There’s a lot of Cupra branding all over the exterior, but it took a while to notice the only mention of Tavascan, which is located discreetly within the rear lights.
The bold styling themes continue inside and it feels rather upmarket, even though there is a lot of plastic around. The textured finishes and flashes of copper elevate the overall look, but personally I find the wider bronze band across the dash, with ridged black plastic above, a step too far. It’s practical, though – the floating centre console doesn’t intrude too much on interior space, the cup-holders are narrow but take my travel coffee cup perfectly, and the storage bin behind them is large.
The Tavascan comes in four trim levels, and our car is the entry-level V1 variant. It still comes with a decent amount of standard kit, though, including a heated steering wheel, four USB points, a powered boot lid with a ‘virtual pedal’, wireless full-link smartphone integration and wireless charging. There is also a rear-view camera, along with intelligent parking assist, plus it has the same safety features as the higher trim levels.
The paint on our Cupra is the standard colour of Atacama Desert. It’s metallic but comes at no extra cost, and I think it’s a more interesting choice than the grey or white silver options, both of which bring an additional charge. In fact, the only extra on our car is the £1,335 Winter Pack, which adds a heat-insulating windscreen, a heat pump and heated front seats, something I’ve already been very happy about choosing as a result of the recent cold snap.
