What Do We Really Think of the New CUPRA Raval?

[Swansway Motor Group (SEAT & CUPRA)]

If you came along to the meet-up on Sunday, you’ll have seen the new Raval at CUPRA Oldham in the flesh. We thought we’d share a few pictures of it looking right at home in the dealership!

It certainly got people talking on Sunday, and it’s great to see CUPRA bringing something a little different to the range.

But what do we think?

Are you a fan of the design? Would you consider one for your next car, or are you not convinced by the Raval?

Let us know your thoughts below!

 

[Eirona]

Okay, I'll go first!
We were going to buy one. We liked the looks of it. It single-handedly kicked off the through process of actually making the move to an EV from our ICE Arona. In fact we had already emailed the dealership to be informed when they got a demonstrator, something they still haven't got as I write this.

Long story short, a few things put us off. Simple things, but important to us:

- Those doorhandles. Tesla just had a recall for cars with retracting doorhandles. My concern is the winter. Even our relatively mild winters here in rural Ireland, sometimes even opening the door on our Arona is tricky. The thought of stuck doorhandles worried me.

- Depreciation. Any new EV will lose €10k as soon as it leaves the showroom. I don't change my cars that often, but its been shown that the best option is to buy a 3 year old with good battery health. The worst depreciation is over. For many, cost is not the primary issue, and we thank you for that as if it wasn't for you, people like me can't have good pre-owned cars!

- Personal. In the end we saw a Series 1 Cupra Born in Aurora Blue and really loved the way it looked. Even compared to the Series 2 Born (for us) we thought it was a good looking car. The Raval, yes, but oddly we still preferred the Born 1.
But I will add that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is a good looking car, as is the Born 2. Would I own one; yes absolutely, but I would wait for a good used one to come along in a couple of year's time.

-The salesman. When we talked of the Raval, the "Cupra Master" told us he's been to Barcelona for the launch and driven it. He liked it, but still preferred the Born (before we started talking about used Borns). He said the Raval was mainly aimed at being a city car, and the entry level car had quite a small battery (perfect for town use). As a result, and because he had an Aurora Blue Born 1 sitting there which we were quickly falling in love with the looks of, we decided to save what was an enormous amount of cash and buy a used Born 1. We ended up with a V2 77kWh eboost, collection this Friday!

Notwithstanding, the Raval is a good-looking car and yes, I would be proud to own one, just not yet!

 

[James_R]

What an absolute pleasure it was to drive down to meet on Sunday.

 

[alanjs]

Okay, I'll go first!
We were going to buy one. We liked the looks of it. It single-handedly kicked off the through process of actually making the move to an EV from our ICE Arona. In fact we had already emailed the dealership to be informed when they got a demonstrator, something they still haven't got as I write this.

Long story short, a few things put us off. Simple things, but important to us:

- Those doorhandles. Tesla just had a recall for cars with retracting doorhandles. My concern is the winter. Even our relatively mild winters here in rural Ireland, sometimes even opening the door on our Arona is tricky. The thought of stuck doorhandles worried me.

- Depreciation. Any new EV will lose €10k as soon as it leaves the showroom. I don't change my cars that often, but its been shown that the best option is to buy a 3 year old with good battery health. The worst depreciation is over. For many, cost is not the primary issue, and we thank you for that as if it wasn't for you, people like me can't have good pre-owned cars!

- Personal. In the end we saw a Series 1 Cupra Born in Aurora Blue and really loved the way it looked. Even compared to the Series 2 Born (for us) we thought it was a good looking car. The Raval, yes, but oddly we still preferred the Born 1.
But I will add that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is a good looking car, as is the Born 2. Would I own one; yes absolutely, but I would wait for a good used one to come along in a couple of year's time.

-The salesman. When we talked of the Raval, the "Cupra Master" told us he's been to Barcelona for the launch and driven it. He liked it, but still preferred the Born (before we started talking about used Borns). He said the Raval was mainly aimed at being a city car, and the entry level car had quite a small battery (perfect for town use). As a result, and because he had an Aurora Blue Born 1 sitting there which we were quickly falling in love with the looks of, we decided to save what was an enormous amount of cash and buy a used Born 1. We ended up with a V2 77kWh eboost, collection this Friday!

Notwithstanding, the Raval is a good-looking car and yes, I would be proud to own one, just not yet!

Having driven an Aurora Blue Born V3 for the last four years, I agree it's a very nice-looking car and it's great to drive. I did consider replacing it with a "new" Born, but I couldn't justify the expense and I don't need the space. I'm tired of the old tech, dash display and haptic buttons, so personally, the new Born is not viable.

You obviously have a different set of requirements, but the Raval V2 fits my needs better. The Launch edition brings a lot of techy goodies included in the price so after seeing it in the metal, it was an easy choice.

OK, the doorhandles would not have been my preference either, but my car is garaged so I'm not worried about cold weather. They can also be opened manually (if you know how) so I can live with them, although I can see they would be a deal-breaker in your case.

I have always liked my Born so I'm sure you will really appreciate it once your drive it, and if you can charge it at hoe you will be astonished at how cheap it is to run - my last ICE car cost £860.00 in the last year I had it compared to £49.00 to run the Born for the last year.

 

[SRGTD]

@Eirona - I also like the styling of the Raval and agree with you on the door handles.

Although flush door handles probably marginally reduce aerodynamic drag and so helps improve the battery range by a few miles / km’s, IMHO flush door handles are a good example of form over function.

Additionally, with the Raval being an all new design, Cupra had a good opportunity to address the lack of physical controls (e.g. for HVAC) - a criticism levied at many current generation VAG vehicles. However, they have chosen not to. VW have incorporated physical controls into the new ID.Polo for the most used functions so why couldn’t Cupra have done likewise with the Raval? I’m a mature driver and don’t want to be fumbling around a touch screen or having to deal with the frustration of a car misunderstanding my voice control instructions. Also, charging extra for a heat pump when manufacturers such as Renault include it as part of the car’s standard spec is negative point IMHO.

Taking the above into account, sadly the Raval is unlikely to be on the shortlist for my next car.

 

[jezyg]

I have a in stock V1 52 kWh on order and in the V2 Launch Edtion press car for a week with a full review incoming...

Driven a couple of hundred miles so far, very comfortable and capable. A mini Born sums it up and sits between a Born and Ibiza in handling terms. Those wanting to move to their first EV from an Ibiza will find the Raval a logical step up. It is not aa efficient as a Born on a motorway but slightly more efficient than a Born in mixed local roads. More capable than just the City EV title suggests. Motorway sees 205 miles of range from the 52 kWh battery in 20 to 25 degrees.