CUPRA Tavascan a return to basics

• CUPRA’s first electric SUV coupe visits the village of Tavascan with which it shares much more than its name
• Electrification, raw materials and sustainable development are the three pillars of CUPRA Tavascan and its eponymous city
• The CUPRA Tavascan is the first model of a new era, a dream come true for the brand

Located a few kilometers from the French border, the village of Tavascan sits in the heart of the Pyrenees. Taking inspiration from this village, the CUPRA Tavascan sets out in search of its origins. It is here that two realities will meet and discover that they share much more than their simple surname.

Electrical performance. Capable of developing 250 kW (340 hp), the CUPRA Tavascan is the brand’s first 100% electric SUV coupe. It also does honor to the village from which it takes its name, and which is home to one of the most unusual hydroelectric power stations in the region. Located under the mountains at a depth of 500 meters and with one of the most important waterfalls in Europe, it has completely changed village life. An objective shared by CUPRA, which wishes to reinvent electrification with the CUPRA Tavascan. In doing so, the brand aims to prove that electric cars can also offer high-level sporting performance.

The essence of raw materials. Like the village of Tavascan which blends into the surrounding nature with its stone walls and wooden roofs, the CUPRA Tavascan follows the urban landscape when it travels through the streets. The design team took deep inspiration from nature in its purest form to create the car. “We wanted to give real integrity to this model, with raw materials, colors, textures and graphic elements that give it a sophistication in harmony with nature,” explains Francesca Sangalli, head of Colors & Materials and Concept & Strategy at CUPRA.

The sustainable spirit. A large part of Tavascan’s natural resources, such as its fifty lakes, are intended for the production of green energy. Here again, the village shares its commitment to electrification and sustainable development with CUPRA. The brand is unstoppable on the path to electrification. And the CUPRA Tavascan is not a response to change, it is a vehicle that creates it. Beyond its electrical power, the use of parametric design also plays an important role in protecting the environment. “It allows us to create a lighter structure and highlight the pieces for what they are, without necessarily trying to beautify them by covering them. We thus reduce our carbon footprint,” concludes Ms. Sangalli.