Born again
£35,000 est
FOR Sharper styling, more expensive feeling than an ID.3
AGAINST Not enough speed or drama to be a hot hatch
It’s been a long time coming, the Cupra Born. In fact, we first saw it as the Seat el Born concept way back in March 2019, so why the brand change?
Well, if it had been Born a Seat – ahem – it would have had to be slightly cheaper than an ID.3. If you’ve sat in a lower-spec ID.3 and poked some of the cheap plastics, you’ll know that the VW has already been built on a budget. It’s all to do with battery costs and profit margins being much tighter for EVs. As a Cupra, the VW Group can price the Born slightly higher than an ID.3 – charging a little bit more for some sharper design and a touch more sportiness. Apparently.
There’ll be four different iterations of the Born from launch, with the most powerful pair being offered with the ‘e-Boost performance pack’. Tick that box and the rear-mounted electric motor is able to produce a maximum of 228bhp for up to 30 seconds under full throttle, and you can combine your extra power with a 77kWh battery for max range (335 miles and 0–62mph in 7.0secs) or with the Born’s mid-sized 58kWh unit for its quickest 0–62mph sprint (6.6secs and around 260 miles of range).
However, so far we’ve only driven what will probably be the bestseller when the Born makes it to the UK – the 201bhp, 58kWh spec without e-Boost or the optional adaptive suspension – and in this form you’d need to be a stickler for detail to spot much of a difference between the Cupra and its German sibling. They’re very similar, despite the Spaniard getting slightly wider tyres and suspension that’s 15mm lower on the front axle and 10mm at the rear.
The Born is a long way from the all-electric hot hatch we wanted it to be, and we’re not sure a temporary power boost could transform that. There’s no drama to the power delivery and no playfulness in twisty stuff. It’s not sluggish, but the brake pedal is spongy and it’s so quiet and composed that it doesn’t quite meet Cupra’s claims of “electrifying performance”.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s very good. The RWD layout and low-mounted battery pack mean it turns in sharply, has a neat turning circle and limits body roll well, while the more expensive purchase price compared with an ID.3 means you get more premium feeling materials inside.
Think of the Born as a more upmarket VW alternative with copper detailing and a sharp snout, then. We’ll have to wait for the twinmotor, 4WD version to experience a proper Golf R/Cupra Leon rival.