5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE...
CUPRA BORN
A handful of facts about the ID.3’s Spanish cousin, and Cupra’s first full EV 1 THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT POWER AND BATTERY COMBINATIONS
The Born is being positioned as the world’s first production electric hot hatch, although the entry level 45kWh model only gets 148bhp and 211 miles of range. The 58kWh version can be combined with either 201bhp or 228bhp.
2 YOU’LL BE ABLE TO BUY A LONG-RANGE VERSION
Go for the most powerful 228bhp setup and you can also combine it with a hefty 77kWh battery pack. The result is 335 miles of range (compared with 260 miles for the 58kWh). The extra weight will cost you 0.4secs on your quest to 62mph, but it also unlocks faster 125kW charging.
3 THERE’LL BE FOUR DRIVE MODES
All Borns use a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive layout and Cupra says it’ll get the typical EV low centre of gravity, as well as “almost perfect” 50:50 weight distribution. For the full modern day hot hatch experience, there’ll also be four drive modes; Range, Comfort, Individual and the full-fat Cupra mode.
4 THE INTERIOR IS RECYCLED
No, we don’t just mean that all the bits from an ID.3 have had their VW badges scratched off (although that is primarily the case). The standard Born buckets are made from recycled marine plastics, while the upgrade option uses old T-shirts and plastic bottles. It’s all part of Cupra’s promise that each car will be delivered net CO2 neutral.
5 IT WON’T NICK SALES FROM SEAT
As you know, what is now the Born was once the Seat El-Born concept. We still don’t know whether Seat is planning its own MEB-based hatch, but Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths doesn’t think buyers cross-shop: “Seat buyers are young, entry level buyers. Cupra buyers want something unique and standout.”