We have now had our first proper look around the new CUPRA Raval, and on first impressions, it feels like CUPRA has put a lot of effort into making sure this is not just another small electric car.
This is the VZ version, so the top-spec car, and straight away it makes an impression. The paint on this launch car is called Plasma Iridescent, and it is one of those finishes that really changes depending on the light. In some conditions, it looks almost grey, but then you start to pick up hints of cyan, blue and even red as you move around it. It certainly helps the Raval stand out.
At around four metres long, the Raval sits firmly in the small car class, but it does not look like a basic urban runabout. It has a much more planted stance than that, and although the design is clearly new, there are lots of familiar recent CUPRA cues in it too.
A familiar look, but still fresh
From the front, the car feels familiar enough to sit naturally in the current CUPRA range, but there are some interesting details. The front end has that sharp shark-nose look we have already seen on the facelifted Leon and Formentor, and the three-triangle lighting theme is carried over here as well.
The lower grille works with active shutters behind it, opening and closing as needed to improve cooling and efficiency, and the side air vents are functional rather than decorative. That is the kind of detail that matters more on an EV, and it is good to see that it has been thought through properly rather than just added for show.
Around the side, the flush door handles look neat and help keep the body clean. Importantly, there is still a mechanical way to open the doors if needed, which is reassuring given the wider safety discussion around electrically operated handles. The car we looked at had 19-inch wheels with the usual copper-and-black CUPRA finish, and overall, the side profile works well. It looks compact, but not cheap or basic.
The rear is the best angle
For me, the Raval looks best from the back. The rear end has a lot of presence for a car in this class.
There is a full-width light bar, a large spoiler, a strong, diffuser-style lower section, and an overall look more aggressive than you might expect from a compact electric hatch. The lighting design has real depth as well, giving the car a much more premium and distinctive feel. It is the strongest angle of the car and the one that really makes it feel like a proper CUPRA rather than just a small EV with some sporty trim added to it.
Better practicality than expected
One of the biggest surprises was the practicality. Having seen it in person, the Raval feels more spacious than you might expect from something in this class.
The boot is genuinely impressive for a car of this size. It has a clever double-floor arrangement that gives you some flexibility depending on what you need to carry, and in its lower setting, it looks particularly generous. For everyday use, family shopping or a weekend away, it looks like it should be more than up to the job. It’s actually on par with my Leon hatch in terms of boot capacity.
That matters because small cars still need to work in the real world, and this one feels like it has been designed with that in mind rather than being purely about style.
A cabin that feels more special than the class suggests
Inside, the Raval continues the same approach of trying to feel more special than the class might suggest. The bucket seats in the VZ looked good and felt supportive, but what grabs you first is the lighting.
This is not just a standard ambient light strip across the dash. There are different lighting modes, animations and projected effects onto the door panels, which give the interior a much more dramatic feel than most rivals are likely to offer. It feels a bit theatrical, but in a good way, and it gives the cabin a stronger sense of character.
The dashboard layout itself looks clean and pretty intuitive on first inspection. The digital cockpit is larger than we have seen in some other electric CUPRA models, and the main infotainment screen is also a good size. The system now runs on Android-based software, although it still visually feels familiar to other recent CUPRA products.
Thankfully, physical steering wheel buttons remain, which is good to see, and the wheel still has that recognisable CUPRA feel to it. At first glance, rather than a full road test, the technology all feels promising, although the real test will be how slick it is to use day to day.
The rear space is solid for the size
In the back, the Raval does a decent job of making the most of its footprint.
As with most EVs, the battery in the floor means your knees sit slightly higher than they would in a combustion-engined car, but that is a familiar trade-off, and it did not feel unreasonable here. Legroom seemed good for the class, headroom was absolutely fine for me, and rear passengers also get air vents and USB-C charging points.
You do notice that it is still a small car, of course, but there is enough space there for it to be genuinely usable rather than just technically having a back seat to squeeze into.
Promising signs on the performance front
We have not driven it yet, so this is not the place for any verdicts on how it actually handles on UK roads. But on paper at least, it looks like CUPRA is taking the driver appeal seriously.
The Raval sits on the new MEB+ platform and this VZ model gets 226PS. It also gets the bigger battery option, 19-inch wheels and a range of chassis and performance-focused features that suggest CUPRA wants this to feel like more than just an electric supermini.
That is important because if the Raval is going to win people over, it needs to feel like a CUPRA first and an EV second, not the other way around. The hardware suggests that this is exactly what they are aiming for.
First impressions
So, first impressions are very positive.
The Raval feels like CUPRA has understood that a small EV still needs personality to stand out. The design is sharp, the rear looks great, the interior has some genuinely interesting details, and the practicality is better than you might expect from the footprint.
Just as importantly, it still feels like a CUPRA. That might sound obvious, but it would have been easy for a car like this to lose some of the brand’s character in the push for efficiency and affordability.
We will save the final judgement until we have driven it properly on UK roads, because that is where the important stuff really gets answered. But at first glance, the Raval makes a strong impression. If CUPRA can back up the styling and spec with the right driving experience, this could be a very interesting addition to the range.
We will bring you a full road test as soon as we get behind the wheel in the UK.
We have more pictures in our Raval Media Gallery
ripple effect on the inside plastic that goes across recent Cupras. Those handles were on the VW Unyx wonder if they will come (someone will probably say they have) to other European Vag cars or whether this will be only a Cupra thing, to this model. Downside your getting a car with door handles PRC dont like since they were not opening in accidents. Raval rebel.
work on the Skoda 
(disguise). I see they still don't like to put what model of car it is on the back. Saves paying extra to have it removed. Top of the range badge gets on thou... that's allowed. Had to walk round the front of one car at the weekend to check whether it was a Cupra, it wasnt. Perhaps thats the secret Cupras say what they are at the back but not the model.
