Cupra Tavascan vs Hyundai Ioniq 5

What's the difference?

Timing is everything.

For instance, with all the bad publicity the man behind the brand is generating, right now might be the perfect time if you’re in the market for a Tesla Model Y alternative.

And that’s especially so if said alternative happens to be around the same price… such as the all-new Cupra Tavascan.

No, not an antacid for relief from indigestion, but the Volkswagen Group’s Spanish brand’s first medium-sized electric SUV.

Is it good enough to catapult Cupra into the big time in Australia?

Time to find out!

What is it about single letters and performance cars? 

BMW has M, Volkswagen has R, Lexus has F, and with only 23 choices left Hyundai opted for N - which stands for Namyang, site of the brand’s sprawling proving ground and development centre in South Korea, and Nurburgring, the famous German racing circuit where its performance cars are fine-tuned.

And like BMW M Sport, VW R-Line and Lexus F Sport, the Korean giant has N Line as a ‘lite’ option. Sporty models that add a little more punch and visual flair without crossing the line into hardcore hot-rod territory. 

And this is one its latest examples, the pure-electric Ioniq 5 SUV in top-spec Epiq AWD trim and equipped with the N Line Option Pack as well as the tricky Digital Mirror Pack.

In this configuration it slots into the $90K price band, which means it has a lot to live up to in terms of performance, safety, driving dynamics, value and more. 

So, stay with us to see if this premium five-seater is the kind of sporty EV SUV that gets your heart racing.