Cupra Raval 2027 review: International first drive

Good things come to those who wait.

Six years since Cupra showed off its first concept for the Cupra Raval, we've finally had our first chance to climb behind the wheel of the small Mini Cooper SE-rivalling all-electric hatch ahead of Australian sales kicking off in the second half of next year.

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By far the sportiest of the quadruplet, the Raval features Cupra's familiar angular styling, which includes a sharpened shark nose.

Ramming home its hot hatch intentions, are large wheels and a hard-to-miss rear spoiler and oversized diffuser that could have been lifted off a racer but actually slash drag to boost efficiency.

Measuring in at 4046mm long, 1784mm wide and standing at 1518mm with a 2600mm wheelbase, the Raval is surprisingly spacious within – even in the second row where a large adult can sit behind another large adult with just enough leg- and headroom. The boot is impressive too, at a large 441 litres.

Unlocking space has been the choice of using the VW Group's new 'MEB+' platform that neatly packages the single front motor, transmission, inverter and power electronics under the front bonnet, carving out more room for people.

Ensuring it has the dynamic edge over rivals and its platform mates, the Cupra Raval, has a 10mm wider front and rear track for higher levels of grip mid-corner.

All models also sit 15mm lower to the ground than an ID. Polo for less body roll. Other unexpected differences are that the Raval boasts uprated front wheel carriers, plus a stability control system that can be completely switched off for track use.

In its native Europe, the Raval is offered with either a small 37kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery or a, still-modest, 52kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) power pack.

With the littlest battery the Raval can travel up to 300km on a charge and is combined with either an 85kW or 99kW front motor.

In Australia, it's been suggested buyers will only get the larger 52kWh power pack that can see the Mini rival drive up to 440km on the WLTP test cycle, with a choice of either a 155kW or 166kW e-motor.

When it comes to charging speed, the bigger battery can only be topped up at a peak rate of 105kW but despite that a 10-80 per cent charge still takes between 23 and 24 minutes, which is reasonable for a small EV within its class.

Behind the wheel, the sporty angular looks are reflected within, especially in the range-topping VZ that comes with the option of grippier Cup bucket sport seats that clamp you in position.

Featuring, a 12.9-inch multimedia set-up that comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ahead of the driver is a sporty steering wheel with proper buttons and a clear 10.5-inch digital dash.

What's missing are shortcuts for the touchscreen, although the multimedia is quick to react and has clear graphics.

Highlights of the Cupra cabin include a 3D-knitted upholstery that uses 100 per cent recycled material. There's also a sporty steering wheel and cool new ambient lighting tech that projects patterns, colours and animations along the door cards.

Bringing you back down to earth are the hard plastic door pulls that feel built to a price, but still don't detract from the fun.

Developed under the mantra that Cupra was building a small EV you'd actually want to drive, at the top of the Raval tree is the VZ hot hatch that essentially will share much with the inbound VW ID. Polo GTI.

Ensuring it can narrow the gap between it and more conventional petrol-powered hot hatchbacks, the VZ gets the high-output 166kW e-motor, adaptive dampers, an electronic-locking differential and large 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in sticky tyres that, alone, slash the range from 440km to around 388km.

All Ravals come with the variable ratio 'progressive' steering rack and a special 'ESC Sport' program, plus the ability to switch it off altogether.

Off the line, the VZ offers plenty of performance with 0-100km/h taking around 6.8 seconds – just a tenth off Mini's claim for the Cooper SE.

Top speed is 175km/h which apparently isn't enough for the Europeans, with a software patch on the way to raise the limit to a more palatable 190km/h later.

Around town, most will prefer the Raval in either 'Comfort' or the more efficient 'Range' setting that softens the ride and is available with three levels of brake regeneration, plus a neat adaptive regen feature which monitors vehicles ahead and adjust the Raval's stops to suit.

Cycle through to 'Performance' mode and the steering weights up to some something that feels more natural, while the damping forces increase for better body control, but at the expense of the ride – which we have concerns over.

The largest 19-inch wheels might be a bit much on our roads, but engineers say the 17- and 18-inch wheels also fit the fastest model and improve ride quality.

Escape the city and push on and the Raval is a lot of fun. There's lots of grip, commendable agility and decent cross-country pace.

On track, if you push on you'll feel the electronically-controlled differential working hard for its living, pulling you out of corners with a gentle tugging of the wheel – just like a proper petrol hot hatch would.

The Raval doesn't feel quite as lithe as you'd hope and after all it does weigh around 1600kg for the heaviest version but the engagement it offers up is impressive for an EV.

What's missing is virtual gearshifts, like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but they might be offered later as part of an over-the-air update or option. The little Cupra also comes with a synthetic sci-fi dystopian soundtrack in its sportiest 'Cupra' mode, plus a pair of configurable modes.

One final issue we had with our first car, is the Raval's fancy new 'one-box' e-braking system which squeezes in the brake servo and anti-skid tech into one module served up inconsistent reactions in extreme circumstances. Our second car was much better but we look forward to further testing on more familiar roads.

Since Australians aren't great fans of ill-equipped cars, Cupra Australia wisely thinks it might skip the entry and V1 trims, preferring to focus on the mid-spec V2 and flagship VZ.

When it lands, expect the Raval V2 to come with a 155kW e-motor, 19-inch alloy wheels, electric folding door mirrors, LED headlamps, a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system, a wireless phone charger, vehicle-to-load (V2L) power, two front and two rear USB-C sockets, ambient light projection, dual-zone climate control, a heated and wrapped multi-function steering wheel and heated sport seats.

When it comes to safety, there are seven airbags as standard, adaptive cruise, lane-keeping, front and rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) that detects pedestrians and cyclists.

Choose the VZ and, as well as the extra chassis hardware and extra power, you get different 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, 3D LED rear lighting, the Cup bucket seats, a 360-degree camera view and a more sophisticated adaptive cruise control.

Like every other Cupra model, the new Raval will come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, with a further eight-year/160,000km protection for the high-voltage batteries.

We expect the smallest Cupra Raval to come with a capped-price servicing package, with service intervals primed to be every 24 months or 30,000km.

As for pricing, Cupra Australia says it's too early for any indicative costs for the Raval but admits it will command a big premium over similar-sized Chinese rivals, like the Geely EX2.

That said, early intel suggests the flagship Raval VZ could be priced from $50,000, plus on-road costs, which would mean it will still be cheaper than the less practical three-door Mini Cooper SE ($58,990, plus on-roads) and the much quicker MG4 XPower ($55,990).