New Cupra Born electric car tipped for Australian launch

Some of the world’s biggest car makers are holding off selling a certain type of vehicle in Australia, but a new upstart is set to challenge all that.

There’s an EV hot hatch on the way from Cupra, the new Spanish car brand arriving here in about May next year. Named Born, the five-door is a sporty version of the ID. 3, a relatively affordable VW-made EV Australians cannot currently buy.

The Born won’t be part of the three-model launch line-up for Australia, but a local Cupra spokesman says the plan is to get it as soon as possible. “With Born, it’s not a question of if, but when”.

Curpa is a new brand that is launch in Australia in the next 12 months.

Cupra is a sub-brand of the VW Group-owned Spanish car maker Seat. From September the Born will roll out of the same German factory that’s been producing the ID. 3 since late last year.

VW Group Australia, which handles sales and support of VW, Skoda, Audi, and soon Cupra, says head office in Germany is reluctant to export its latest EVs to Australia. The problem is the lack of Federal Government policies to encourage their adoption.

The Cupra Corn is based on the VW ID. 3 electric hatchback.

While State governments are beginning to introduce EV incentives, it’s not certain these will be enough to bring the ID. 3, and the compact ID. 4 SUV closely related to it, to Australia.

“VGA has made immediate use of the NSW Government’s progressive EV Strategy in our discussions with the factory,” says company spokesman, Paul Pottinger.

“Even so, markets with binding, national emissions targets are prioritised with production.”

So the Cupra Born may be the only way for Australians to access the VW Group’s most up-to-date mainstream EV tech.

Unlike the ID. 3, Cupra is confident on bringing the Born to Australia in the near future.

In Europe the Born will be sold with power outputs up to 170kW and battery capacities up to 77kWh, delivering 0-100km/h acceleration in a snappy 6.6 seconds and a driving range of more than 500km.

The suspension of the Born is set up for sportier handling than the ID.3. While the Cupra shares some body panels with the VW EV, design changes inside and out give it a sharper visual character.

Cupra is making electrified vehicles a focus of its Australia range.

Cupra seems determined to put electric and electrified driving at the core of its push into Australia. Plug-in hybrid models will top the ranges of two of the three models due to arrive in the second quarter of 2022.

The Formentor, the first car purpose-designed to be a Cupra, is a compact crossover similar in size to the VW Tiguan, but lower. The Leon is a Seat-designed five-door hatch that’s closely related to the latest VW Golf.

While both will be sold with turbo 2.0-litre petrol engines with three power outputs, the most costly versions will feature 180kW plug-in hybrid setups combining a turbo 1.4-litre engine and six-speed dual-clutch auto teamed with an 85kW electric motor and 12.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

The electric driving range of the Formentor is a little more than 50km, while the Leon can cover up to 65km

This is the latest-generation of small-car PHEV tech from the VW Group. It’s been producing PHEV versions of big-selling models like the Golf for years, but these never made it to Australia.

Cupra’s next car, again a design specifically for the brand, will be another EV. Previewed in show-car form, the Tavascan is a sleek SUV due to go into production in 2024.

Originally published as New Cupra Born electric car tipped for Australian launch