Cupra is heading into a lofty new price bracket with its Tavascan crossover, with the range-topping version nudging past £60,000 to rival the Polestar 4 and Audi Q6 E-tron.
The new Cupra Tavascan is the brand's third bespoke model after the Formentor and Born. It is based on the same MEB platform as the similarly sized Volkswagen ID 5 and Skoda Enyaq and is built at the VW Group's Chinese factory in Anhui.
Order books open in the UK on 11 September, ahead of deliveries beginning in the coming months. It is available with a choice of a rear-drive powertrain or a performance-focused twin-motor version.
Prices start at £47,340 for the entry-level car, which packs 282bhp for a 0-62mph time of 6.8sec and is the most efficient model in the range. It offers 352 miles of range from a 77kWh battery that can charge at up to 135kW.
The four-wheel-drive powertrain boosts the price to £55,935 and ramps power up to 335bhp for a 0-62mph time of 5.5sec. That price is for the Tavascan VZ1, but top-spec VZ2 trim takes the Tavascan to £60,835 - far outpricing every other Cupra model currently on sale and positioning the range-topping Tavascan as a rival to some versions of the Polestar 4, Genesis GV60 and Mercedes-Benz EQE.
Precise details about specification and availability remain to be confirmed, but customers can place a £99 refundable pre-order reservation now in order to be prioritised for one of the first 50 UK-bound cars.
The Tavascan is a crucial pillar in Cupra's plan to move upmarket, further differentiating the brand from parent company Seat, whose models it has historically tuned for a performance focus and rebadged as its own.
Cupra plans to expand its premium offering in the coming years with a line of dedicated upmarket EVs that will spearhead its push into the US, including a second-generation, electric-only Formentor.
A production version of the DarkRebel sports car concept remains on the table too and would serve as a brand-building halo model to emphasise Cupra's positioning as a design-oriented, electric performance brand.
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Another brand trying to move up-market into a higher price/margin bracket, and in the process, dumping the other brand (SEAT) that was associated with the lower end. I seriously just don't get it - we now have Kia/Hyundai and others all moving into the £40-£60k+ range. Who on earth do they think are going to buy these cars? To me, it's just yet ANOTHER expensive electric SUV to join all the others in a market that's now so over-saturated and with so little to seperate models it's just pointless. Inside, it's no different - one large central screen and not a lot else.
Not gonna sell a Seat for £50k nevermind £60k.
Why not Dozza? I've got a top spec Formentor and it's great. Loads of kit, like a Golf R only more space and more standard kit and less likely to get stolen by drug dealers! I don't look at the list price, only the monthly payment and it's a great deal. I'll certainly look at a Tavascan for my next car. It's the same running gear as a VW or Audi but more interesting styling and more kit!
Bit of badge snobbery here?, nobody coughs at shelling out £60K+ for an Audi or a BMW, but mention CUPRA or SEAT at this price level?, if there good well built etc, where's the problem?
I am a Cupra fan, moved from a BMW X2 M35i to a Formentor VZ3 and never regretted it, looks good, drives good, been totally reliable, while I appreciate Cupras desire to drive upmarket I think a £60k EV in the current climate is not a winner - for similar money you can have a Tesla Model Y performance which is arguably a better all round EV. I think discounts will be needed to move this model and the only negative I have for all Cupra models including this new one is the interiors could be a bit more special
I'm not surprised, the X2 is awful.