Available in two grades from launch, the intriguing Cupra Tavascan comes in base Endurance and a sporty VZ flagship.
The latter is the subject of this review, offering an electric motor located on the back axle and driving the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission, as well as a smaller electric motor on the front axle, providing all-wheel drive.
To help keep the pricing competitive, the Tavascan is only built in China but was designed in Barcelona and uses full Volkswagen Group German engineering – in this case the MEB 400-volt electrical architecture. Rivals to this EV mid-sized coupe SUV include the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
Equipment levels in the VZ are quite generous. They include safety like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-support systems, seven airbags and a vehicle exit warning.
On the comfort, convenience and style front, the Tavascan flagship also features adaptive dampers, three-zone climate control, sports front seats, a heated steering wheel, a 15-inch touchscreen, a surround-view camera, microfibre cabin trimmed front sports seats with memory, heating and power adjustability, ambient lighting, a 12-speaker Sennheiser audio upgrade, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless phone charging, a quartet of USB-C ports, a hands-free powered tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, and 21-inch alloys. But no spare wheel is offered – just a tyre mobility kit.
Combined outputs of the two electric motors make 250kW of power and 545Nm of torque, for a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.5 seconds, and a 180km/h top speed.
Nestled down low between the MacPherson strut-style front suspension and multi-link rear end is an 82kWh-gross/77kWh-useable Lithium-ion battery pack, providing a 49/51 front/rear weight distribution for superior dynamics.
Range is 499km (WLTP), while the VZ’s combined average consumption figures are between 16.5 and 16.8kWh/100km.
Lastly, all Tavascan grades come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with five years of roadside assistance and eight years/160,000km coverage for the battery.
Service intervals are every 24 months or 30,000km.