In the vibrant Catalan city of Barcelona, one of the world’s great centres of industrial innovation, a select team of designers and engineers is applying the finishing touches to a high-performance electric vehicle that aims to speak to a new generation of drivers.
Set to roll off the production line in nearby Martorell in 2025, the CUPRA Raval is the frontrunner of a new breed of electric cars which are affordable, exciting and unconventional. Named after one of Barcelona’s liveliest neighbourhoods, the front-wheel-drive urban electric car is designed to prove that electric vehicles can be provocative, attractive and fun to drive.
“The CUPRA Raval responds to the profound human desire for authentic experiences,” says Sven Schuwirth, Executive VP for Sales and Marketing at parent company SEAT S.A.. “It will appeal to drivers who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd and who prioritise emotion, design and performance.”
“In a monotonous landscape of car brands, CUPRA is truly distinctive.”
Sven Schuwirth, Executive VP for Sales and Marketing, SEAT S.A.
Since SEAT S.A. launched CUPRA in 2018 as a challenger brand, it has outperformed all expectations. Models such as the Formentor, a compact SUV, and the Born, a sporty, fast-paced electric hatchback, have been best sellers across Europe and beyond. Since its creation, the brand has sold more than half a million vehicles worldwide.
Schuwirth forecasts CUPRA will soon be selling 500,000 cars every year, with growth driven by new models such as the Tavascan, its first 100%-electric SUV, and above all by the long-awaited debut of the CUPRA Raval. “Our success is unique in the European car industry” he says. “CUPRA is a unicorn. We hope that we can motivate others to follow our lead.”
The distinctive styling, good looks and cutting-edge performance of all CUPRA’s models have inspired passionate enthusiasm among a fast-growing community of devotees that the brand calls the “CUPRA Tribe”.
In trendy urban neighbourhoods around the world, CUPRA has opened CUPRA City Garages where it showcases its latest car designs, hosts exhibitions, concerts and lifestyle events, and builds bonds with its young and diverse community of followers.
Astute partnerships with actors, artists and with FC Barcelona’s men’s and women’s football teams have helped cement the brand’s reputation for self-expression and non-conventionality.
Authenticity is at the heart of the CUPRA success story, Schuwirth says. Launched when the hype about autonomous driving was at its greatest, CUPRA has always prioritised the driving experience over the latest driver assistance tools – these are not cars where you want to let technology do the driving for you.
“We value the joy of driving and we encourage you to be in control of your car rather than just be a passenger,” Schuwirth explains. “At CUPRA, we want to inject emotions into the experience of driving an electric car.”
Alongside emotion and authenticity, accessibility and affordability have been key drivers behind CUPRA’s spectacular rise to the top. “With our pricing we can democratise electric vehicles,” Schuwirth says. “The CUPRA Raval will be a game-changer for the breakthrough of electric mobility in Europe.”
As published in TIME magazine.
