The new Cupra Born is Cupra's, which used to be Seat's sporting division, second standalone car, it’s also the first to be powered exclusively by electricity. If that’s not enough to grab your interest, it’s also the first rear-wheel drive model.
For the savvy amongst you, you will notice immediately the Cupra Born bears many a resemblance to a Volkswagen ID.3. So, given the base they were given, has Cupra been able to supply the right amount of excitement, and could this be the first all-electric hot hatch?
It’s fair to say the new Cupra Born is a proper looker. It might share a platform with the VW ID.3, but the Cuprification results are striking to say the least. The Born looks less-appliance-like than its more mundane sibling. Cupra’s bronze highlights and full LED lighting work well and unlike the ID.3, there’s no unsightly black band beneath the windscreen. So what else is different I hear you say? Well, asthetics aren't the be all and end all of the Born. Theres some changes under the surface too; the Born has a quicker ‘progressive’ steering rack than the ID.3 and lowered suspension as standard (15mm at front and 10mm at the rear). The way the Cupra applies its power to the road is different too. It’s has wider 235 section performance tyres, less restrictive stability control and a different tune for the optional adaptive dampers. The Born is available with just two battery sizes in the UK, 58kWh and 77kWh. You won’t find the ID.3’s smallest 45kWh battery nor its least powerful motor here, so range is at the very least 261 miles for the 58kWh eBoost model, rising to 340 miles for the 77kWh version.
Just like similar modes we’ve seen on VW Group cars, eBoost offers a small power increase but only does so if parameters such as temperature and available charge fall into perfect alignment.
On winding roads, Cupra’s engineering tweaks are very noticeable: The Born’s quicker rack means it feels much better through long bends and hairpins than the ID.3. As with many electric cars the brakes take some getting used to, depending on the amount of regen the car wants.
The Cupra Born is definitely an impressive bit of kit. Stylish, with more than enough power for suburban environments, it feels sporty when you get out onto the open roads and the interior is solid, plus it’s competitive on price. Our verdict is, give one a test drive straight after a test drive of the iD-3, you might be surprised!
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