Cupra Tavascan on track for late 2024 arrival as EV action hots up for Spanish brand

The Cupra Tavascan electric SUV has been fast tracked to Australia as the Spanish brand ramps up its EV offerings.

Originally slated for a 2025 arrival, the fledgling Spanish brand has pulled forward the projected on-sale date to December 2024 – and the first left-hand drive demo has just landed in the country.

The sole example currently on display at Sydney’s Cupra Garage is a left-hand drive model sourced from the factory in Spain, but right-hand drive Australian examples will come out of China, making the journey to customer hands that little bit quicker.

REVIEW: Cupra Born: Spanish hot hatch adds to the EV fun factory for $60K
READ MORE: Cupra showcases its electrified future with three soon-to-arrive models

The five-seat mid-sized SUV will have the Tesla Model Y in its crosshairs but will also compete with a raft of newcomers, including the Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and upcoming Kia EV5.

As part of the brand’s positioning straddling the prestige and mainstream markets the Tavascan could also compete with the BMW iX2 and Audi Q4 e-tron.

The Tavascan marks the start of a new model onslaught by Cupra aimed to build on an already impressive electrified vehicle share.

While sales in the first half of 2024 are down for Cupra, of the 1150 cars sold so far (down 27 per cent) 54 per cent are either EVs or plug-in hybrids.

More than half of the brand’s top selling model – the Formentor – are now partially powered by electricity.

All of which bodes well for the Tavascan, which shares its architecture with various Volkswagen Group EVs, including the ID.4 and ID.Buzz.

The Tavascan will be offered in two models: single motor Endurance and dual motor VZ.

Each gets a 77kWh battery, which in the Endurance (with 210kW of power driving the rear wheels) makes for 534km of range.

In the VZ (with 250kW distributed across two motors driving all four wheels) that range drops to a still-decent 499km.

Key to the Tavascan’s appeal is its sleek styling, which has a coupe-inspired roof line and the latest brand DNA, including triangular LED elements integrated into the headlights and tail lights.

The modern aesthetic continues into the cabin, which is brimming with modern materials and funky lighting, including ambient lighting throughout the doors.

The Tavascan is the start of a electrified model onslaught from Cupra that gains pace in 2025.

In the first half are updates to the Formentor and Leon, the latter also adding a Sportstourer wagon body style. Each will have a new PHEV system with up to 100km of EV-only range.

Then later in the year is Cupra’s largest vehicle to date, the Terramar. The mid-sized five-seat SUV will be offered as a hybrid and PHEV and is the last newcomer from the brand to be fitted with an internal combustion engine (late in the decade Cupra is planning to enter the North American market with an EV-only line-up).

Despite all the fanfare, though, Cupra is walking back from its plans to sell 7000 cars in Australia in 2025.

Visiting Cupra executive vice president sales, marketing and aftersales Sven Schuwirth suggested there would be lower targets in the face of increased competition and challenging market dynamics.

“We might adjust it,” said Schuwirth. “We need to remain flexible. It’s a core recipe of the success of Cupra.”