The Cupra Urban Rebel is due to go on sale in 2025 and could cost less than €30,000 while promising a driving range of 440 kilometres. Having made its debut as a race car concept last year, the Urban Rebel has shed its large wing and gained a set of rear doors to give a clearer view of how the compact EV will look when it enters production.
The five-door hatchback will be part of a trio of small EVs from the Volkswagen Group that will include models from VW and Skoda and will be produced in SEAT's factory in Martorell, on the outskirts of Barcelona.
While it remains a design concept for now, the Urban Rebel pictured in our gallery is said to be around 95 per cent finished. Like the Formentor crossover, the Urban Rebel features bodywork with sharp lines and a stance to emphasise its sporty nature. However, unlike the Cupra Born, the Urban Rebel will sit on a different version of the Volkswagen Group's modular MEB platform and utilise a front-wheel-drive setup. Cupra hasn't announced many technical details other than that there will be a 226hp electric motor capable of accelerating the hatch from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Battery size remains unconfirmed, though it is likely to have rapid DC charging rates of around 150kW.
The Urban Rebel's striking front is different to the Cupra Born's, featuring a new lighting design of three triangular headlights that will become the signature for all models in the brand's line-up. The sculpted front bumper includes an air curtain to improve the car's aerodynamics and reduce drag while simultaneously enhancing the car's stance and presence.
A line from the front wheel rises back through the car to join the C-pillar, giving the vehicle a very pronounced rear haunch. There is a floating roof line of sorts, with the blackened-out A-pillar producing a wraparound effect for the windscreen and side windows that resembles a helmet's visor.
The 21-inch wheels on the Urban Rebel concept could remain available as an option, but the standard car is more likely to run on 18- or 19-inch wheels.
Around the car's rear is the continuation of the new lighting signature for Cupra, with a pair of triangular taillights on each side, and the brand's logo illuminated at the centre. A split roof spoiler channels air through and over the rear window while airflow under the car exits through an extreme looking carbon fibre diffuser.
It remains more show car than production model on the inside, with a large floating touchscreen that is angled towards the driver. A fully digital instrument display relays information to the driver. Two smaller display screens emerge from each side when the Boost mode is engaged. Multifunction controls on the flat-bottomed steering wheel mimic a games console controller's with a plus-shaped directional control on the left and four individual round buttons on the right. An impressive floating centre console forms a design feature that includes a cupholder, extra storage areas and additional controls.
New material technologies inside the cabin include 3D knitting for the seats, 3D printing and greater use of recycled materials to make the car more sustainable.