Cupra Raval

The VW Group’s electric assault on the compact car market starts here Affordable electric cars have been big news at the Volkswagen Group’s volume-selling brands for several years now.It was the conglomerate’s Spanish outpost, Cupra, that set the tone when it showed its racy Urban Rebel concept in 2021. That was the first public hint that the group was investing big in small EVs.Soon enough, we learned that the front-drive, supermini-class platform that the group was developing – first known to us as the MEB Entry, then as the MEB21 and finally as the MEB+ – would spawn cars for the Cupra, Volkswagen and Skoda brands. True to the original schedule, however, Cupra’s would come first. And here it is: the Cupra Raval electric supermini.In the end, this car has beaten its Volkswagen ID Polo sibling to UK roads by only a couple of months. Both cars are manufactured at Cupra’s headquarters in Martorell, near Barcelona, while their jacked-up, B-SUV crossover platform-mates, the Volkswagen ID Cross and Skoda Epiq, will enter production at Volkswagen’s Navarre plant, near Pamplona, soon.Now for the Autocar road test to fully scrutinise what the Volkswagen Group’s arrival into the market for small EVs is likely to bring. An appealingly low price might be the first thing you’re expecting. But while the Raval will soon enough be offered in sub-£25,000 form, the cheaper derivatives will follow the more expensive ones to forecourts. So our road test turns first to the middle of the Raval model range.If, on the other hand, you're more interested in the range-topping Raval VZ hot hatchback, check out our comparison test on it here.