Can the Cupra Born usher in a new all-electric era for the hot hatch?
Looks, we’re told, aren’t everything. But if the number of people casting admiring glances at the Cupra Born right now are anything to go by, the first all-electric car to come from the sporty Spanish brand is off to a good start.
It’s based on the humble Volkswagen ID.3, and from some angles they do look very similar, yet the overall effect is tauter and more muscular on the Cupra. Named after Barcelona’s fashionable El Born district, it strikes a fine balance between futuristic lines and traditional hot hatch swagger.
INSIDE
The good news continues inside – at least aesthetically. Cupra’s trademark bronze accents, good quality materials and some snazzy ambient lighting certainly give it more presence than the slightly dour Volkswagen.
It shares the same minimalist design ethos, with no conventional buttons whatsoever. Instead, you control everything via the central touchscreen or a set of touchpads on the steering wheel. There’s no doubt that this de-clutters the cabin, but it makes simple tasks like changing the heater settings needlessly distracting. Even the electric window controls seem to be wilfully unconventional – instead of getting one button for each window there are two switches and then a touchpad to toggle whether they control the front or rear windows.
In other respects, though, it’s a good cabin. The Born is one of the smaller electric cars on the market, and yet there’s plenty of room for adults to get comfortable in the back, plus a decent-sized boot.
HOW IT DRIVES
Cupra offers two battery sizes, 77kWh or 58kWh. We’ve gone for the smaller option, which comes with a slightly less powerful 204PS motor. According to the trip computer, we had a real-world range of 203 miles on a full charge, but the larger battery will give you considerably more. Even so, we managed three days of local driving before the thought even occurred to plug it in.
The Cupra is impressively quiet, even by electric car standards, and you surf along on a wave of easy-going torque. It’s not as obscenely fast as some performance EVs, but the instant punch from the rear-mounted electric motor is at least as strong as the Born’s 7.3 second 0-to-62mph time would imply. Driven briskly, it feels fast and agile, with huge reserves of grip that allow you to cover ground at an impressive pace.
But push harder and that final level of engagement that marks out a true hot hatch isn’t quite there. The weight of the batteries – skilfully masked at lower speeds – starts to show, the steering could do with a bit more feel, and the stability control rapidly intervenes if it thinks that you’re having too much fun. None of this is really an issue during day-to-day driving, but it does feel a little at odds with the Cupra’s sporty image and its noticeably firm ride.
FINAL SAY
Traditional hot hatches – not least Cupra’s own Leon – still have the upper hand when it comes to driver involvement. But if you’re looking to go electric, the Born’s appealing combination of style, practicality and performance help it to stand out from the crowd.
SPEC AND TECH
Price: Cupra Born 58kWh V3, £38,995 as tested (range from £34,660)
Powertrain: 204PS, single motor, rear-wheel drive, 58kWh battery
Performance: 0 to 62mph in 7.3 seconds; top speed 99mph
Efficiency: 3.45 to 4.01 mi/kWh (claimed)
Range: 250 miles (claimed)
