Crucial new Cupra Raval EV prototype driven

We get an early taste of supermini based on new platform also set to underpin VW and Skoda models

- By Jordan Katsianis

WE'VE seen camouflaged Cupra Ravals before, either at motor shows or on test routes, but finally getting behind the wheel of one feels important. Not because the Raval will change the world with its electric range, price point or tech, but because it's the result of the multi-billion pound renaissance plan being drawn up at Volkswagen Group headquarters.

We're among the first to drive a prototype built on the new MEB+ platform, a high-volume all-electric architecture that will underpin this new Cupra Raval, plus the VW ID. Polo and Skoda Epiq, and a production version of the ID. Cross concept.

We're in Spain driving the Cupra first because the project has been under the remit of the Group's offices in the country, and this is where all the cars on this next-generation platform will initially be built.

These new models will exist in the tough B-segment, or supermini class. They'll be around four metres long, similar to the current petrol-powered SEAT Ibiza and VW Polo, but they will be wider and taller, the latter due to the batteries being mounted in a pack underneath the floor.

Unlike the Cupra Born and VW ID.3, which are built on the original rear-drive MEB platform, the Raval will have its electric motor on the front axle, powering the front wheels. This has allowed Cupra to condense many technical elements under the bonnet, giving it the chance to fit a simple four-link rear suspension design.