Cupra Raval Spied at the Nurburgring, It's a Future Subcompact Electric Hatch

The Spanish automaker, which operates under SEAT's roof, is not ready yet to rest on its laurels. Therefore, it's prepping all sorts of new rides, including a brand-new subcompact electric hatchback. Does this idea bring the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2 to mind? It should, as the Raval is its Mediterranean cousin, and quite strangely, it's believed to premiere a bit sooner than the ID.2.

Spy photographers have been snapping Cupra Raval prototypes in the open for a few months, and the car manufacturer actually previewed it with the UrbanRebel Concept a little over two years ago. We can see that the production model hasn't ventured far from the study look-wise, though the overall design has been toned down, especially at the front and rear.

The main lighting clusters are larger and more round. The extra DRLs sitting on each side of the license plate holder were deleted, and so were the side vents, with the central one being now wider. The hood is shorter and protrudes less into the new bumper, and the side mirrors have gained some weight. Flush-mounted door handles are visible, the rear lighting signature is more down-to-earth, and the bumper still has a diffuser attached to it, albeit less aggressive than the concept.

It's possible that a thin light strip links together the taillights, and the Cupra logo on the tailgate should be backlit. The prototype featured aero wheels, presumably shod in special rubber to improve the car's range. Chunky black plastic cladding is visible on the lower parts of the body. However, you shouldn't let this feature, nor the overall shape of the body, trick you into thinking it's a subcompact crossover because the Cupra Raval is nothing more than a supermini.

Cupra is understood to have utilized VW Group's MEB Short platform on the Raval, which will also underpin the upcoming Volkswagen ID.2 and, presumably, a similarly-sized Skoda. The Raval reportedly features a front-mounted motor and front-wheel drive layout, and the base grade is expected with 223 horsepower (226 ps/166 kW), likely taking below seven seconds to zip to 62 mph (100 kph).

A pair of battery options should be on deck, with the larger unit presumably having a 56 kWh capacity for an alleged range of 273 miles (440 km) and the standard model(s) supposedly featuring a 38 kWh unit. A sportier variant of the Cupra Raval is apparently in the pipeline. The Raval will reportedly debut in 2025, targeting Europe primarily, though other regions (not the US) might also get it.