Cupra Tavascan 2025 review

Cupra’s Tavascan EV was revealed way back in April 2023, ushering in a new halo vehicle for the brand. And it’s finally (almost) time for its arrival in Australia, adding a fifth member to Cupra’s growing family of sporty and attractive models.

But not before we get our mitts dirty driving Cupra’s newly crowned flagship here at the electric midsize SUV’s international launch in Europe.

It won’t be the first crossover/SUV in the brand’s line-up, nor will it be the company’s first EV, but it will be the pioneer of both attributes combined into one vehicle.

With more space than the electric Born, optional all-wheel-drive traction, and a lashings of the technology and cool styling that the Spanish brand is fast becoming known for, the Tavascan is one of the very best options if a family friendly electric car is what you’re looking for.

As the Tavascan rolls on Volkswagen’s highly scalable and now-ubiquitous MEB platform, it gets a 77kWh lithium-ion battery which sends its sparks to either one electric motor at the rear or as a dual-motor option, depending on the buyer’s budget and desire for performance.

Cupra says the single-motor 210kW Tavascan will go up to 568km on a single charge while the dual-motor version has a slightly reduced range of 522km in exchange for increased performance of 250kW and the 60kg weight penalty of an extra motor.

Yes, it’s a bona-fide Tesla Model Y challenger on merit. And on pricing, too.

The exact line-up is still being finalised for Australia but it’s likely the local range will include at least one of each, with the entry-level rear-drive single motor (dubbed Endurance in Europe) kicking off somewhere between $65,000 and $70,000, while a dual-motor all-wheel-drive VZ will “start with a seven,” says Cupra Australia.

What’s included from a standard equipment and specification perspective is also still awaiting confirmation, but if Cupra’s other models are anything to go by, the strategy of offering a high level of kit for the cash is set to continue with the Tavascan.

For our first spin in Spain, we had access to the VZ which has the dual-motor powertrain and is very well equipped as standard. That said, there are a number of options to boost the aspirational stuff such as Cupra’s insanely cool paint jobs and liberal dusting of copper accents.

Optioned or not, the Tavascan has a commanding presence that propels Cupra’s design language forward like a new flagship model should.

Wheels measure from 19- to 21-inches in diameter and are forged alloy for the top-spec variant, with other goodies included such as 12-speaker Sennheiser sound, and sport suspension with adaptive dampers.

Matrix LED headlights are also standard for all, forming an integral part of the Tavascan’s distinctive triple-triangle look, while continuing the family resemblance that is being rolled out to all models. The classy lighting pairs with illuminated badges front and rear for an amazing effect after dark.

In its native Spain, a heat pump is an optional extra, which might be regarded as a luxury in a balmy mediterranean country but more of a necessity in Australia’s southern states – especially as it can save a decent chunk of battery power when not used to create cabin warmth.

On that, from the second you climb in, it’s clear that Cupra intends Tavascan to serve as a halo for the brand. It’s quite a statement.

From the geometric patterning and impressive materials to the bold structural design, the entire interior is cohesively tied together with a design theme that succeeds in being impressive and beautiful, but without resorting to gaudy cheap tricks.

LED lighting features prominently throughout the cabin with customisable mood lighting incorporated into all four doors, footwells, centre-console area and across the dashboard. The whole aesthetic appears not to have been screwed together by humans and robots in a factory, but evolved into existence like something out of a sci-fi film.

But it’s not just style over substance. Everything feels well put together, and the various flying buttresses and beams create a useful, ergonomic spaces. Sport seats look as good as they function and the entire cabin feels special.

Interiors feature sustainable materials including one upholstery fabric made from 90-percent-recycled polyester, or a 50-percent-recycled microfibre material. However, customers can select leather, as fitted to the optional carbon-fibre Cup sport bucket seats, which we’ve sampled and do consider a must-have.

A dark blue/green interior colour scheme is handsome but different, with tiny triangles of copper material gleaming through, while giant scimitar-like copper blades pull the entire cabin together and cleverly incorporate slender vents. The effect is somewhere between flowingly organic and metallically mechanical.

The largest central touchscreen fitted to any Cupra model to date measures 15.0 inches, which is standard on all versions and is complemented by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display.

The central touchscreen is vast and great to use in practice. Cupra talks about a ‘human-machine interface’ but in reality, it’s simply a well thought-out information and entertainment system which achieves significant improvements over the company’s first iterations.

There are some functions that might have been better left to traditional buttons but the effect is a clean, uncluttered, aesthetically pleasing dash and centre console. Graphics are unique and striking, including cool animations, and the system is generally intuitively laid out.

Practically, the interior works well too. There are plenty of places to store things including a wireless device charging pad and generous room in the second row, despite a coupe-like profile on the outside.

Behind the second row, a 540-litre boot is a useful shape and, with power handsfree opening, is about as convenient as it gets.

But how does it drive? A 210kW version with rear-drive only will be available, but for our first test we took the keys to the dual-motor VZ.

Interestingly, its front motor is notably smaller than the rear with 80kW versus 210kW, creating a torque distribution system that prioritises a rear-axle bias, and you can feel it on road.

The Tavascan is not some tyre-shredding drift monster but has a delicate front-to-rear balance that’s possible to appreciate in the wet and dry. Its steering also gains from the company’s deliberate efforts to carve out a niche for itself with models that handle and steer beautifully.

It still has a bit of the trademark MEB heaviness on the road, but the suspension has been well tuned to maximise ride quality while disguising its 2198kg kerb weight to some degree.

Compared with the popular Tesla Model Y, the Tavascan’s steering is less neurotic by about a factor of 10, while its ride quality – even with the recent Model Y revisions – is comparatively silky and well-damped.

Acceleration is where the Tesla would have the Cupra trumped but only when budgeting for the Performance. With a claimed 0-100km/h dash in 5.5 seconds, the Tavascan VZ is almost as quick as the mid-ranking Model Y Long Range and about the same cash.

In practice though, the Cupra is rapid and eager, with decent off-the-mark performance and very good rolling acceleration. We also rate the throttle and brake calibration, which make the car easy to drive in a spirited fashion but also simple and relaxing at low speeds.

There are also three levels of regenerative braking to fine-tune the driving experience, including a one-pedal mode that will pull the Tavascan up without using the brake.

Drum brakes on the rear axle are a bit of a surprise for a performance-focused crossover and while we couldn’t detect any compromised brake force during short blasts, a longer test on a windy road or track might provoke a bit of fade.

The open road is where we hope the Tavascan spends the majority of its life as it does a lot very well for both the driver and passengers. But we even managed a brief off-road skirmish to find yet more pleasant surprises.

With a permanent all-wheel-drive system, the Cupra has excellent traction even in a freshly doused muddy field and though the slick surface challenged the Tavascan for grip, it couldn’t be beaten.

Ground clearance, massive wheels and road-focused Hankook Ion Evo rubber would eventually be the determining factor – as might the lack of a spare wheel – but the AWD Tavascan has surprisingly good slippery-surface ability, with the confidence to go further.

To that end, the Tavascan epitomises the ‘crossover’ class. It has slightly boosted ride height and a marginally taller cabin, but with a more elegant coupe profile and all-wheel drive, enabling it to tackle some modest all-terrain work while also delivering a rewarding driving experience during day-to-day duties.

Perhaps the only surprise in a vehicle that’s so technologically led is a relatively low maximum charge rate of 135kW. That said, Cupra claims a top-up rate of 10 to 80 percent in just under 30 minutes, which is competitive if possible in reality.

Among all the usual safety features you might expect to find in a contemporary EV such as predictive adaptive cruise-control, traffic-sign recognition, side assist, lane assist, exit warning, exit assist, fatigue detection, a 360-degree camera, and front assist with swerve support and turn assist, the Tavascan has a couple of less common touches.

It’s yet to be confirmed for Australia but V2X technology allows the Tavascan to communicate with other vehicles and roadside infrastructure, relaying information about emergency vehicles and hazards before the driver would normally be aware.

The standard head-up display has a full-colour view and also incorporates a clever augmented navigation function for projecting animated route instructions over the image of the road in real time.

Finally, the Tavascan can be parked completely remotely using a smartphone and, using the Trained Parking feature, the vehicle can self-park into a space up to 50 metres ahead if the location has been previously used and stored in the memory.

A full ANCAP safety rating will have to wait until near the local launch date but it’s possible Cupra will not have the Tavascan tested, as is common for relatively low volume vehicles.

Critically, the Cupra Tavascan doesn’t just feel like an upscaled Born. It’s as different on the inside as it is outside while the driving experience is entirely separated, with a more grown-up road manner while still maintaining a fun nature and comfort in equal measure.

More importantly, though, Cupra’s flagship offers something that’s refreshing and new in a segment that is typically hard to find distinction and differentiation. Its ride quality is about as good as we’ve found on any EV platform, including the MEB family, while its steering has plenty of Cupra point and feel.

And with a balance of sharp design and apparently high-level of materials and build quality, this Cupra is putting the popular Tesla Model Y on notice.

You might be able to get the Tesla on your driveway within a few weeks, but if it were our money we’d be waiting until December for the first Tavascans to arrive before making that decision.

Of course, the final word will have to wait until exact Australian pricing and specification is confirmed but if the early signs are anything to go by, in an increasingly competitive all-rounder EV market, the Cupra Tavascan is the one to watch.