Cupra Raval Interior and Practicality Review

Cupra aims for a sporty, pseudo-premium cabin in the Raval, featuring trademark copper-bronze metallic trims, 3D-printed dashboard foils, and sports seats with bucket-style integrated head restraints even on the mid-spec test car.

Higher trims add projected animated ambient lighting patterns on the door panels, though the V1 specification skips this.

Some materials feel less upscale, notably the textured, shiny upper dashboard rolltop which reflects its pattern onto the windscreen in bright daylight.

Unlike sibling brands Volkswagen and Skoda, which added physical switchgear like fixed buttons for ADAS, park assist, and climate control in models like the ID Polo and Epiq, the Raval relies on touchscreen access for these functions and keeps touch-slider controllers for volume and heater adjustments.

The driving position is well configured and adjustable, supported by well-placed controls and generous front occupant space.

Small-car practicality is boosted by a roomy lower storage area in the split-level centre console, an armrest, and door bins.

Rear-seat space beats the Renault 5 by significant margins and matches the Kia EV2 for head room and leg room, allowing average-height adults to sit comfortably.

The boot features a variable-height floor, expanding capacity up to 441 litres underneath the window line. Multimedia is handled by a 12.9-inch ‘One Infotainment’ touchscreen, rated at 3.5 stars.

It lacks a physical cursor controller or separate input device, making it attention-hungry, and our test car experienced dropped Apple CarPlay connections between trips.

The V1 test car included factory navigation, while base-spec Origin models omit it and also lack wireless smartphone charging.