- New spy photos show the smallest Cupra EV testing without camo.
- Subcompact shares VW Group’s new MEB+ platform with ID. Polo.
- GTI-spec VZ model will deliver 233 hp and sportier chassis tuning.
Automakers usually hide their future cars under enough camouflage to confuse a satellite. But the upcoming Cupra Raval has just been spotted testing completely undisguised, logos and all, as if someone forgot the secrecy memo.
From the outside, it’s exactly the feisty little hatch Cupra hinted at with its earlier teasers, only much more visible. The proportions are tight and athletic, and the design’s mix of chunky wheelarch trims and slim, tapering glass areas cleverly combines sporty hatch and crossover themes, rather than choosing one path over the other.
MEB Remastered
The Raval measures just over 4,000 mm (157.5 inches) long, which places it squarely in the subcompact class, along with its close cousins, the VW ID. Polo and Skoda Epiq, all of which ride on VW’s new front-wheel drive MEB+ platform. They’ll all be built in Spain, though Cupra reportedly led the chassis tuning development for the entire project.
That probably explains why the Raval is pitched as the spicy member of the family. Engineers lowered the suspension about 15 mm, stiffened the setup, and added progressive steering.
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Power should start with a single, front-mounted electric motor producing around 208 hp (211 PS / 155 kW) and mated to a 55 kWh battery, a setup that costs extra in the ID. Polo and Epiq. Their base models come with 114 hp (116 PS / 85 kW), or an optional 133 hp (135 PS / 99 kW) motor, both with a 38.5 kWh pack.
Based on what we know of the 208 hp Epiq, the entry-level Cupra with the same output should get to 62 mph (100 kmh) in around 7.2 seconds, and though Skoda claims 267 miles (430 km), the Spanish firm has previously promised 278 miles (450 km) of range on the WLTP cycle.
The Hot One
If you really want a Cupra that lives up to the brand’s sporty promise though, you’re going to want the VZ. It’s Cupra’s equivalent to the ID. Polo GTI and gets a 233 hp (226 PS / 166 kW) motor and electronic differential along with wider track widths and sportier chassis hardware. The range drops slightly to 249 miles (400 km), but the extra punch should make up for it.
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Cupra plans to launch the Raval in 2026 with prices expected to start around €26,000 ($30,000). Based on these undisguised prototypes, the production version looks ready, so the reveal must be imminent.
