Five years after CUPRA became a fully-fledged car maker, it celebrated its anniversary with the launch of a new car – the all-electric Tavascan SUV. Arriving the same weekend ABT CUPRA driver Nico Mueller secured valuable points in race two of the double-header, Berlin will be one to remember for one of Formula E’s newest teams.
Following on from its first EV, the CUPRA Born, the Tavascan is the second all-electric car to come from the Spanish carmaker and promises to be a performance-focused SUV. Offered in two trims when it hits the road in 2024; the entry-level, single motor model - which sends 282bhp to the rear-wheels - and a hotter 335bhp VZ version with all-wheel drive and a 0 to 100km/h (0-62 mph) time of 5.6-seconds.
Equipped with a sizable 77kWh battery pack, the entry-level Tavascan has a range of nearly 550 km (341 miles), while its sportier sibling’s range falls to km (516 miles), given its greater focus on performance. Strapped up to a 135kW charge point, the new SUV can be topped up from 10 to 80 percent in just under 30 minutes.
Taking CUPRA’s aggressive design language to the next level, the Tavascan was penned and developed in Barcelona and will be made at parent company VW Group’s EV manufacturing hub in Anhui, China. “When we presented the Tavascan concept at the IAA in Frankfurt 2019, it was our dream car - a manifesto for everything we wanted CUPRA to become,” said CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths at the launch at Formula E’s long-standing Berlin's Tempelhof Airport Circuit. Featuring CUPRA’s new matrix LED, signature three-triangle eye lights and 21-inch forged alloy wheels, the marque is keen to highlight that despite the car’s high-riding stance, its coupe styling delivers athletic and sporty proportions.
On the inside, the dramatic design continues with a blade that cuts across the width of the dashboard and into the centre console. Attached to that is a sizable 15-inch display – the biggest to be fitted to a CUPRA model so far.
Based on the same MEB platform as its VW Group coupe sibling, the ID.5, the Tavascan will go head-to-head with that, the likes of the Tesla Model Y and many other EV SUVs when it rolls out in 2024. Now half way through its first Formula E season, the Spanish manufacturer will be looking to pass on its on-track learnings to its road car division where possible. With more to come from CUPRA, get ready to see more Formula E technology making its way onto the road in the near future.