There was a time when a Cupra was still a Seat with some tribal logos, but that time is gradually behind us. As Cupra is slowly but surely competing with its mother hen, the brand is also increasingly launching models that have nothing to do with Seats anymore. This always concerns cars that clearly want to play a bit higher; just look at the Formentor. We get the same idea from this electric Tavascan.
Cupra with spine
That starts with the design, because electric or not: the Tavascan is a remarkable appearance. For example, it takes the form of an SUV coupé, just like the Tavascan Concept that Cupra already showed in 2019. The design is therefore largely based on that study model, which you immediately notice from the sharp creases in the body and of course the oblique sloping roofline. In addition, the production Tavascan Saab also gets black A-pillars next to the windscreen, although they should not so much remind you of the cockpit of an airplane but rather the visor of a racing helmet. The headlights have been redesigned with their iris of triangles — in accordance with the new Cupra design language — and the nose is finished with a luminescent Cupra logo.
Inside, the Tavascan largely adopts the organic styling of the concept car, complete with ‘central spine’ that snakes out of the dashboard. In the concept car, it still accommodated the control buttons for the powertrain, but here only a button for the four turn signals remains. Most of the other controls are incorporated in the 15-inch touchscreen; the largest that Cupra has installed in a car to date. The gear lever is then again Volkswagen ID-wise on the right side of the steering column and the compact driver display also hints at what is hidden under the skin.
100 kilometers in 7 minutes
The Tavascan is in fact on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, with which you could see it as a Spanish interpretation of the ID.5, the Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV or the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback. The trunk space of 540 liters is also comparable, but the Tavascan shows off an important innovation on the motor level. For example, he immediately gets the new electric motor from the VW group on the rear axle, good for 286 hp. In addition, there will be a sportier VZ variant that adds a second engine on the front axle, good for a total of 340 hp. The latter accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds.
Regardless of the motorization, your Tavascan will receive the well-known 77 kWh battery. The most economical variant with rear-wheel drive should be able to drive up to 550 kilometers, while the four-wheel drive VZ keeps it at 520 kilometers. The battery can then be charged again at speeds of up to 135 kW, so count on half an hour of waiting time to get from 10% to 80% at the right fast charger. According to Cupra, you could also refuel a 100-kilometer range in just 7 minutes.
The Cupra Tavascan will go into production later this year as the first model for the new Chinese Volkswagen plant in Anhui. Cupra does not yet communicate prices, but expects the EV on our market at the beginning of 2024. Not much later he should be joined by an also electric Urban Rebel and the Terramar, a plug-in hybrid SUV.
