This electric hot hatch is built for Gen-Z drivers – and it's a game-changer

While older generations of drivers slowly transition to electric SUVs, the future of the electric car market lies in a new generation of driver. Small sporty cars, known as hot hatches, have gained the attention of a younger audience since the 1980s, and now they could be the turning point for EVs.

The Cupra Raval is built on VW’s MEB+ framework, the same as the upcoming electric Polo and ID Cross. At just four metres long, it’s a compact design, and starts from just £23,000 ($31,000). The top-of-the-range model, the Raval VZ, has a sportier look, 226 mechanical horsepower, and a driving experience Cupra describes as Go-cart styled.

The name Raval comes from the area of Barcelona, an arty district that teams with youth and enthusiasm in the city where the car was designed, developed and manufactured. Fitting for a car that is squarely aimed at the Gen-Z driver.

“For sure it’s a Gen-Z vehicle,” says Sven Schwirth, Seat’s Executive Vice President for sales, marketing and aftersales. “But the car has a much broader market potential. It’s simply a car for everyone, for young people, or the young-minded.”

Though surprisingly still a four-door hatchback as opposed to two, the Raval has a more flamboyant look, with sharp lines and muscular features. The sculpted bonnet is framed by sharp triangular headlights and an illuminated Cupra badge, while at the rear, LED lights stretch across the full width with another illuminated badge at the centre.

A car to customise

Among the seven paint colours are two matte finishes and an iridescent plasma paint, which changes between cyan, blue, indigo and red depending on how the light hits it. There are also eight wheel design options, ranging from 17-inch to 19-inch.

“Chromatic aspects are very much linked to the Cupra brand,” says Francesca Sangalli, Seat’s head of colour and trim, concept and strategy. “We create a proper strategy for the colour because they are very much linked to the brand identity, such as the copper logo and details. The colours for the exterior are neutral with a twist, inspired by raw nature.”

Inside, the Raval offers a choice of three seat designs, from the recycled-material sports seats of the Pulse trim to the Dinamica-covered bucket seats of the immersive trim to the 3D-printed bucket seats of the CUP edition, made using 100% recycled material.

In addition to the 10.25-inch driver display and the 12.9-inch centre touch screen, the cockpit features a sporty steering wheel generously covered in physical buttons to control all major functions while driving. There’s also an optional 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system with 475W of power.

Ambient lighting stretches across the whole dash and into the doors, providing visual feedback for driver communication, such as for blind spot warnings and performance moments. Most impressively, dynamic projections see moving 3D graphics displayed on the doors, with a range of patterns and colours all selectable from the infotainment menu.

The car runs an Android-based OS, which is clean and bright. This also provides access to over 130 third-party apps for download, including video streaming from Netflix or Amazon Prime Video when the car is parked.

Spanish heat

The Raval comes in four different power versions and two different battery sizes. The entry-level starts at 85kW (115 PS) with a 37kWh battery, offering a 300km range and DC charging up to 90kW. The 155kW and 166kW models feature a larger 52kWh battery, which can deliver up to 450km of range and 130kW DC charging. This gives 10-80% charging in as little as 23 minutes.

The top-of-the-range model is the VZ or Veloz, and is a serious hot hatch. This version has 226 mechanical horsepower (166kW) and 290Nm of torque, with a sub-seven-second 0-62mph and a top speed of 175kmh. Along with exclusive vegan leather bucket seats or CUP bucket seats, the VZ features DCC sports suspension, an electronic slip-differential and wider 235mm tyres. It also offers an ESC off mode and E-launch to deliver a race start.

It’s the kind of spec that petrol heads would drool over for their supped-up Renault 5s, Vauxhall Novas or indeed Seat Cupras, back in the day. Now, though, it’s available in electric form for a new generation of car fans.

Mass-market appeal

The entry price of the Raval makes it an appealing option for younger drivers seeking their first car, or maybe their first new car. With four doors, however, and a huge 430-litre storage in the boot, this is a small car that will also appeal to families. Being smaller and lighter means it can still offer a decent range from a relatively small battery, so it can be used for longer journeys in addition to city driving.

Interestingly, the Raval doesn’t have an overly futuristic design, which is often the way with new battery electric models. Instead, it has a more traditional compact hatch design, with plenty of Cupra Spanish flair. It has the makings of a great car, that just happens to have an electric drivetrain – it’s bound to be a hit.

The Cupra Raval is priced from £23,000 in the UK and €26,000 in Europe. Pre-orders are open now (end of April for the UK) with deliveries starting this summer.