HERE’S another little Spanish striker ready to rock our world.
Fast. Exciting. Disruptive. Born in Barcelona. It’s Cupra’s Lamine Yamal.
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Cupra Raval VZ is a firecracker of an EV Credit: simon thompson
It has a peachy chassis, launch control and handles magically Credit: simon thompson
This spicy little motor is actually named Raval after a trendy district of the Catalan capital and built just a stone’s throw from Camp Nou.
Yamal likes it.
Genuinely, he does.
He tried a prototype as part of Cupra’s sponsorship of FC Barcelona.
RAVAL-UTION
Cupra Raval is perfect for Gen-Z with fresh cabin, big boot and DJ sound system
BUOY RACER
I tried the Cupra Terramar VZ1 on land AND at sea – it’s fast, sporty and comfy
We like it too. Very much.
Partly because of the price. From £22k up to £35k.
Partly because of the way it looks. Or as Yamal might say, “el perro’s cojones”.
But mostly because of the way it drives.
You sit as low in this car as you do in a Seat Ibiza because of the slab of batteries in the floor Credit: simon thompson
Jamine Yamal tried a prototype as part of Cupra’s sponsorship of FC Barcelona Credit: Supplied
The top-spec VZ is a proper little firecracker, VZ being short for Veloz meaning fast.
So we’re talking 225hp with launch control, 6.8 seconds to a speeding ticket and a top speed of 109mph.
But the real magic of this car isn’t the straight-line speed. All electric cars are fast. It’s the handling. The way it changes direction so deftly and sticks to the road.
Think rat and drainpipe. Think Yamal and right wing.
You can thank the peachy chassis, wider front track and a limited-slip differential for that.
Although I do have one small complaint.
You don’t sit as low in this car as you do, say, in a Seat Ibiza, because of the slab of batteries in the floor.
Otherwise, we’re all good.
There’s a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system in the cabin Credit: sessantuno.com
Cascading patterns of light dance across the dash and doors Credit: sessantuno.com
The seats are supportive, sporty and comfy.
The dash is driver-focused with all the controls exactly where they should be. It’s amazing how many car firms get that wrong.
The copper detailing looks ace.
There’s a 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system in here buddy and at night, or in our case an underground car park, cascading patterns of light dance across the dash and doors.
It’s a cool place to be.
Now for the sensible stuff.
This car is a titchy four metres long yet feels a lot bigger inside.
There’s more room for friends in the back than, say, a Renault 5, and the 441-litre boot trumps a VW Golf, which is a bigger car.
That’s packaging wizardry for you right there.
I should also say the regular £22k Raval is 115hp with a smaller 186-mile battery and there are all sorts of power, battery and trim combinations in between. VZ is fitted with a 273-mile battery
To sum up, then.
Raval looks great, drives sweetly, and is laugh-out-loud fun.
Cupra’s played an absolute blinder with its smallest EV yet.
Back of the net.
KEY FACTS: CUPRA RAVAL VZ
Price: £33,495
Battery: 52kWh
Power: 225hp
0-62mph: 6.8 secs
Top speed: 109mph
Range: 273 miles
CO2: 0g/km
Out: September
CUPRA will make some noise next weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, bringing cars and live music to the world’s greatest motor show. See you there.
