Cupra Tavascan review
The Cupra Tavascan looks great and performs well as an electric family car, but its price may put you off
Our opinion on the Cupra Tavascan
If you want an electric family car that stands out from the crowd, then the Cupra Tavascan is it. The head-turning looks don’t come at the expense of practicality, either, because there’s plenty of space inside for passengers and luggage.
While Cupra is a sporting brand, the Tavascan isn’t quite the leading light of the class for sporty handling - that award goes to the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri twins - while the firm ride and inconsistent brakes are two minus points for the Spanish model. And then there’s the price, which is high when compared with rivals in the class that are equally capable.
About the Cupra Tavascan
Compared with other brands in the Volkswagen Group, Cupra turned up pretty late to the electric SUV party. While VW, Skoda and Audi offered a car in the compact SUV class for quite some time, SEAT’s sporty offshoot had to make do with just the Cupra Born hatchback before the arrival of the Tavascan. Still, given the patchy reception the earlier MEB-platform cars received when they arrived, this window has provided Cupra with time to learn from previous shortcomings and create a more rounded package – at least in some areas.
The Tavascan is a five-door, five-seat family car that we’d describe more as a coupe-SUV than a full SUV, courtesy of its swoopy styling. It’s the largest car in the Cupra line-up - bigger even than the combustion-engined Terramar.
We’ve put the Cupra Tavascan through its paces against the Ford Capri in a twin test, and our pictures editor, Dawn Grant, has even run a V1 trim Tavascan as part of our long-term fleet.
Cupra Tavascan prices and latest deals
How much does the Cupra Tavascan cost? Well, official ‘on the road’ prices range from £47,340 to £62,760 but you can currently save an average of £12,407 through the Auto Express Find A Car service, where prices start at £35,567. Don’t want to buy? You can lease a Cupra Tavascan from £418 per month.
Check out our latest new car deals and leasing deals for the top offers available now on Auto Express. And don't forget we can help you sell your car, too.
So, we’ve already placed a lot of focus on the Tavascan’s price, and here it is: £47,400. That gets you behind the wheel of the V1 model, which features a 77kWh battery and a 282bhp electric motor driving the rear wheels. This powertrain is also offered in V2 trim for around £6,000 more than the V1.
Two motors are fitted to the near £56,000 VZ1, making the Tavascan four-wheel drive with total power output of 335bhp. The top-spec model is the VZ2, which adds roughly £5,000 to the VZ1’s price. Both of these models feature the same 77kWh battery as the V1 and V2 models.
You can save a considerable amount by building your perfect Cupra Tavascan with the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have a wide range of Tavascan leasing deals to choose from. We can even help you to sell your car.
Performance & driving experience
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The Tavascan’s powertrains are impressive, but the choice is more limited than in some other alternatives in this segment. With no entry-level model offered in the vein of the 168bhp option available in the Ford Capri or Ford Explorer (two cars that use the same running gear as the Tavascan), the Cupra’s base price is high. Instead, the range kicks off with a single-motor model which sends a healthy 282bhp to the rear wheels, while the 4Drive model has (as the name suggests) four-wheel drive, plus 335bhp from its twin-motor set-up. You pay for this performance, though, with the top-spec version of the Tavascan costing more than £60,000.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Tavascan V1 77kWh | 282bhp | 6.8 seconds | 112mph |
| Tavascan V2 77kWh | 282bhp | 6.8 seconds | 112mph |
| Tavascan VZ1 77kWh | 335bhp | 5.5 seconds | 112mph |
Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The Tavascan fitted with a rear-mounted electric motor has more than enough performance – more than most buyers will need, in fact. The 0-62mph sprint takes 6.8 seconds, so few buyers will require the 335bhp option.
Those who do will get some serious straight-line shove, with the instant torque – all 545Nm of it – deployed to the road via all four wheels to deliver a 0-62mph time of 5.5 seconds. That’s only a few tenths shy of Cupra’s fastest petrol-powered performance cars, but with no gearbox to contend with, it feels even quicker in many driving situations. Both versions of the Cupra Tavascan are limited to a top speed of 112mph.
Town driving, visibility and parking
Keen handling and a smooth powertrain impress, but in some situations, the ride is a little too sporty, and the brake calibration needs some work. Around town, there’s a firmness to the damping in the Tavascan, which certainly sets its stall out as one of the more sporting options in this segment. The damping is better than on some contenders, and it doesn’t have the slightly brittle feeling you get from a Kia EV6. This is because the Cupra’s springs and dampers are better at taking the edge off the harshest bumps.
We have two caveats here, however: our time behind the wheel in the UK has been in a car on 19-inch wheels, the smallest available, and also we’re yet to try the Tavascan with adaptive dampers in the UK. Larger wheels can make the ride more fidgety, while our experience with the adaptive dampers on the Tavascan on smoother European roads saw a marked change to the car’s demeanour, as the ride tightened up significantly in the Performance and Cupra settings.
Country road driving and handling
Much like in the smaller Born electric hatchback, one of the Tavascan’s main weaknesses is the feedback through the brake pedal. Initially, this gives quite a firm, positive response, but press harder, and there seems to be a centimetre or two of travel where everything feels a bit soft and very little extra deceleration happens. A firmer shove brings back some more bite as the mechanical brakes chip in, but the transition between the motor regeneration and the interaction between discs and calipers is a little clumsy and not very reassuring.
It’s a shame, because elsewhere the Cupra feels decent to drive. The steering is light and precise, and the rear-wheel-drive model is sweetly balanced, capable of pushing the car gently through a turn as power is applied. You can never truly get away from the car’s weight, but there is fun to be had on the right road.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
It’s on the motorway where we’d wish for just a slightly more compliant suspension set-up. Here, there is still some fidgeting, giving the impression that the Tavascan never truly settles down.
That aside, the spacious cabin helps the motorway miles to slip by with little effort. There’s more than enough power to make accelerating along slip roads and inclines – and overtaking manoeuvres – feel effortless. It was very rare that we felt the need to explore the full travel of the throttle pedal on our test drive.
“Out on the road, the good points of the Tavascan’s MEB platform are on full display, which is to say the motors are very refined and come with excellent response and clarity through the throttle pedal.” – Jordan Katsianis, news editor.
Range, charging & running costs
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We achieved an average of 3.3mi/kWh from the Tavascan came in cold weather and with a mix of urban, A/B-roads and motorway miles. If you do more low-speed and suburban driving, that figure will improve, and summer months will see the efficiency increase significantly, too, to the point that a 300-mile real-world range should be entirely achievable. Following the same test, the closely related Ford Capri also managed an average of 3.3mi/kWh from its identical battery pack.
Charging speeds peak at 135kW on every Tavascan, which isn’t as fast as some other MEB-based cars, but still enables a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in 28 minutes.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| Tavascan V1 | 77kWh | 343 miles | 34 |
| Tavascan V2 | 77kWh | 339 miles | 36 |
| Tavascan VZ1 | 77kWh | 318 miles | 38 |
Insurance groups
Along with its higher starting price, the Cupra Tavascan also tops the Ford Capri in terms of insurance cover costs. The Cupra resides in groups 34 to 39 (out of 50) while the Ford is between groups 21 and 33. The Volkswagen ID.5 ranks even lower, starting in group 18.
Tax
The Tavascan’s zero-emission status means very low company car tax rates for business buyers, but the standard rate of VED road tax applies. On top of this annual charge, you’ll also need to account for the luxury car tax on the majority of the line-up, as all but the base V1 surpass the £50,000 threshold for electric cars. This adds another £440 onto the tax bill between the second and sixth year after the car’s initial registration.
Depreciation
Our market data shows that the Cupra Tavascan isn’t the best at maintaining its value. After three years or 36,000 miles, this electric SUV will retain between 43 and 45 per cent, whereas the Ford Capri retains 44 to 51 per cent of its original value. Some variants of the Volkswagen ID.4 suffer a far more catastrophic fate here, because it only clings to 36 to 46 per cent of its original value.
To get an accurate valuation on a specific model check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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A striking design ensures the cabin is one of the most desirable in its class, while vastly improved infotainment tech makes the Tavascan far easier to recommend than Cupra models from even a couple of years ago.
Interior and dashboard design
When the Tavascan concept was first revealed to the public, its cabin matched the exterior for drama. The sweeping dashboard connected to the centre console through a floating Y-shaped central spine that looked like it had been beamed back from the future.
And the best news is that those concept-car looks have made it into production largely unchanged. Yes, the steering wheel isn’t trimmed in carbon fibre and shiny plastic, the digital instrument panel is a touch smaller, and the impractical white upholstery has been swapped for a more subdued shade, but the Cupra remains incredibly arresting inside.
Materials and build quality
It’s hard to knock the fit and finish, either. The colours and materials look and feel classy, what limited physical switchgear there is appears fairly solid, and even where plastics are used, they don’t detract from the overall experience. Sustainable materials have been used in the upholstery, with textiles created from up to 90 per cent recycled polyester, while 50 per cent of microfibre materials come from recycled sources.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
The Tavascan’s 15-inch touchscreen sits slightly awkwardly on top of the dash, but the system is fairly easy to use. Many of the foibles that affected early examples of Born have been ironed out, and the Tavascan’s system is much more intuitive.
It’s a shame that the climate controls are confined to the screen, but they’re fairly large and permanently positioned at the bottom of the display. Turning off the driver-assist systems can be accomplished via a shortcut that’s dragged down on the display.
Ahead of the driver sits a digital display that’s very similar to what you’ll find in a Cupra Born. This display only shows the most useful information, and a button on the steering wheel can bring up more detailed trip and driver-assistance data.
“Slim vents at the leading edge of the bonnet are designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency, but they have the side effect of funnelling road grime and water directly onto the windscreen in poor weather.” – Alex Ingram, former chief reviewer.
Boot space & practicality
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The overall wheelbase of the Tavascan is identical to that of its hatch sibling, the Born, but its taller roof and larger rear overhang make it the more spacious car overall.
Dimensions and size
While the Cupra Tavascan shares a platform with the Ford Capri and Skoda Enyaq, it’s slightly smaller than those two models. Its wheelbase is pretty much a match for those cars, though, and this means there’s decent space inside.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Cupra Tavascan | Ford Capri | Volkswagen ID.4 |
| Length | 4,644mm | 4,634mm | 4,584mm |
| Width | 1,861mm | 1,872mm | 1,852mm |
| Height | 1,597mm | 1,626mm | 1,640mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,766mm | 2,760mm | 2,771mm |
| Boot space | 540 litres | 567 litres | 543 litres |
Seats & passenger space
Cupra has struck a great compromise with the Tavascan’s driving position, making it feel sporty and snug while still delivering the lofty feeling that SUV drivers find so appealing. The seat and steering wheel offer plenty of adjustment and comfort, and are great overall. Rear visibility is a little compromised by that rakish roofline and small rear window, and it’s made worse in wet weather because there is no rear wiper.
While the Tavascan still uses the fiddly touch-sensitive sliders that we’ve complained about in various Volkswagen ID products in the past, at least here they are backlit, so they can be used at night – a baffling oversight in some other early MEB-based cars.
A small shelf sits below the floating section of the dashboard, and a pair of cup-holders are located just ahead of a deep closed cubby beneath the centre armrest. Due to the position of the fusebox on the left side of the dashboard, the glovebox is very small, though.
Space in the back seats is very similar to what you’ll find in other coupe-SUV alternatives, such as the Ford Capri. The Tavascan has near-identical rear headroom and ever so slightly less knee room than the Ford, but the flatter rear bench makes it a little more comfortable when three people are sitting in the back – especially in models that don’t feature a rear centre armrest or through-loading hatch.
Boot space
At 540 litres, the Tavascan’s boot is a little behind the Ford Capri but still very large. The area is a smidge under one metre square, and the rear seats fold down to leave an almost flat load space – at least they do if you go for a model with a false boot floor.
Towing
The Tavascan can be equipped with a tow bar, but no variant can handle more than a 1,200kg braked trailer or caravan. The Kia EV6 is a far stronger tow car at 1,800kg
“There’s some extra storage under the boot floor for your charging cables, but as with other MEB models, there’s no front boot under the short bonnet, which is a shame.” – Jordan Katsianis, news editor.
Reliability & safety
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The Tavascan earned a full five-star safety rating from safety experts Euro NCAP in 2024. It matches the scores of the Ford Capri (which was tested in the same year) in the adult, child, and vulnerable road user categories, but the Tavascan outdoes the Ford for safety assistance.
The ‘always on’ functions, such as lane-keeping assist and traffic-sign assist, are typically intrusive, but they can be easily switched off via the touchscreen or a button on the steering wheel. Other active safety elements include active cruise control with lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking, to name just a few.
While the Tavascan didn’t appear in the most recent Driver Power survey, the Cupra brand finished 28th out of 31 in the best manufacturer results. Only Dacia, BYD and MG performed worse, so there’s clearly room for improvement.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Five stars (2024) |
| Adult occupant protection | 89% |
| Child occupant protection | 86% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 80% |
| Safety assist | 79% |
Buying and owning
- Best buy: Cupra Tavascan 77kWh V1
We’d keep things simple with the Tavascan and choose the entry-level model. It has a decent amount of kit, is more than quick enough for most, and it has the longest range. You can even add metallic paint, and the worthwhile winter pack that includes an energy-efficient heat pump plus a heated windscreen and still dodge the luxury car tax surcharge with this model.
Cupra Tavascan alternatives
The obvious rivals for the Cupra Tavascan are from within the VW Group and include the Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4 and Volkswagen ID.5, although like-for-like, these are all less expensive than the Tavascan. The Audi Q4 e-tron is actually closer to the Tavascan in price, but it’s smaller overall.
Non-VW Group options are the Ford Capri and Ford Explorer – although both use the same running gear as the Tavascan and are arguably more engaging to drive than their rival. Then there are electric SUVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60 (all of which share the same running gear), BMW iX1, Volvo EX40 and Tesla Model Y.
Key updates of the Cupra Tavascan review
15 April 2026: Update of costs, sizing data and Cupra's Driver Power survey results.
Deals on the Tavascan and alternatives
