Long-term report: Farewell to the Cupra Tavascan – proof that EVs don’t have to be dull

Saying goodbye to a long-termer is always a strange experience. In some cases, the departure is met with genuine joy and excitement at finally cutting loose from a disliked acquaintance, while other farewells can prove to be a real wrench.

In the case of the Cupra Tavascan it was very much a sad goodbye.

Yes, the Tavascan is gone and in its place has come Cupra’s electric hot hatchback, the Raval. Time will tell whether the prince will be able to usurp the king but for now, let’s look back at how the Tavascan managed to weave its way into my affections.

I’ve always liked the way Cupra did things, with their unique style and sporty outlook, so was pleased to get the opportunity to take the Tavascan from a colleague earlier this year. In my last report I wrote about how well the car handled and its frankly ridiculous speed for what is essentially a family SUV. As time has gone on, this sensation has not waned. The Cupra is not just fast for a car in this class, its fast full stop.

In a straight line, planting your foot to the floor unleashes instant acceleration. While I love this, it’s probably worth noting that maybe taking your old Mum out for Sunday lunch isn’t the time or place – she was really not a fan of my ‘Lewis Hamilton act’ and made sure to let me know about it by making up spurious claims about mysterious unseen speed cameras hiding in the bushes!

Often a car is either quick or comfortable but in the case of the Tavascan there is a nice balance between the two. Yes, in the sporty ‘Cupra’ mode especially, the ride is a little on the firm side but overall it is calm and comfortable. Around town it feels serene at low speeds while also remaining nimble for a car of this size.

So if the price to pay for all that speed is not a lack of comfort, what is it? In a word? Range. That old stick that EV sceptics use to bash electric cars with is a pretty fair one in this case. Our sporty VZ model will set buyers back more than £55,000 and for that it would be reasonable to be able to travel more than a few yards between trips to the charger. Okay, I may be exaggerating slightly, but as time wore on, the draining of the battery did become something of a bugbare.

Cupra claims the Tavascan can do 320 miles on a single charge but in reality you’re likely to average out at around the 250 mark. While this in itself isn’t too bad, it is galling to fall so short of the claimed range. This is not a problem unique to Cupra – all manufacturers do it – but that doesn’t stop it being really annoying! Motorway driving, with its adaptive cruise control isn’t too bad but if you want to enjoy a good stretch of road, it would definitely be prudent to keep one eye on your battery life.

Having said all that, the good still far outweighs the bad when it comes to the Tavascan. The space-aged interior is great, the tech is good and the handling fun. Yes there are a few foibles – the collision warning system which lights the entire dashboard up in red lights if a car gets within three square miles of you for example – but overall the Cupra brings a sense of fun to what is otherwise a pretty straight laced part of the market.