Abarth 500e vs Cupra Raval

The Abarth 500e costs £1,000 more than the Cupra Raval. For that premium it adds a 2.5s quicker 0-62mph time. The Cupra Raval is not just cheaper - it also offers 40 miles more WLTP range, 256 litres more boot space and 1 more seat (5 versus 4). On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Cupra Raval comes out ahead overall.

The Cupra Raval is £1,000 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £152 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Cupra Raval comes out roughly £1,120 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 137 miles for the Abarth 500e and 139 miles for the Cupra Raval - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 35 minutes in the Abarth 500e and 23 in the Cupra Raval, so the Cupra Raval loses less time at each stop.

The Abarth 500e is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 101 mm narrower than the Cupra Raval. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 717 mm of total clearance for the Abarth 500e and about 616 mm of total clearance for the Cupra Raval. The Abarth 500e also turns in a 1.5 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.