CUPRA RAVAL PRESENTS BRAND’S LATEST VISION ON URBAN EV

editor MAREK BARTEK

There’s really no other place like Barcelona. No matter in which neighbourhood you might be, the city always feels vibrant and alive — constantly on the move, evolving and ever-changing. It’s a city where design, architecture, food, fashion and nightlife all feel so interconnected, it only makes sense that CUPRA, a brand born in the city, increasingly positions itself less as a traditional car manufacturer and more as a lifestyle brand tapping into that same cultural energy Barcelona has become known for.

all images courtesy of CUPRA

Among its latest works, CUPRA just revealed its new model, CUPRA Raval, the brand’s fully electric urban model unveiled through a series of experiences across the city. While the car itself naturally remained central, the surrounding programme of the presentation shed light onto something more interesting: the way CUPRA works to build an entire aesthetic universe around mobility.

The Raval arrives as CUPRA’s answer to the growing electric city car market, though its personality feels far removed from the sterile image often associated with EVs. Named after Barcelona’s famously energetic neighbourhood, the model carries a sharper, more rebellious attitude, pairing compact proportions with bold lighting details and a noticeably sportier silhouette. 

The drive through the city felt incredibly smooth. Even with Barcelona constantly moving around us — busy streets, scooters chaotically making their way through traffic, people everywhere — the Raval somehow made the experience feel calm. It handled the city effortlessly, which only reinforced the idea that this is exactly the kind of environment the car was designed for.

Underlining the idea that CUPRA exists within a much broader creative universe, we got to experience a series of uniquely curated experiences throughout the trip.

One of the presentations centred around CUPRA’s fragrance collaboration, introduced through a workshop with the perfumer behind the scent. Rather than approaching it as a straightforward product launch, the experience unfolded alongside a tasting menu designed around the fragrance notes themselves, translating ingredients like bergamot or chilli peppers into flavour in unexpectedly literal ways.

Another one of the adventures we came to embark on was through CUPRA’s collaboration with Barcelona-based jewellery label MAM. Taken through the brand’s ateliers, we got a sneak peek into the process of jewellery making before we, ourselves, actually participated in jewellery polishing workshops that highlighted craftsmanship and materiality on a very personal level. The connection between jewellery and automotive design may initially sound abstract, but both brands share an interest in sculptural forms, a commitment to building something lasting, and love for metallic surfaces — obviously.

The Raval itself reflects that same design-led thinking. Inside, the cabin feels less traditionally automotive and more aligned with contemporary product design, with immersive lighting, sculptural bucket seating and carefully selected textures throughout. CUPRA describes the interior as “driver-first,” though more accurately, it feels experience-first.  

People rarely buy into products alone anymore. They buy into worlds, aesthetics and value systems, and what has become crystal clear is that CUPRA understands this very well, and now brings the same vision to the automotive industry. The car simply becomes one expression of a larger identity — and in CUPRA’s case, Barcelona remains deeply embedded within all of it.