Fast Cupra Tavascan gunning for Tesla Model Y

The 2025 Cupra Tavascan has been unwrapped at the Formula E Berlin ePrix, where full details of the all-new mid-size electric SUV were also released ahead of its 2025 debut in Australia.

Designed and developed by the Spanish performance brand in its native Barcelona, the new medium SUV-coupe will be built at Volkswagen’s Anhui factory in China and launched in Europe next year.

Key highlights of the all-new Cupra Tavascan include a powerful 250kW dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, plus the very latest technology lifted from its parent company, the Volkswagen Group.

Created to rival not only the Tesla Model Y but also the likes of the Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Nissan Ariya, the Tavascan will join Cupra’s existing line-up including the Born electric hatch, Leon hatch and the Ateca and Formentor SUVs.

Luckily for Cupra, it hasn’t had to start from scratch with development of its new flagship SUV, since the Tavascan is heavily based on the Volkswagen ID.5.

Picking up where the 2019 Tavascan concept left off, the production Cupra SUV stays largely faithful to the original Frankfurt motor show car, which itself drew inspiration from the all-electric Cupra Tavascan XE racer that competes in the Extreme E series.

That explains why the wedgy shark-nose front-end styling carries over. And combined with gloss-black A- and B-pillars, the frontal glass area gives the impression of a sporty crash helmet’s visor.

Other highlights include the Spanish brand’s now-trademark three-triangle signature headlights and an aerodynamically-enhanced side profile accentuated by 19-, 20- and 21-inch machined and forged alloy wheels with low-drag covers.

The Tavascan is the first Cupra production car to feature an illuminated logo up front and, at the rear, there’s a pair of three-triangle tail-lights and illuminated CUPRA lettering.

Designers claim the tailgate and the car’s overall proportions emphasis its width, while a visible rear diffuser hints at all the wind-bending measures beneath its wedgy shape.

Measuring in at 4644mm long, 1861mm wide and 1597mm tall, the Tavascan is 194mm longer than the Formentor, as well as 22mm wider and 87mm taller.

Interior space will be far greater than an equivalent-sized combustion-powered medium SUV, and a gesture-activated tailgate opens to reveal a boot that can accommodate up to 540 litres of luggage.

Developed alongside the 2024 Volkswagen ID.5 and Skoda Enyaq iV, both of which arrive in Australia next year, the Tavascan sits on the same MEB EV architecture and shares the high-grade 77kWh battery, which is claimed to provide a range of up to 550km for the single-motor version and 520km for the range-topping dual-motor VZ.

The Cupra Tavascan is set to be considerably quicker than both of its VW and Skoda relatives. Even the single-motor variant – which like the Born drives the rear wheels – produces a muscular 210kW, while the dual-motor all-wheel drive VZ pumps out an impressive 250kW – 30kW more than the most powerful VW ID.5 GTX.

Against the clock, Cupra says the faster Tavascan VZ can hit 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds.

As with the VW and Skoda SUVs, the Tavascan can be charged at up to 135kW, when a 10-80 per cent battery top-up is said to take less than 30 minutes.

Cupra says its engineers have created the best-handling SUV possible and the Tavascan features near-ideal front:rear weight distribution of 49:51, plus a low centre of gravity.

Along with MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear-end, there’s Volkswagen’s latest Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) tech, plus a sport setting for the electronic stability control.

There's also the option of a variable-ratio Progressive Steering system that quickens the speed of the rack at lower speeds for sharper responses. If you opt for the dual-motor VZ, there’s front-to-rear torque vectoring to maximise traction in any given scenario.

When you’re not pushing on, you can boost efficiency and save battery power by using the paddle shifters, which offer four different levels of energy regeneration. An optional heat pump is also available to improve efficiency in colder climates.

As you might expect, having drawn on the mighty resources of the Volkswagen Group empire, the Cupra Tavascan doesn’t skimp on technology when it comes to the latest driver-assist features.

The Spanish SUV-coupe comes with adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist, exit warning, fatigue detection, rear-view cameras and both swerve support and turn assist, which prevents you steering into the path of traffic at intersections.

There’s also a new Car2x system that communicates between other vehicles and shares road information where possible.

Ahead of the driver, a head-up display featuring augmented reality will be available from launch and is said to provide all relevant information in the driver’s line of sight to reduce distractions on the move.

Cupra says the Tavascan will come equipped with its new Connected Travel Assist system, which works with information held in the cloud to actively keep the vehicle accurately positioned within a lane and also helps it change lanes seamlessly on the highway.

Like other models based on the MEB platform there’s a 360-degree camera that gives an audible warning if it detects an approaching vehicle as you’re about to leave the car.

At the centre of the dash is a 15-inch infotainment display, with a separate touch bar to adjust climate control and audio volume. Both wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto will be fitted.

As well as the head-up display there’s also a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver.

The introduction of the Tavascan marks the second phase of the VW-owned Spanish brand’s electrification strategy, which will also include the Cupra Terramar and Cupra Raval (formerly UrbanRebel).

Cupra has already said it hopes the new line-up will continue to attract younger buyers compared to its VW, Audi and Skoda stablemates.

With a plan in place to extend its retail footprint to 15 locations in Australia during 2023, Cupra says the three new models will help it sell more than 7000 vehicles annually by 2025 – up from 1600 in its local debut year of 2022.

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