Cupra Tavascan review

While all Cupra models are named after places in the brand’s Spanish homeland, it’s usually hard to see why the specific location was picked; if we were told someone in the marketing department had simply thrown a dart at a map of the country, we could believe it. However, the new Cupra Tavascan is an exception, because the village of Tavascan is best known for using its lakes to produce green energy.

That was always going to make it a tempting choice when Cupra was deciding what to call its first electric SUV (and its second electric model, after the Cupra Born). But does the car itself deserve to hold as much appeal for buyers?

After all, there are plenty of alternatives, including the What Car? Award-winning Kia EV6, the practical and comfortable Renault Scenic and the big-selling Tesla Model Y. And that’s before we get to the Skoda Enyaq Coupé and Volkswagen ID 5 – two models that the Tavascan is closely related to under the skin.

Read on to find out how we rate the Cupra Tavascan against the best electric SUVs…

There are two versions of the Cupra Tavascan: a 282bhp, single motor, rear-wheel-drive (RWD) model and one with 335bhp, two motors and all-wheel drive (AWD).

Whichever you choose, you get a 77kWh (usable capacity) battery, but the Tavascan's range depends on how many motors you have. The lighter RWD car managed 353 miles in official tests while the more powerful AWD did 324.

For comparison, the rear-wheel-drive version of the VW ID 5 managed only 342 miles. However, the Kia EV6 has an official maximum of 361 miles and the Skoda Enyaq Coupé 364 miles, while the Tesla Model Y and Renault Scenic can both top 370. In other words, the Tavascan’s range is competitive but not outstanding.

So far, we’ve driven an AWD Tavascan and we found that it offers the sort of responsive feel and smooth power delivery we’ve come to expect from electric cars. The 0-62mph sprint takes 5.5 seconds – which is hot-hatch fast – while even the rear-wheel-drive model can do it in a very respectable 6.8 seconds.

As a bonus, you hear very little motor whine and wind noise is kept to a minimum, but the big 21in wheels fitted to every Tavascan trim except entry-level V1 generate quite a lot of road noise. The V1's smaller wheel might improve things – we'll let you know when we've driven it.

V1 trim is also alone in missing out on an adaptive suspension system called Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which allows you to adjust the softness of the suspension to better suit the road surface you’re on. Unfortunately, none of the settings gives you a particularly plush ride. If that’s your priority, try the Renault Scenic and Skoda Enyaq Coupé.

Does the Tavascan compensate by being sporty? Well, body lean is mostly kept in check, particularly in the firmer suspension settings. Meanwhile, the steering is pleasingly direct, and you can adjust the weight using the driving modes; its super-light in Comfort, making life easy around town, and gains some reassuring heft if you select Performance or Cupra, which improves confidence on faster roads.

The only thing that really counts against the Tavascan’s handling is the weight of the car: it tips the scales at almost 2.3 tonnes, which it can’t completely disguise when you turn in to a corner. As a result, the best petrol family SUVs – including the Cupra Formentor – are more agile.

Like most electric cars, the Tavascan uses both regular friction brakes and regenerative braking that puts energy back into the battery. Unfortunately, it doesn’t blend these together very well, which leads to inconsistent pedal response. Sometimes the car will stop more suddenly than you intended, while on other occasions you find yourself having to apply extra pressure at the last minute.

“I found you can partially mitigate against the Cupra Tavascan's inconsistent brakes by turning the regen up to maximum, but it's still not strong to bring the Tavascan to a complete stop.” – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

A high window line gives the interior of the Cupra Tavascan a sporty feel. However, it isn’t great for visibility, so it’s just as well that front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are fitted to all versions, with V2 models and above also getting a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera.

In addition, while the driving position is fundamentally sound (at least in the left-hand-drive Tavascans we’ve tried so far), it’s worth noting that you have to do without electric seat adjustment and adjustable lumbar support unless you upgrade from entry-level V1 trim.

On the other hand, no matter which version of the Tavascan you go for, you get a 15in infotainment touchscreen with wireless smartphone integration and built-in sat-nav. Most of the car’s functions are operated using the touchscreen, which is quick to respond and features sharp graphics, although physical controls would still be less distracting while driving.

Sadly, those are in short supply. Instead, you get touch-sensitive sliders below the screen for the stereo volume and climate control, which are far more fiddly than the rotary knobs in the Kia EV6 or the proper switches of the Renault Scenic.

Similarly, the 'buttons' on the Tavascan’s steering wheel are touch-sensitive pads that are too easy to trigger by accident. And while voice control is standard across the range, its ability to understand you is a bit hit and miss.

On the plus side, the interior has a distinctive design, thanks to a large central ‘spine’ that acts as a bridge between the centre console and dashboard.

Okay, the plastics are mostly hard, but they’re nicely textured. Meanwhile, V2 models and above get some added wow factor from ambient interior lighting that glows through perforations in the door panels.

“I’d be tempted to step up from V1 trim to V2, not least because it upgrades the standard seven-speaker stereo to a 12-speaker Sennheiser premium audio system.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

There’s loads of space in the front of the Cupra Tavascan. Even those well over 6ft tall will have enough head and leg room. Plus, the door bins are a good size, and there are some useful cubbies between the front seats.

Likewise, rear space is good, despite the car’s sleek, coupé-like roofline. And – as in many electric cars – the floor is flat, which makes life more comfortable for a central rear passenger. The only disappointment comes when there are just two rear passengers in an entry-level V1 model, because that version doesn't get a fold-down central armrest.

As for the Tavascan's boot, it's a useful square shape and has a healthy 540-litre storage capacity. That beats the 490 litres of the Kia EV6 and is only fractionally down on the capacities of the Renault Scenic (545 litres) and VW ID 5 (543 litres).

On the other hand, the Tavacan misses out on the extra under-bonnet storage of the Tesla Model Y – a car that has significantly more boot space. And while the rear seats of the Model Y and Scenic fold down in a 40/20/40 split, the Tavascan has a less versatile 60/40 arrangement – although it does get a ski hatch so you can slide long items between the outer seats.

“I love having a powered tailgate because it means that if I'm shopping in the rain, I don’t have to put my bags on the soggy ground to open the boot. It’s therefore great to see that you get one as standard with the Tavascan.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

The Cupra Tavascan isn't a cheap private buy – even by electric SUV standards – but like all its rivals it attracts a lowly 2% BIK tax rating, so is tempting to run as a company car.

It also comes with a long list of standard equipment; even entry-level V1 trim gives you three-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, automatic lights and wipers, and a wireless phone-charger.

That said, we’d be tempted to at least stretch to V2, because this brings the suspension, seating and stereo upgrades already mentioned, plus a panoramic glass sunroof, an augmented reality head-up display and Matrix LED headlights (which can stay on full beam without dazzling other drivers).

As for safety kit, all Tavascans come with blind-spot monitoring, a driver drowsiness warning and can stop you pulling out into the path of an oncoming vehicle. This helped the car achieve a full  five-star rating in its 2024 Euro NCAP test.

On the other hand, the Tavascan’s 170kW maximum charge rate is a bit disappointing compared with the 210kW maximum of the Tesla Model Y, let alone the 258kW rate the Kia EV6 is capable of. A 10-80% top-up of the Tavascan takes 28 minutes.

In terms of reliability, Cupra finished a middling 17th out of 31 brands in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – one place ahead of Volkswagen, but behind Tesla (15th), Skoda (13th), Kia (11th), Hyundai (10th) and Renault (9th).

The Tavascan comes with a five-year warranty (up to 90,000 miles) plus eight years/100,000 miles of battery cover, which guarantees capacity remains at 70% or more.

That's similar to the five-year, unlimited mileage warranty on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 but not as good as the seven-year cover on the Kia EV6. 

“Back in 2023, Cupra finished bottom in our annual reliability survey, but when I was analysing the 2024 data, it quickly became clear that it’s suffering fewer problems now and fixing things more quickly.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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