Well, do you have some good news for us?
Yes, we do. Cupra is teaming up with legendary German tuning house ABT to launch the Custom Cupra by ABT kit for the Raval, and it’s making its global debut at the Paris Motor Show.
Read our Cupra Raval review.
What does the Custom Cupra by ABT kit for the Raval include?
This is a styling kit, so ABT hasn’t had a fiddle with the Raval’s batteries, motor or suspension as yet (although that’s a tantalising possibility, isn’t it?), and you get sportier-looking cross-spoke alloy wheels, measuring 19 inches in diameter and finished in ‘Sport Matt Black’.
Anything else?
Yes, lots. There are also new front and rear splitters in ‘Obsidian Black’ and a roof spoiler in glossy black.
There are new side skirts and neat little ‘winglet’ aero devices on the trailing edge of the front wheelarch. Finally, there’s ABT lettering on the boot.
All in all, this makes the Raval look pleasantly sportier and sharper, but perhaps without some of the over-the-top wide-body style that ABT has used in its past.
You can order the Custom Cupra by ABT kit from the factory or you can have it retrofitted to an existing Raval.
It can be fitted to all but the entry-level model and is expected to cost in the region of €1,500 to €2,000.
Anything else?
In Paris, there’s also the first appearance of the Cupra Kiro Generation 4 Formula E race car (with powertrain technology shared with the works Porsche team), the reappearance of the striking Cupra Tindaya concept car and the announcement of a new Sennheiser stereo option for the Cupra Tavascan electric SUV, which includes an ‘immersive audio solution’ called Concerto with AMBEO technology.
It includes: “four roofline actuators that add a dedicated height layer, enabling a fully immersive 360-degree sound environment that envelops the driver and passengers.”
Is the new Raval giving Cupra’s sales a boost?
It does seem to be. According to Sven Schuwirth, Cupra’s head of sales, marketing and aftersales: “By September, Cupra delivered more than 250,000 vehicles, up two per cent year on year, with the Cupra Raval exceeding all expectations with more than 50,000 orders since its launch. With our expectations to reach 100,000 units next year, the Raval is on track to become Cupra’s best-selling model. In Paris we are building on that momentum with the debut of the Custom Cupra by ABT pack for the Raval, while our commitment to performance remains strong with our Cupra Kiro Formula E team.”
The Raval’s success goes further than that, as it’s turning Cupra’s line-up into an ever-more electric one. According to the company, in the third quarter of last year, one in every two Cupra orders was for a fully electric car, and orders for electric cars were up by 79 per cent compared with the previous year.
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