Over the years, city cars have earned a reputation for being cheap-and-cheerful urban necessities: tiny dimensions, little in the way of luxury and engineered for efficiency rather than excitement.
Even in the age of electrification, that reputation has remained largely intact. Until now, that is. Enter the CUPRA Raval – CUPRA's first-ever A-segment EV. And if early drives are anything to go by, it's set to totally tear up the small car rulebook.
Named after El Raval, one of Barcelona's most vibrant districts, it pairs rebellious styling and punchy performance with next-gen tech and the sort of luxury and interior space you’d expect from a car a class or two above. Meld all that with a starting price of just over £23k* (plus the £1500 government grant) – rising to a smidge over £36k* for the red-hot, range-topping VZ – and the Raval begins to answer an intriguing question: what happens when a performance brand builds a city car?
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A shape that refuses to apologise
The CUPRA Raval was designed with a single objective: to stand out. It does not fail. The front end is led by what CUPRA calls a 'shark nose' – a taut, predatory snout framed by sharp creases creating visual tension. Matrix LED headlamps complete the face, and at 4046mm long the Raval is more compact than you might expect. It carries itself as though it doesn't know it.
The Raval’s flanks are clean and purposeful, with flush illuminated door handles sitting almost invisibly into the bodywork. Every surface has been optimised as part of a comprehensive airflow strategy, melding front air curtains, aero-optimised wheels and a rear spoiler. The result is the lowest drag coefficient of any CUPRA yet built. The rear doubles down on the theme with a full-width light bar, an illuminated CUPRA badge, 3D light effects and a prominent diffuser.
The colour palette deserves a paragraph of its own. This is the first CUPRA to offer Plasma Iridescent paint: a finish that shifts between Cyan, Blue, Indigo and Rose Red depending on the angle of light. It’s just another way the Raval will generate conversation at the charging station. Matt finishes including Manganese and Century Bronze are also available, along with the option of a contrasting roof in Manhattan Grey or Midnight Black. Up to eight alloy wheel designs – from 17 to 19 inches – let buyers complete their look.
Built for drivers
Open the door and the Raval's interior makes an immediate statement. The redesigned steering wheel features physical buttons alongside dedicated satellite controls for driving modes and regenerative braking paddles: hardware you'd expect in something considerably more expensive. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.9-inch touchscreen form an enormous, clean digital surface.
