Cupra’s upcoming all-electric SUV, the Tavascan, has been spied undergoing cold weather testing ahead of an introduction in 2024.
The Spanish brand first unveiled the electric vehicle in concept form at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show, with an updated concept revealed in 2022.
The spy photos show the updated headlights with unique triangular LED elements.
The headlights are also set to appear in the facelifted Formentor, Leon and Born coming in 2024.
Like the 2022 concept, the prototype also has a revised front bumper without a Cupra logo.
The photos also depict Cupra’s unique design language with rakish, curvaceous styling.
While an offical production start date is yet to be confirmed, first production allocation is expected to be available in 2024 for Europe, with the Australian market expected to follow shortly after.
The Tavascan is one of three new models in the line up expected to be released from 2024, along with the mid-sized Terramar and a production version of the UrbanRebel EV concept.
Cupra has confirmed production would go ahead in a joint venture with Volkswagen Anhui and Chinese company JAC Motors, with the car set to be built in Anhui, China.
Volkswagen confirmed the Tavascan will be the first Cupra not built in Europe, saying that China was the right choice because the Anhui factory has the right capacity and technology.
Cupra said last year it was working on a five-year financial plan which will determine what models will be built in what factories, saying that at this stage the Tavascan will be the only model built outside of Europe.
The Tavascan will be built on parent company Volkswagen’s MEB platform that underpins the Cupra Born, among other vehicles across the Volkswagen Group product portfolio.
In concept form, the Tavascan produced 225kW of power from its dual-motor powertrain and used a 77kWh lithium-ion battery pack, offering up to 450km of range.
The original concept from 2019 saw a more aggressive and sportier design than the similarly sized Volkswagen ID.4.
The Tavascan will be the company’s first all-electric SUV sitting above the Born and upcoming Urban Rebel.
“We can’t just come [to Australia] with the Cupra Formentor, we need to have the Cupra Electric cars – the Cupra Born, the Cupra Tavascan, and the Cupra Urban Rebel – ready for Australia,” said the brand’s global CEO Wayne Griffiths last year.
Cupra is expected to release the larger Terramar SUV in 2025 and it will be the carmaker’s last new internal-combustion engine vehicle before going all-electric by 2030.
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2019 Tavascan concept -
2022 Tavascan concept
The brand’s currently line up includes the Born, Leon, Formentor and Ateca.
Cupra has plans to sell 7000 vehicles in Australia by 2025.
The brand had ambitious plans for its first year launch in Australia to sell 1600 vehicles, reaching a final number of 1111.
The Formentor accounted for the lion’s share of sales with 690 units, with the brand also selling 234 Atecas and 186 Leons.
