Priced at 37,400 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever Cupra Born is basically a Volkswagen ID.3 that consumed too much Sangria Rosa and then turned into its Spanish equivalent. Unlike the ID.3 it was based on, the Born's styling is surprisingly wild and tangy for an electric hatchback. There is a well-known tidbit that it was heavily inspired from the Seat el-Born Concept but because Cupra is now a brand and part of the Volkswagen Group, the el-Born Concept from Seat became known today as the Cupra Born, much like when the Volvo 40.2 Concept turned into a Polestar 2 without the Volvo connection.
While the exterior is cyberpunk-esque for a hatchback, the interior is like a darker version of the ID.3, although the minimalist interior only appeals to Gen Z customers because of its touch-screen setup and lack of buttons. Futuristic indeed but still, it fits up to five people and the boot space is from 385L to 1267L, which is similar to the Volkswagen ID.3 of course.
At launch, the Born is equipped with a 58kWh battery pack that produces 204PS of power, 310Nm of torque, a 0-100kph time of 7.3 seconds, and 160kph of top speed. Slower than Japanese cars but it fits well to the high-performance car class. As for range, it's good for 424km in one full charge based on WLTP standards and it will take about 6 1/4 hours to fully charge at home or 80% in 35 minutes while charged at public. By 2022, the Born will be joined by the lesser 45 kWh variant and the more powerful 77kWh with e-Boost Pack. Engage the e-Boost button and it will produce 231PS of power. Simple.
In terms of dynamics, being a rear-wheel-drive car that weighs almost two and a half tons, the Born behaves like a hot hatch but in a mild and tangy way as expected. It has spartan driving manners just like a normal Porsche 911 as such and believe it or not, driving one is a piece of cake, thank you MEB platform and aluminum bodywork.
In terms of safety, the Born features a wide array of safety features such as Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Side and Exit Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Emergency Assist, and Pre-Crash Assist.
The Cupra Born truly is a Volkswagen ID.3 that consumed too much Sangria Rosa and with its cyberpunk-esque exterior design, minimalist interior fit for Gen Z, space, electric powertrain, and spartan driving manners, the Born is the go-to electric hatchback you want to drive.
Photo: Cupra