Cupra reveals Born price for Australia

This European contender beats the best-selling Model 3 for both range and price, promising to shake up the electric car scene when it arrives.

David McCowen

less than 2 min read

December 16, 2022 - 2:28PM

Electric cars are becoming more affordable.

The new Cupra Born electric hatchback will have a $59,990 price tag when it arrives in March, becoming the first electric car to combine 500-plus kilometre range with a price tag that starts with the number five.

The Cupra Born electric car reaches showrooms in March.

Based on Volkswagen’s ID. 3, the Cupra Born does not share its platform or structure with combustion-powered vehicles, a quality that separates it from many sub-$100,000 electric cars.

The Born sends 170kW to the rear wheels through a rear-mounted electric motor that frees up the front end to focus on steering and stopping the car.

Cupra has been testing the Born electric car in NSW.

Capable of sprinting to 100km/h in seven seconds flat, the Born is billed as an electric hot hatch, though it has less power than the VW Golf GTI and weighs about half a tonne more.

Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks said it was important for the brand to deliver similar range and performance figures to the Tesla Model 3 at a more attractive price.

The Cupra Born has a high-tech cabin.

“We wanted the Cupra Born to arrive with pricing that bests comparable BEVs [battery electric vehicles], but most importantly is comparable to the hot hatchbacks that Australians love and really engage with,” he said.

“To combine a long 500km-plus EV range with instant electric performance, and controllable dynamics through the sharp steering and rear-wheel-drive chassis places the Cupra Born in an exclusive part of the market.”

Unlike most electric hatchbacks, the Born is rear-wheel-drive.

Australian examples are loaded with a good degree of equipment as standard, including a digital dashboard and central touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, wireless charging, a 360-degree camera and dual-zone climate control.

Customers who want more can choose a $2900 interior package adding heated front seats with a massaging function, along with suede-like interior trim and a nine-speaker Beats stereo.

The Born is based on Volkswagen’s ID.3.

A $2600 performance package delivers adaptive suspension and swaps standard 19-inch wheels for wider 20-inch rims with low-profile Michelin performance tyres that reduce claimed range to 475km.

Both option packages make the car a four-seat proposition – the standard model has accommodation for five.