Cupra Raval Is The New Name Of Small EV Formerly Known As UrbanRebel

The first of four Volkswagen Group small EVs will enter production in 2025 at SEAT's Martorell plant near Barcelona.

Cupra Raval concept exterior

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

May 12, 2023 at 3:45pm ET

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Volkswagen Group's Cupra brand has announced that its upcoming small electric vehicle previously known as the UrbanRebel will be named Raval when it enters production in 2025.

Named after the El Raval neighborhood in the heart of Barcelona, the Cupra Raval will be produced at SEAT's headquarters in Martorell, Spain from 2025, with a Volkswagen model expected to be called ID.2 to join it later.

The company will invest $3.25 billion (3 billion euros) to transform the plant from combustion to electrification and produce electric cars from 2025 based on Volkswagen Group's MEB Small platform.

The Cupra Raval and VW ID.2 will be two of four-entry level EVs that Volkswagen Group will build in Spain, with the other ones being two SUVs that will be made in Pamplona – the VW ID.2X and an as-yet-unnamed Skoda model.

"The CUPRA Raval is not just another car. It is an invitation to a new generation, which expects something better. An urban, rebellious and 100% electric car, with its own character and linked to 'Gen Z'. Something that’s more emotional."

SEAT and Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths

Inspired by the world of racing, the Cupra Raval urban electric car is the most radical interpretation of the brand's design language so far.

Gallery: Cupra Raval Concept

Cupra executives with Cupra Raval concept

Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths with Cupra Raval concept Cupra Raval concept exterior Cupra Raval concept interior

The vehicle you see in the photos taken at the Automobile Barcelona show is actually the same concept that was previously named UrbanRebel, with the only difference being that it now features the Raval name.

When it unveiled the UrbanRebel concept last year, Cupra said it featured a 222-horsepower (166-kilowatt) electric motor driving the front wheels, enabling a zero to 62 mph (100 kph) time of 6.9 seconds.

The automaker did not disclose the battery capacity but said the UrbanRebel was able to cover up to 273 miles (440 kilometers) on a single charge.

In March, Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schaefer said the four entry-level EVs will use batteries supplied by VW Group's new cell plants in Europe, initially from Salzgitter, Germany and then from Valencia, Spain.

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The base models will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, while longer-range variants will use a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry, he added. Volkswagen Group is investing $3.25 billion (3 billion euro) in a battery cell gigafactory near Valencia that will be run by the automaker's battery company, PowerCo.

The Cupra Raval will be the brand's third battery-electric vehicle after the Born compact hatchback and the Tavascan mid-size SUV due in the first half of 2024.