“Complicated” is a generous way to describe the front end of a new all-electric SUV just revealed by the Cupra brand. Cupra, for those not yet aware of the Spanish SEAT brand subsidiary (which itself is a subsidiary of Volkswagen), is apparently chasing a younger, less-conservative audience than the Spaniards with this model. Cupra will offer the crossover Tavascan in two trims for now; an entry-level model uses the VW Group’s new 282 horsepower rear-wheel drive motor, while a 335 horsepower version adds all-wheel drive.
The Tavascan, revealed in Berlin, is expected to join two other models in 2024 and 2025: Urban Rebel, which shares the MEB platform with other electric VWs, and there’s the Terramar, a plug-in hybrid to be built by Audi in Hungary. The interior is “cut” by a sweeping silver blade projecting from the width of the dash, and the focus looking forward is a large 15-inch display.
The manufacturer is citing a driving range of 340 miles for the base model Tavascan on one charge, and a 0-60 mph time of about 5.6 seconds.
There’s no prospect at this time that these models will be sold in the U.S. The Tavascan, the company says, will be built in China.
In initial photos of the production-spec model, one can note a body that appears to be floating above the wheels, a triple-triangle headlights signature look, and a model front end that’s heavy on busy black design elements.
VW created the Cupra standalone brand in 2018. For many years, SEAT used the Cupra nameplate to denote hot-rodded variants of its Ibiza and Leon.
