New Cupra Tavascan: striking EV gets a £47,340 price tag

• Shares platform with Volkswagen ID.4
• Up to 352 miles of range
• Priced from £47,340

The Cupra Tavascan is finally going on sale in the UK, having been revealed well over a year ago. The sporty electric SUV will be priced from £47,340 when order books open on September 11th this year, putting it in direct competition with the Kia EV6, Nissan Ariya and the upcoming Ford Capri.

We drove a production-ready version earlier this year and, while it didn’t feel as quick as a Tesla Model Y, it was still more enjoyable than many of the Volkswagen Group EVs that share the same platform, such as the Volkswagen ID.5.

What do I need to know about the Cupra Tavascan?

The Cupra Tavascan is the Spanish brand’s second electric car, following the Cupra Born hatchback. The two models share the MEB platform, the underlying EV architecture used by everything from the Volkswagen ID.4 to the Audi Q4 e-tron and Ford Explorer. With so many models sharing the same basic motor and battery configuration, Cupra aims to set itself apart with a focus on sportiness and bold styling.

31

The Cupra Tavascan wears a sleek and more coupe-like design than the ID.4, sporting Cupra’s new triple-triangle LED signature headlights and an illuminated Cupra logo at the front. The polished black A-pillars are another design cue taken almost directly from the concept car, styled to emulate a racing helmet’s visor.

The Tavascan also gets a long light bar spanning the entire width of the tail with another illuminated logo in the centre. Triangular LEDs also feature in the rear lights, and a small lip spoiler adds a sporty look to the tailgate, complemented by a diffuser on the rear bumper.

There are two electric motor options for the Tavascan from launch: the base model gets a rear-mounted electric motor producing 282bhp and a 77kWh lithium-ion battery for a claimed range of up to 352 miles on a charge.

The higher-spec Tavascan VZ features a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup producing 335bhp, carried over from the latest Volkswagen GTX cars, including the ID.7 GTX and ID. Buzz GTX. The Tavascan VZ will accelerate from 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds, but the higher performance comes at a slight expense of range – it manages 321 miles on a single charge from the same 77kWh battery as the entry-level version. 

31

The Tavascan is compatible with charging speeds up to 135kW, meaning it will take around half-an-hour to top up from 10 to 80%, and it’s possible to add 62 miles of range in seven minutes.

Cupra has fitted the Tavascan with Dynamic Chassis Control Sport tech, sport suspension and progressive steering to deliver on the brand’s sporty credentials and appeal to keener drivers.

Drive modes include Range, Comfort, Performance, Cupra and Individual settings, with all-wheel drive versions getting an additional Traction mode. The Tavascan also gets four levels of regenerative braking which drivers can switch between using paddles behind the steering wheel.

2024 Cupra Tavascan: design, interior and technology

The Tavascan's aero-efficient design attempts to combine the silhouette of a four-door coupe with SUV presence – a trend adopted by the Ford Capri, Skoda Enyaq Coupe and Peugeot E-3008. Cupra has been updating its lighting design with triangular LEDs across many of its models – including the facelifted Leon and Formentor models – to create a family resemblance spanning the entire lineup, and the Tavascan fits right in. Wheel sizes range from 19 to 21 inches, with the largest wheels getting performance tyres.

The interior of the Tavascan is noticeably driver-focussed, getting a high centre console and floating spine that divides the front passenger and cocoons the driver, with a handy storage space beneath it to add some practicality.

31

Tavascan models get a 15-inch touchscreen on the centre of the dashboard – this is the same display used in Volkswagen’s flagship EV, the ID.7. While the screen itself is responsive and fairly straightforward to use, it’s a shame that Cupra has adopted Volkswagen’s touch-sensitive sliders for temperature and volume control – even with backlighting, they’re not as easy to use on the move as a traditional dial.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features as standard, and drivers also get a 5.3-inch digital dashboard. A 12-speaker sound system developed in collaboration with Sennheiser also comes as standard, and an augmented reality head-up display that projects information onto the windscreen will be offered to buyers for an extra fee. An optional heat pump will be available to help heat the cabin more efficiently.

Bucket seats are fitted as standard upfront, and buyers can choose between recycled textile or microfibre upholstery. The door mouldings, central spine and other elements around the cabin can be finished in either Deep Plum or Dark Ice Metal colour options, and Cupra’s trademark copper accents also feature around the interior. 

The Tavascan also gets plenty of safety tech, including predictive adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane assist and fatigue detection. A new feature known as Connected Travel Assist is offered – this can keep the car in the centre of the lane, adjust speed while cornering and offer lane-changing assistance on the motorway. There’s also an Assisted Parking function that allows you to perform parking manoeuvres remotely using your smartphone.

How much does the Cupra Tavascan cost and when can I buy one?

Prices start from £47,390 for the Cupra Tavascan in its most basic ‘V1’ trim, although this model still gets plenty of standard kit. Opting for the Tavascan V2 results in a big price jump – up to £53,835 – but you get a host of extra features, including larger alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, heated seats and a panoramic sunroof.

The Cupra Tavascan VZ1 brings the dual-motor setup and nippier performance, costing from £55,935 – within a few hundred pounds of the mechanically-identical Volkswagen ID.5 GTX. VZ2 models get the extra kit, and cost from £60,835. That’s nearly £1,000 more than a Tesla Model Y Performance.

Order books open on September 11th 2024, and keen customers can place a reservation now.

What’s next for Cupra? The Cupra Terramar

Cupra previously announced a plug-in hybrid SUV was in development, called the Terramar. It’s expected to be about the same size as a Volkswagen Tiguan and even Cupra’s own Ateca.

The model will be built alongside the next-generation Audi Q3 in Hungary, so it’s likely to use the same technology as that car – possibly a 1.4-litre or 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor with a range of around 62 miles. There will also be regular petrol versions of the Terramar; Cupra says it will be the last car from the brand that’s available without electric motors. 

Cupra is also set to release an affordable entry-level electric car based on the UrbanRebel concept, which is expected to arrive in 2025.

Check out our guide to fast and rapid EV chargers, or our top 10 best cars for electric driving range.