Cupra's latest hot-hatch EV is already filling the order books, but now the tuning house ABT has an even hotter version up for grabs. John Marcar flew to Paris to see the Raval ABT being unveiled.
I'm currently driving around in a Cupra Raval, and I'm a big fan. I've got the model on a 3-month long-term press loan from August to November, and a proper feature review is already in the works.
I feel like I've already been on a bit of a journey with the Raval. I went to the pre-launch unveiling in Barcelona in February of this year, when Cupra introduced the model, and then returned to the Catalan capital a few months later, in May, to drive it for the first time.
At the end of August, my long-term test car arrived in the best possible trim. My Raval is a 'VZ Extreme', finished in the glorious colour of Manganesse Matte. Everywhere I go, people go out of their way to ask me what the car is and what the colour is called. And it's not just popular in my local M&S car park; the Raval is already proving to be a popular choice in the showrooms too, with 51,000 orders already being placed for the new model and a further 100,000 being targeted for 2027.
Custom Tuning by ABT
ABT has been the tuning house of choice for the Volkswagen Group since 1976, starting with its first model, the ABT SportsLine Golf GTi. Since the 1970s, ABT has produced styling kits and performance packs for VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat, and now Cupra, with kits and performance packs seen on everything from the Skoda Fabia to the Audi R8 GTR.
What's new on the Raval ABT?
Despite being available for just a few months, the sportiest trim 'VZ' is now available in extra-hot form thanks to some tweaks from the iconic tuning house.
At the front of the Raval, the ABT custom pack adds aggressive front splitters and vents, and a new illuminated Cupra badge beneath the bonnet. The side profile adds further drama with wheel-arch fins, sporty side skirts with winglets, and dedicated 19-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, splitters extend the bumper, iconic ABT lettering adorns the boot lid, and a new performance rear wing accentuates the upper proportions.
The ABT Custom Pack is just a styling pack, but it's reserved exclusively for the hottest 'VZ Extreme' Raval variant, which produces 225 hp to the front wheels.
READ: Cupra Raval VZ First Drive: Is This The EV Hot Hatch We've Been Waiting For?
Made in Barcelona
Like the rest of the Raval range, ABT Custom Pack editions will be assembled on Cupra Martorell's production line near Barcelona before shipping to customers.
How much and how to get one
For the UK market, Raval ABT Custom Pack order books open toward the end of November, with deliveries expected to start in late January. Final UK pricing is still to be confirmed; however, the ABT Custom Pack is expected to cost around £600 as an optional extra at the time of ordering.
Customers who have already ordered their Raval VZ can still add the ABT Custom Pack by speaking to their dealers before delivery.
Cupra continues to make waves
Cupra continues to do what many other car makers can only dream of: pushing forward as a lifestyle brand that happens to make cars, and adding an ABT Raval to the range is the perfect next step.
Chances are, we'll see many more Ravals on UK roads over the next 12 months, and I hope a good handful are specified with the ABT Custom Pack because it looks sublime.
words by John Marcar
photography by Cupra
