Cupra has peeled back just enough camo to give us our first proper look at the little Raval, its feisty new electric compact hatch that promises to inject some welcome attitude into the small-EV segment when it lands in early 2026.

Also: Cupra Builds A Street Hatch That Thinks It’s A Race Car With Removable Rear Seats

The Raval sits on Volkswagen Group’s updated MEB+ platform, the same one that will underpin the VW ID. Polo, ID. Cross and Skoda Epic.

All four will be built in Spain and Cupra didn’t just design its own version – it actually led the chassis-tuning development for the whole family. Each brand still gets its own flavor, but the Raval is, predictably, the spicy one.

What Sets It Apart?

At just over 4,000 mm (157.5 inches) long, the Raval is subcompact-sized, but Cupra insists it’s not just for the school run. That’s why the engineers dropped the chassis 15mm lower than on other MEB+ cars, stiffened the suspension, added progressive steering and fitted disc brakes at both ends.

There are Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive dampers – presumably not standard, details are still TBC – and even base models at launch come with a single, front-mounted electric motor making 208 hp (211 PS / 155 kW). That gives a range of 278 miles (450 km) from a battery of an unspecified capacity.

Stepping up from base Dynamic trim to Dynamic Plus adds more ADAS features, intelligent parking functions, Matrix LED headlights, bucket seats, and a posh Senhheiser 12-speaker audio system.

The Performance Step-Up

However, the flagship VZ is a different animal altogether thanks to its more powerful 233 hp (226 PS / 166 kW) motor, electronic differential and sporty steering knuckle.

The VZ also gets a 10 mm (0.39 inches) wider track, standard 19-inch wheels with an awesome circular-saw-style design and Dinamica bucket seats, though Cupra’s teaser pics don’t show the interior.

The downside is a range drop to 249 miles (400 km). Other less powerful models could arrive down the line to make the Raval more affordable once the initial buzz has died down, but the launch range is targeting a starting price of €26,000 (£23k / $30k).

Cupra