Cupra Raval launches before its VW ID. Polo and Skoda Epic siblings. Multiple battery and motor options offer up to around 280 miles range. Entry price should be around €26k/£23k to directly challenge Renault 5. VW’s sporty Spanish brand, Cupra, has revealed its smallest EV yet. Called the Raval, this subcompact sister to the upcoming electric VW ID. Polo and Skoda Epiq hits European roads later in 2026 with bags of attitude and the aim of stealing sales away from Renault’s popular 5. Also: Cupra Born Again With Real Buttons And A New Face At just over 4 meters (157.4 inches) long the Raval sits in supermini territory but stretches expectations with a 2,600 mm (102.4 inches) wheelbase and a surprisingly roomy 441 liter (15.6 cu-ft) trunk. It’s wider and lower than you might expect too, giving it a squat, planted stance that screams more fun than frugal. Underneath, it rides on the Volkswagen Group’s new MEB+ platform, which it’ll share with the ID. Polo and Epiq. Think of it as the budget friendly evolution of the architecture used in bigger EVs like the ID.4 and Born, but tuned here for smaller, cheaper cars, and set up to the drive the front wheels, rather than the rears, or all four. Buyers get plenty of powertrain choice. Entry level versions badged simply Raval pair a 114 hp (116 PS / 85 kW) motor with a 37 kWh battery, good for around 186 miles (300 km) of range, though limited to just 50 kW DC charging. Step up a rung on the configuration ladder to Raval Plus and you’ll find a 133 hp (135 PS / 99 kW) motor using the same pack, although this time charging peaks at up to 88 kW DC for a 10 to 80 percent top up in roughly 23 minutes. Hot Hatch Punch Move into the bigger battery cars and things get spicier. The 52 kWh pack brings 208 hp (211 PS / 155 kW) in the Endurance trim and delivers around 280 miles (450 km) of range, with charging speeds up to 105 kW. That should be feisty enough for most buyers, but if it’s not, there’s the VZ hot hatch. It pushes output to 222 hp (226 PS / 166 kW) and will hit 62 mph (100 kmh) in 6.8 seconds making it a rival for the Alpine A290, not to mention VW’s ID. Polo GTI. Range drops slightly to around 249 miles (400 km), but speed demons might think it a price worth paying. Cupra hasn’t just chased power numbers, either. The Raval’s chassis sits 15 mm (0.59 inches) lower than the base MEB+ setup used on the ID. Polo and runs a 10 mm (0.39 inches) wider track, with adaptive dampers, progressive steering, and an electronic limited slip differential on the VZ. There’s also one pedal driving and a dramatic e launch feature for stoplight getaways complete with synthesized sound effects. Big On Screen, Short On Buttons Inside, drivers are treated to a usefully large 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 12.9 inch infotainment system, though unlike the ID. Polo, which has multiple physical buttons for features like the climate control the Raval is button-light and stuck with the old-style VW interface and its annoying temperature sliders. At least you get real physical switches on the chunky steering wheel. Go for the launch edition Raval VZ Extreme and you’re treated to CUP bucket seats with 3D knit technology upholstery, as well as Sulfur Green 19-inch wheels and a Manganese matt exterior finish. At the other end of the scale, prices are expected to start at around €26,000, or just under £23,000 in the UK, when the Raval arrives in summer 2026. That puts the smallest Cupra in a head-on battle with the Renault 5 – which would you pick? Cupra
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