With the Tavascan, the Spanish Seat subsidiary Cupra is launching another compact SUV offshoot based on the modular electric kit. ntv.de drove the stylish offering in the most powerful version.
Is the Audi Q4 too stuffy and the Volkswagen ID.4 too boring for you? Is the Škoda Enyaq somehow too ordinary? Then Cupra may have the right offer for you with the Tavascan. The designer SUV sets a whole series of visual accents. This ranges from the expressive front with the Cupra lettering in large letters between the hood and grill to striking bronze-colored rims and the illuminated logo on the tailgate.
The expressive headlights on the Tavascan VZ are equipped with adaptive LED matrix technology as standard.
The game of extravagance continues inside. The bronze corporate color runs like a red thread through the Tavascan. Many interior accent parts are presented in this color. There is the strip across the entire dashboard, which extends to the inside of the doors. Yes, even the frame of the cup holder and the seats, in whose upholstery the bronze color is incorporated in the form of small Cupra logos. However, the tame “Atacama Desert Metallic” exterior paint chosen for this early test car brings the Tavascan back down to earth – a nice contrast to the otherwise rather wild design features.
Extravagant architecture, a large monitor and solid workmanship are the stuff that automotive dreams are made of? You might think so. However, some people would like a little more functionality. The temperature setting via the touch surfaces is annoying.
(Photo: Patrick Broich)
Speaking of design: Inside, the architects have gone a step further before the need to save money slows them down. The floating center console construction looks fancy, while the speedometer element and central screen with the somewhat difficult-to-use soft-touch elements for the interior temperature are clearly from the company's shelves. But that doesn't matter. It is important that there is plenty of air in the family SUV, which is not an issue in the front anyway, but fortunately not in the back either. Above all, the legroom in the second row is generous – just like in the counterparts from other brands. And although the Tavascan is the lowest representative of this MEB representative at less than 1.60 meters high, heads do not get too close to the roof section. In addition, you can stow 540 liters of luggage behind the back seat in this Cupra, even with a full crew. That should make a vacation doable.
The Tavascan is not really sporty, but it is fast
Typically electric, there is plenty of legroom in the back. Although the wheelbase of 2.77 meters is not particularly expansive.
(Photo: Patrick Broich)
Fancy a quick spin? We already know what's under the metal of the version that is clearly marked as a VZ variant: 340 horsepower is at work here. The Spaniard sets off with corresponding verve with its beefy 545 Newton meters of torque and races to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. However, it is not exactly the sports car in the Volkswagen MEB SUV family, but actually offers its passengers a similar level of comfort as the other brand representatives do, despite the seats officially labeled as “sports seats” which in reality are not that terribly sporty.
In addition, the southern European car is more supple than tight when driving over bumps; Cupra itself uses the adjectives “smooth” and “intuitive”. But the Tavascan still drives quickly around corners, which is simply due to the low center of gravity (batteries in the floor). The weight of the 2.3-ton vehicle is noticeable, but this does not make it seem sluggish.
If you fold down the rear seats, you can transport long objects quite easily in the SUV. In this respect, it can easily keep up with a station wagon.
(Photo: Patrick Broich)
Meanwhile, batteries currently seem to be leading to a reluctance to buy, at least in Germany. Is this justified? From the perspective of the charging user, the MEB generation has certainly upped the ante in terms of the speed of energy procurement. The Tavascan is supposed to recharge the typical window of 10 to 80 percent charge within 28 minutes. That is significantly slower than refueling, but it is a justifiable pit stop on a long journey, where the odd break doesn't do any harm. Of course, this is of little use to the rushed field worker.
ntv.de was unable to verify this value during its first brief contact with the vehicle. However, the on-board computer had promised a range of around 433 kilometers – meaning that the Tavascan with 77 kWh net capacity was only slightly below the minimum WLTP factory specification of 477 kilometers. Of course, it always depends on the driving style. So the field worker will probably have to wait another generation or choose a product from the so-called “Premium Platform Electric” with significantly faster charging times.
With its illuminated brand logo, the Cupra Tavascan is an eye-catcher, especially at night.
The Tavascan is anything but cheap. Anyone who wants to buy it as a powerful VZ will have to spend a lot of money – the price list reveals at least 60,780 euros. That's less than the cost of a Škoda Enyaq RS Coupé (63,300 euros), but it's still a high financial hurdle. And even the current Tavascan base model, at 53,240 euros, isn't exactly a bargain for families on a tight budget. At least the VZ comes with big features as standard, such as adaptive chassis control, electric tailgate, LED matrix headlights, keyless locking system and cruise control with active control (accelerates and brakes automatically).
Whether you can warm to the Spaniard depends largely on your personal relationship to unusual design. The Tavascan can score points here, but it can also be polarizing. Let's hope that its origins in the Chinese Anhui plant do not become a stumbling block for the company in view of the current economic and political turbulence. In terms of craftsmanship, it is solidly made and, in that sense, definitely recommendable.
