Cupra Born review finds hatch looks faster than it is

The Cupra Born all-electric vehicle doesn’t quite live up to the European family’s hot hatch hype

The Cupra Born is a great looking hatch with a range of more than 500km. Add the performance pack with larger wheels and that drops to 470km.

Without doubt, the Matildas captured the hearts of Australia this year.

From relative anonymity the players have become household names. One of the team’s sponsors is hoping to achieve a similar feat.

Cupra has been in the Australian market for more than a year but the brand from Barcelona remains a mystery for most Down Under.

Many car aficionados will remember Seat, the Spanish budget brand popular in Europe that was sold here briefly in the ’90s. Cupra is the hatch spin-off. While Seat sales have declined overseas, Cupra has emerged from the shadows and created a niche following with both marques now under the Volkswagen umbrella.

Sitting in the realm between bargain-basement and luxury, Cupra’s marketing gurus say their buyers are sophisticated, looking for quality and innovation, yet still love to drive. The Cupra ethos is: “We aren’t here to be liked by everyone. We want to be loved by some.”

Its halo battery electric car, the Born (named after a funky Barcelona suburb), quickly found an audience with the initial allocation of 400 sold without a test drive.

With a range of about 500km and racy looks, more of the EVs have now arrived and depending on specification and colour, the wait time is only a few weeks.

Drive-away prices for the Born start from just below $65,000, which is just about identical to the rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3, while a Polestar 2 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 is closer to $70k.

Interior features of the Cupra Born.

What do you get?

The tech-savvy will appreciate the wireless phone charging, smartphone mirroring apps (which has to be plugged into the USB-C slot for operation), 12-inch central touchscreen and a 5.3-inch digital driver display.

Our test car also came with the $2600 performance package, which adds 20-inch alloys shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber, dynamic suspension and two sports chairs in the back replacing the three-seater bench.

To get heated front seats with electric adjustment (and a massage function) it’s part of a $2900 interior package, which also comes with the upgraded rear bucket seats and a nine-speaker Beats sound system.

Warranty coverage meets the industry standard of five years and unlimited kilometres, while the lithium-ion battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

Servicing over five years is about $500 cheaper than an internal combustion engine.

With a maximum charging speed of 170kW, a fast charger would take the Born from 10 to 80 per cent capacity in about 25 minutes. A home wallbox would replenish the battery from near empty to full in about 11 hours, while a standard power point would take nearly 36 hours.

Cupra’s battery electric Born.

How was the drive?

From the moment you step inside it’s a different experience.

There’s no start or stop button – seat sensors know when you’re inside and when you’ve departed – and the gear selector is a massive toggle on the right-hand side of the dash.

Then you put your foot down. Far from the typical electric whoosh, it’s more silent sedation.

Cupra was derived as the hot hatches from Seat and the Born has been billed as the hero vehicle of the next generation. Yet it’s slower in a sprint than its combustion engine sibling, the Leon.

The acceleration response is punchy enough, just more lukewarm than hot hatch.

Find some twisty stuff and it’s where things get interesting. Adept and well balanced, the Born delivers confident changes in direction with impressive grip and poise.

Steering wheel controls for the radar cruise control and infotainment are different … combining pressing and sliding with haptic feedback. It’s somewhat weird and challenging to initially get your head around.

The Cupra Born has a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds.

Would you buy one?

Kel: Spectacular looks and great handling, I didn’t mind the fact it wasn’t neck-snapping fast off the line. Getting used to the operational quirks took some time but I liked just about everything the Born had to offer – although I’d want the interior pack to gain the heated seats and better stereo.

Grant: Impressive pricing adds to the allure of the Born. With a range surpassing 500km (without the performance pack), it undercuts Tesla’s Model 3 for a rear-wheel drive – and it looks vastly better than the Musk offering. I’d still like more punch off the line to at least be closer to the five-second mark for 0-100km/h, but I’d still be happy with this package courtesy of the looks, dynamics and range.