CUPRA Raval: SEAT & CUPRA Prepare for 2026 Production

SEAT & CUPRA CEO Markus Haupt says the electric CUPRA Raval enters final pre-series validation in Martorell ahead of its 2026 production launch.

For SEAT & CUPRA, 2026 is shaping up to be more than just another model year. The company is preparing to complete a major industrial transformation with the start of series production of the CUPRA Raval — the first fully electric car to be built at the Martorell plant, and a vehicle positioned to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the brand.

According to SEAT & CUPRA CEO Markus Haupt, the company has entered what he describes as a historic phase, with Martorell becoming the centrepiece of its push into European urban electromobility. The factory is now approaching the final stretch before full production begins, moving through the “series 0” stage — the last step in industrialisation where processes and quality standards are validated before volume manufacturing.

The scale of the transformation at Martorell is substantial. SEAT & CUPRA has adapted nearly 160,000 square metres of the site specifically for electric vehicle production. Production Line 1 has been renovated, the body shop has been expanded with around 1,000 new robots, and the company has installed 60 component stamping dies, including the new PXL press. As part of the work on the upcoming model family, four new body colours have also been developed.

One of the most visible upgrades is a newly launched 600-metre automated bridge connecting the battery system assembly plant — inaugurated in December — with the main assembly line. Positioned around five metres above the ground, the system is designed to ensure a continuous and efficient flow of battery packs directly to the production line, reinforcing the logistics backbone needed for high-volume EV manufacturing.

The CUPRA Raval is not arriving in isolation. SEAT & CUPRA is leading the development cluster for the Volkswagen Group Brand Group Core’s new family of urban electric cars, which will include four models across three brands. Under the current plan, the CUPRA Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo will be produced in Martorell, while the Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID. Cross will be built at Volkswagen Navarra.

The project highlights Spain’s growing role within Volkswagen Group’s industrial EV strategy. More than 90 suppliers and 110 production plants are involved in the ecosystem, and the country accounts for around 70% of the awarded material costs for the programme. To support the transition, SEAT & CUPRA and Volkswagen Navarra teams have already completed over 560,000 hours of training as electrification becomes embedded across operations.

With the countdown to production now underway, the company describes Martorell as a future-proof facility — a flexible plant capable of producing fully electric models alongside hybrids and efficient combustion vehicles for different Volkswagen Group brands. If the final ramp-up proceeds as planned, the launch of the CUPRA Raval could signal not only a turning point for the brand, but also a broader shift in how Spain positions itself in Europe’s next generation of mass-market mobility.