Design and Build

CUPRA says this Born was 'designed and developed in Barcelona' - which is poppycock of course: it's a restyled Volkswagen ID.3. And rolls down the same German Zwickau production line as its sister car, unlike CUPRA's other Iberian-built models. You can't deny though, that it's got a bit more flair, attitude and presence than its Wolfsburg cousin. It's been described as the 'scary big sister' to the ID.3. Maybe so. It's certainly a little bigger, something you may pick up from a profile perspective, the Born measuring in 61mm longer, though that still leaves it some way short of the upper mid-sized EV hatches and crossovers CUPRA also wants to target - Volkswagen ID.4 for instance, is 262mm lengthier. At the wheel, you get quite a different ambiance from the other compact VW Group EVs available at this price point - and quite an agreeable one. What is familiar is the futuristic feel: as with an ID.3 or a Skoda Enyaq, there's no need for a gear lever, an ignition slot or a handbrake. And, also as with those cars, there's a 12-inch centre monitor and a 5.3-inch 'Digital Cockpit' instrument screen attached to which is a gear selector, the whole binnacle moving up and down as you adjust the wheel. Otherwise, this Born sets itself apart with a darker vibe, a strange indented passenger-side dash finish, sustainably-sourced soft-touch surfaces and the usual CUPRA brand copper-coloured highlights, which here appear on the steering wheel, the vents, the seat stitching and frame the open part of the lower centre console. There's a surprising amount of room for two adults at the rear. And out back, there's a reasonable 385-litre boot, the same as an ID.3. Push everything forward and that extends to 1,267-litres.

Market and Model

For a CUPRA Born, at the time of this test in early 2024, the brand was asking in the £34,000 to £41,000 bracket for mainstream models. The availability of a smaller-battery 45kWh 150PS derivative would obviously make that entry-point price a little more affordable. There are three trim levels - 'V1', 'V2' or, as we tried, 'V3'. Above that in the range sits the high performance rear-driven BZ variant. Across the line-up, CUPRA offers a useful free 'EV&Me' app so that you can check out whether switching to an electric vehicle is right for you. From launch, the main powertrain option was the one we're trying here - a 58kWh battery mated to a 204PS electric motor. Avoid entry-level trim and you'll have the chance to pay for a couple of powertrain upgrades. Around £800 more gets you the 58kWh battery powering a perkier 230PS e-Boost electric motor; or around £3,600 more gets you the longer range of the larger 77kWh battery, which comes linked to that 230PS e-Boost motor. So if considering all of that has convinced you towards Born ownership, the decider might be a generous level of spec. Well, as you'd hope for this kind of spend, all variants come well equipped. There's LED headlights and tail lamps, auto headlamps and wipers, adaptive cruise control, Sport suspension, all-round parking sensors, keyless entry and a 'Drive Profile Selection' driving modes system with 'Range', 'Comfort', 'Performance' and 'Individual' settings - plus with the e-Boost electric motor, you get an extra 'CUPRA' mode. Inside every Born, expect to find a 5.3-inch 'Digital Cockpit' instrument binnacle screen, ambient lighting, a rear view camera, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and front sport bucket seats. Media's taken care of by a 12-inch centre Navigation display with an online voice assistant and all the usual smartphone-mirroring and EV features. Plus there's a 'CUPRA Connect' app so you can remotely interact with your Born, even when you're not with it.

Cost of Ownership

Most customers will probably choose the 58kWh 204PS package we're trying here, which offers up to 265.3 miles of driving range. Add in the 230PS e-Boost motor and that drops fractionally to a best of 262.2 miles. Stretch to a top derivative with the 77kWh battery and the range figure rises to 343 miles. The 79kWh BZ variant offers 353 miles. At the time of this Review, CUPRA hadn't confirmed whether it was going to import the base 45kWh 150PS model, but for reference, that variant offers up to 211 miles of driving range. As for charging, well for the 58kWh battery, charging from 0-100% takes 6 hours 15 minutes using an 11kW AC wall charger, but it can also be recharged from 5-80% using a 120kW DC rapid charger in just 35 minutes. The larger 77kWh battery can gain 62 miles of range in just 7 minutes if you happen to be using a 125kW charger, which can manage a 5 to 80% charge in 35 minutes. Customers will be offered a CUPRA-branded domestic wall box for home charging, which can be controlled using the company's 'Easy Charging' smart phone app. It's not only that your energy costs will be lower: you should also make savings in insurance, road tax and the fact that no oil changes are required. The Spanish maker says that its aim is to make sure that the battery pack lasts as long as the car and, sure enough, that battery pack is warrantied to have at least 70% of its usable capacity after eight years or 100,000 miles.

Summary

The decision to replace SEAT badges with CUPRA ones on this Born EV was interesting and says much about the VW Group's commitment to its sporting brand. Plus it also fits with this design's mildly dynamic vibe. Yes, in some ways it's a Volkswagen ID.3 in a track suit, but at the same time, it also offers something just a little different - and arguably more appealing. It's not as different from an ID.3 as CUPRA thinks it is; the Born's cause would have been helped in this regard if the brand has standardised the faster e-Boost motor and made that a unique selling point. But this car is more engaging to drive - and to our eyes more engaging to look at too. Do you really want to pay considerably more in this segment to get only slightly more space and fractionally more driving range? From an EV that almost certainly won't be as interesting at the wheel or look as good on your driveway? Such is the Born ultimatum. And we can understand if you found yourself tempted by it.