2024 Cupra Tavascan EV review

A bold approach to design separates this intriguing electric vehicle from the herd.

While most are predicting it will be Chinese cars that steal the Tesla Model Y’s sales crown, it might be easy to overlook the new Cupra Tavascan.

After all, apart from the Born EV hatch, over here Volkswagen’s Spanish Performance brand is best known for its hard-charging combustion-powered cars like the Formentor SUV rather than mid-size battery-powered SUVs, like the Tavascan.

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan is just around the corner.

In the flesh, few will miss sharp styling that is deliberately divisive, from its sculptured bonnet, rakish lines and familiar triangular headlamps and even illuminated rear badge – it’s bold, daring and rakish beside the anonymous Model Y and will appeal to those who like to make a statement.

Within, again, designers have played it safe and copied the German’s homework when it comes to cabin design.

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan is just around the corner.

There’s an unusual central spline, for example, that separates the driver and passenger compartment while Cupra’s favourite copper-colour returns to add a little extra spice to the overtly sporty cabin that actually offers plenty of rear headroom and a large-ish 540L boot in spite of its coupe lines.

What’s missing are physical buttons with most of the Tavascan controlled via a large 15-inch central infotainment system for good or bad. The positives are the large screen runs VW’s latest software and is quick and intuitive but we still wished we had some proper physical buttons for the climate control – although there are the backlit capacitive temperature sliders, that do help.

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan is just around the corner.

Deduct a few more points for the same touch-sensitive surfaces used on the steering wheel that are too easy to trigger.

Beneath the skin the Tavascan is underpinned by the same platform used for fellow SUV-coupes like the Volkswagen ID. 5, Skoda Enyaq Coupe and inbound Audi Q4 Sportback, although beside its fellow VW Group stablemate the Tavascan outshines them all when it comes to ride and drive.

The Cupra has faster, more precise steering, a better ride – even on the largest 21-inch wheels and is far more engaging for those who love to drive, we think it leaps to the top of the class for handling. In Australia there will be two takes on the Tavascan – a single motor Endurance that pumps out 210kW for a 6.8 second 0-100km dash.

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan is just around the corner.

There’s also a second all-wheel drive VZ version that gets two motors and 250kW and is much quicker off the line, taking just 5.5 seconds to reach 100km/h from rest.

Just one 77kWh battery is available that provides for a range of 534km for the Endurance and 499km for the VZ.

The downsize is the power pack can only be topped up at up at a rate of 135kW, with a 10-80 per cent refill of batteries taking 30-minutes. The latter is about how long it takes to charge a Tesla but the arrival of new rivals like the XPeng have already slashed that to less than twenty minutes with its latest G6 SUV that is actually cheaper than the best-selling Model Y.

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan is just around the corner.

Which brings us to price, instead of being more affordable, like the XPeng the latest Cupra Tavascan is a punchy $10k more than the Model Y. Even worse, you still have to pay extra for items like heated power seats, although the base Endurance does ride on large 19-inch wheels, three-zone climate and sport seats but we hoped for more.

At least the quickest VZ version bags 21-inch black and copper alloy wheels, matrix LED headlamps and a fixed panoramic roof with a powered blind and even comes with an Extreme Pack that adds ventilated leather Cup Racing bucket seats and stickier track-focused tyres for those who want to track their car, signalling just how capable the Tavascan has been developed to be.

So the new Cupra Tavascan doesn’t come cheap, but if you buy into its looks, can stomach that five-figure premium over its rivals at least you’ll be rewarded with the one of the best-driving all-electric SUVs out there and you’ll have little fear of losing it in a car park full of boring-looking EVs.

CUPRA TAVASCAN

PRICE: From about $65,000 plus on-road costs (estimated)

MOTOR: Endurance – one electric, 210kW/545Nm, VZ – two electric, 250kW/545Nm, 77kWh (usable) battery

WARRANTY/SERVICING: Seven years/unlimited km, tbc

SAFETY: Seven airbags, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control, park assist, reverse camera, driver fatigue detection and both side and exit assist.

THIRST: 16.8kWh/100km (WLTP)


CARGO: 540 litres


SPARE: Repair kit

Originally published as 2024 Cupra Tavascan EV review