Cupra Tavascan electric SUV revealed, Australian debut due around 2025

The electric Cupra Tavascan will arrive in Europe in 2024, but it's likely to reach us until the following year according to Ben Wilks, the brand's director in Australia.

The Spanish company's crossover-flavoured EV has already been a long time coming. It was previewed as a concept at the Frankfurt motor show back in 2019 and then confirmed for production by Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths in March last year.

Now it's been previewed in close to final form at Cupra's recent Unstoppable Impulse event near Barcelona, staged to preview products the ambitious and fast-growing brand has in the pipeline out to 2025.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The images you see here are all that Cupra has made available at this early stage in the new model's journey to production.

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As well as the Tavascan, near-production ready versions of the UrbanRebel, a small EV, and the Terramar, a sporty-looking ICE- and PHEV-powered mid-size SUV, were also presented.

Cupra isn't dropping any hints on Tavascan pricing, not even for European markets. But it's a near certainty to become the most costly model in the young brand's catalogue when it launches.

Australia's Cupra line-up is currently topped by the Formentor VZe PHEV, which is $64,000 to $67,000 drive-away, depending on which state you live in.

One very good reason to expect the Tavascan to exceed these is that Cupra seems likely to choose to spend big on the electric drivetrain to support the brand's performance image.

Cupra didn't confirm any details of the production Tavascan's tech at the event in Barcelona, but it has clearly signalled its intentions three years ago with the original concept.

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It was said to have a 77kWh battery pack, the biggest and most costly so far seen in the MEB-based models from VW Group. It was also the dual-motor version of MEB, as indicated by a claimed 225kW maximum power output. At the time, Cupra declared the Tavascan will have a driving range of 450km.

The Tavascan will be Cupra's second EV, following the Born hatch that's due to reach Australia very early in 2023.

The Born is very closely related to the VW ID.3. Both are based on the VW Group's purpose-designed EV platform, MEB. They share body pressings, as well as well as drivetrain and chassis technology.

Instead, the Tavascan will have a stronger Cupra flavour. Though it's also MEB based and related to the VW ID.4, the Australia-bound Skoda Enyaq and their coupe-styled derivatives, the Tavascan's exterior style is the work of the company's Barcelona design studio.

"We want to be the most emotional brand of VW," said Cupra design director Jorge Diez.

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The Born will reach Australia in early 2023

Though the Tavascan's rear end is visually weighty, it's an attractive design with both character and presence. But its interior is more adventurous. The instrument panel features a new look Cupra is calling a "V Shape Spine".

This is a reference to the prominent tapering buttress connecting the Tavascan's curvy instrument panel with its centre console.

The dash also features a large, landscape-oriented centre console, while the interior fit-out demonstrates Cupra's preference for recycled and sustainable materials.

Watch for more on the Tavascan, and Cupra's wider new line-up, to be revealed over the next couple of years.

The big reveals from Cupra's Impulse event