Review of Cupra Born finds a classy European EV

Taking the electric vehicle step means being organised … we reviewed the Cupra Born and here’s what it costs to run versus the petrol Cupra Leon.

There are so many questions surrounding electric vehicles.

Queries primarily circle charging costs and how they compare with traditional combustion engine alternatives.

Those questions are obviously making many people nervous. While sales of EVs skyrocketed last year, they have plateaued in 2024 as many new car buyers seeking alternative fuels hedge their bets with hybrids.

Initial cost can no longer be blamed for slow sales as a surge of competition has seen asking prices drop.

A cluster of Chinese brands has seen bottom lines slashed, with the MG4 Electric currently $30,990 drive-away (with 350km range), GMW Ora $33,990 (310km) and the BYD Dolphin $38,335 (410km). And there is more to come, with Smart, Zeekr, Xpeng and Leapmotor coming Down Under.

With tariffs and security concerns engulfing Chinese EVs in the United States, the list of options is sure to increase in Australia.

And we’ll certainly be seeing more BYD (Build your Dreams) on the road. The marque has cut a deal with Uber which provides cut-price vehicles and cheap driver financing.

Among the brand newcomers which isn’t derived from China is Cupra. The Spanish marque comes under the Volkswagen umbrella and its EV offering is called the Born.

Using the same platform as the VW ID3, the Born starts from about $63,500 drive-away – about $9000 more than a base model Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel drive, which is one of Australia’s most popular EVs.

Our family put the Born under the cost and practicality microscope.

What do you get?

European flair reverberates throughout the Born cabin.

Interior copper features reflect the colouring of the 19-inch alloy wheels with highlights on the console, doors, air vents and steering wheel. Other gear includes a crisp 12-inch infotainment screen, suede-type finishes on the seats and console, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, keyless entry with push-button start, digital driver cockpit and dual-zone aircon.

There is a $2900 interior package which adds a nine-speaker Beats sound system, heated front bucket seats with massage function and two sports seats in the back rather than a three-seater bench.

A performance pack is $2600 and adds dynamic chassis control (which enables the driver to alter electrically adjustable dampers and steering) and 20-inch alloys with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber – but it also drops the total range to 475km.

Cupra is currently offering a 1.9% comparison rate deal until the end of December. So with a deposit of about $6350, the weekly repayments would be $225 and after three years the guaranteed future value is $24,250. Those heading down the finance route need to crunch the numbers.

Roadside assist and the warranty runs for five years and unlimited kilometres.

The Cupra Born cabin features a 12-inch infotainment screen, suede-type finishes on the seats and console, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging and keyless entry with push-button start.

How was the drive?

Numbers don’t say it all. The old-school 0-100km/h figure of seven seconds wouldn’t wow the boy-racers.

There is still some decent electric shove off the line – it will reach 50km/h in 2.8 seconds – the Born is more about the sum of its parts.

Beautifully weighted steering, the low centre of gravity and rear-wheel drive collectively deliver a brilliantly composed hatch.

While Cupra is derived from hot hatch fame, the Born is more warm hatch … Euro style and confidence.

Standard specification Borns come only with a Type 2 AC charging cable, so you’d have to invest in a home unit to replenish in the garage.

A home wall charger takes about seven hours to fully recharge.

During our test we spent some time at public chargers to analyse the results.

One coffee stop saw us use a 50kW system that cost 55c per kWh. It took 71 minutes to provide 47.2kWh of energy – bolstering range from 82km to 406km.

But the best option was a 75kW system costing 58c that pushed through 21.9kWh in 18 minutes – it delivered 1km of range every 8.3 seconds.

Using that as the basis, our average consumption of 16.2kW/h per 100km the Born would cost $9.39 for every 100km. Compare that to its sibling we drove recently, the Cupra Leon, and that could cost $11.96/100km with the $1.93 the national average price of unleaded.

Registration costs are less expensive in Queensland. Initial rego is $561 less than a combustion engine vehicle, while an annual renewal provides a saving of $61.

The Cupra Born electric hatch has a range of just over 510km.

Would you buy one?

Kel: Until the charging infrastructure catches up, you just need to be more organised to own an EV. One of the charging stations we used was near my gym, so if we didn’t fill up at home I could do it there without causing any inconvenience. The Born is a loveable EV. All my friends loved the rose gold (copper) wheels, and it drives beautifully … my only complaint was the weekly grocery shop spilt into the back seat.

Grant: Most people compare recharging to refuelling. Until super fast charging becomes standard, EV buyers need to rethink the way they fuel their vehicle. Home will be the easiest option, but ultimately we’ll be able to recharge while having coffee, going to the dog park, getting groceries – it will be everywhere. Our family could live with one without issue, and the Born is among the best combinations of Euro style and performance we’ve driven.