The IAA Munich show signaled the Volkswagen Group’s intentions to introduce entry-level electric vehicles. Both the VW ID. Life and Cupra UrbanRebel will be launched as production EVs in 2025, but in a rather unexpected twist, the Spanish model will cost significantly more than its German cousin. The ID. Life is going to start at around 20,000 euros whereas the equivalent Cupra will retail from 25,000 euros.
Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths explained the reasoning behind this decision at the IAA show, saying the road-going UrbanRebel “will be priced higher because we want it to be positioned between the mass and the premium segments.” He went on to mention the production version arriving in roughly four years’ time will largely retain the look of the showcar from Munich.
As a refresher, the UrbanRebel is 4,080 mm long, 1,795 mm wide, and 1,444 mm tall. Much like the VW ID. Life, it rides on a shortened version of the MEB platform that is also expected to underpin an affordable Skoda EV, potentially called Elroq. Logic tells us the Czech model will be the cheapest of VW Group’s entry-level EVs, meaning it could cost below 20,000 euros.
It is widely believed there won’t be a SEAT-badged version, just a Cupra model, which is rumored to go by the name of Acandra for the production model. The concept featured an electric motor with a continuous output of 335 horsepower and a peak output of nearly 430 hp, giving it a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint time of just 3.2 seconds.
It goes without saying the production car won’t be this exciting in terms of performance, but it should be among the sportiest small EVs to date when it launches in 2025. The new model will slot below the recently launched Cupra Born, a more athletic version of the VW ID.3 compact electric hatch.
Source: Automotive News Europe
