The Cupra Raval has been unveiled as the first in a new wave of small Volkswagen Group EVs that will take the fight to the Renault 5 when it arrives in the UK this summer, priced from less than £23,000.

The low cost is made possible by its MEB Plus underpinnings, which it will share with its upcoming Volkswagen ID Cross, ID Polo and Skoda Epiq siblings.

MEB Plus is a development of the structure already used by cars such as the larger Cupra Born, but reworked to reduce costs. Changes include swapping from multi-link rear suspension to a simpler torsion beam.

The Raval is 4.05m long, 1.78m wide and 1.52m tall, which makes it slightly larger than the Renault 5. It is positioned as the sportiest of the Volkswagen Group's incoming small EVs and its suspension is 15mm lower and 10mm wider than the basic configuration of MEB Plus as a result.

Despite its compact dimensions, it has a large boot, measuring 430 litres – bigger than that offered in the bigger Born. That is thanks to a large underfloor compartment similar to the Gigabox in the Ford Puma Gen-E.

New Cupra Raval: Specs

In a bid to give the Raval line-up broad appeal, Cupra will offer it with four trims, four powertrains and two battery packs.

These choices also give an indication of what to expect from its Volkswagen and Skoda siblings, which are due to be revealed in the coming months.

Entry-level Core cars pair a 114bhp front motor with a 37kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery for a claimed range of around 185 miles. It can be charged at up to 90kW for a 10-80% refill in 27min.

The V1 and V2 trims offer 133bhp as standard, with the option to raise that to 208bhp.

A 52kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery can also be chosen, which boosts the claimed range to around 280 miles. The maximum charging rate with the 52kWh pack rises to 130kW.

At the top of the line-up sits the Raval VZ (for 'Veloz, Spanish for fast), which will be Cupra's rival to the Alpine A290, priced at around £37,000.

The VZ is fitted with the 52kWh pack and raises the motor's output to 222bhp, which is delivered to the front wheels through an electronic limited-slip differential. That nets a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec and a top speed of 108mph. With the extra power comes a reduced range, from around 280 miles to nearer 250 miles.

Because of its sportier remit, the VZ also gets a different front suspension design with reworked knuckles, giving a larger negative camber angle and allowing it to handle higher lateral g-forces. This is paired with the Volkswagen Group's Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) Sport adaptive dampers. The stability control system in the VZ can also be turned completely off, enabling greater adjustability.

Design appeal

The exterior design of the Raval remains faithful to the 2022 Urban Rebel concept, with a prominent 'sharknose' and a sloping roofline. Key changes compared with the show car include new vents in the front grille, which are backlit to highlight the Raval's beak.

Cupra said it has paid particular attention to the on-board experience. For example, projectors are mounted inside the dashboard to shine animations onto the front door cards. Drivers can choose from various graphics, and they can be tied to the chosen drive mode.

"We use light almost like a material," Cupra creative director Francesca Sangalli told Autocar. "Light gives more involvement – a more immersive experience for the customer. It has a strong power to make you feel very connected to the environment."

The Raval also gets the largest instrument display of any Cupra yet, at 10.25in.

Whereas the incoming ID Polo has a new infotainment display and physical climate controls, the Raval retains the older, 12.9in infotainment screen used in the Born and the much criticised air-con temperature sliders and haptic controls. However, its new steering wheel is laden with traditional buttons.

The VZ is marked out inside with Cupra's signature Cup bucket seats upholstered in a new '3D Knit' – a complex yet lightweight weave of fabric similar to that on running trainers. This material is said to be more sustainable than conventional alternatives because it can be manufactured as a single piece so, when being recycled, there are no stitches to unpick as there would be on a traditional seat cover made from multiple pieces. It will later feature in the top-rung Tribe Editions of other models.

The Raval will be Cupra's smallest and most affordable car and is seen as key to the brand's expansion plans. Insiders hope that it will become the firm's best-selling model by 2028, outstripping the Formentor, of which 104,400 were sold globally last year.