A year ago we previewed a concept car, and now Cupra is about to launch its Tavascan crossover. It is an electric rival for the Polestar 4 and Audi Q6 E-tron and enters a new price territory for the brand.
The Tavascan is the Cupra’s third model it has developed alone, after the Formentor and Born. It uses the MEB platform, like ID 5 and Skoda Enyaq, and is built at the VW Group’s Chinese factory in Anhui. Tavascan will come with a rear-drive powertrain or a hot twin-motor version.
The entry-level car is good for 210kW and makes it to 100km/h in a claimed 6.8sec. Range is a stated 563km from a 77kWh battery and it can handle chargers of up to 135kW.
Moving up to the VZ1 performance version, power rises to 250kW for a 0-100km/h time of 5.5sec. A top-spec VZ2 model is the most expensive Cupra model yet. It goes up against the likes of Polestar 4 and Mercedes-Benz EQE. The latter kicks off here around $140k.
The Tavascan is an important model in Cupra’s plan to move upmarket. It plans to expand its top-end offerings in the coming years, with upmarket EVs that will be critical to its push into the US. A second-generation electric-only Formentor is on the cards.
Remember the radical DarkRebel sports car concept? It could serve as a brand-building halo model to reinforce Cupra’s positioning as a design-oriented, electric performance brand.
Meantime, Tavascan offers a major interior update compared with the likes of smaller Born and Formentor. There’s gold trim, flecked lighting and a central ‘spine’ that mirrors the car’s front end.
It also comes with a 15-in infotainment touchscreen like that in the new Volkswagen ID 7, along with a Sennheiser speaker system. Tavascan uses the same digital driver’s display as the ID 3/Born.
In a design sense, it is similar to the 2019 concept with an angular front end, a large grille and a three-triangle light signature, along with a raked roofline and full width rear light bar.
These design cues will also feature on the forthcoming Terramar hybrid SUV and the UrbanRebel city EV.
“There are so many purely rational electric cars coming to the market. That’s not what Cupra is about,” said boss Wayne Griffiths.
He added: “In 2019, we had a vision to reinvent electrification: we wanted to show the world that electric cars could be fun and sexy, with a great design, while providing unique sportiness. Back then, maybe it was only a dream. Now with the Tavascan, our dream comes true.”
