 2018; a punt, even. Now, however, in the UK Cupra has actually outsold Seat (its parent company back when Cupra was ‘just’ a performance arm rather than a brand in its own right) by some three-to-one cars so far in 2026. Basically, Cupra’s no side project for the Volkswagen Group – it’s a core brand that’s growing in appeal.The Cupra Raval is the proof of that. It’s the first (if only by a matter of weeks) to be launched ahead of four new supermini-sized EVs that share the same front-wheel drive MEB+ platform. The Volkswagen ID Polo and ID Cross, and the Skoda Epiq, make up the quartet. But, Toni Gallego, global product marketing manager for Cupra, points out that they will all feel different. The Raval will be extra Cupra-ey not only thanks to the styling, but also due to the fact that “every version of the Raval has 10mm wider tracks than any of its platform siblings, as well as a 15mm lower ride height. Only the VW ID.Polo GTI has the same lower ride height, so the Raval will feel quite different to the others.”Battery options start with a 37kWh LFP battery in the Cupra Raval Origin or V1, which gives a WLTP range of around 186 miles. The bigger 52kWh NMC battery is likely to be the more popular option and delivers range of between 235- and 277 miles depending on which trim and power output you go for.
