The CUPRA Born
The CUPRA Born
A new era for CUPRA has begun with the production of its first all-electric car, the CUPRA Born.
Produced at the Zwickau plant in Germany, the Volkswagen Group's first production plant for 100% electric vehicles is considered the largest and most efficient electric vehicle factory in Europe.
With a daily output of up to 1,400 vehicles, the German plant has an annual production capacity of around 330,000 electric cars. In addition to the CUPRA Born, four other models, the Volkswagen ID.3, the Volkswagen ID.4, the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, are produced at the plant.
The Born's overall body shape is almost identical to that of the ID.3 — being 4,322mm long, 1,809mm wide and 1,537mm tall. Plus, with a wheelbase of 2,767mm, the CUPRA’s dimensions are close to those of the Volkswagen — the Born does have some noticeable, aggressive styling details.
Racier lines can be seen at the front of the CUPRA, where its sharp LED headlights and pointed front-end combine to resemble something close to the nose of a shark. Meanwhile, the slim grille and large bumper intake have been designed to channel air towards the EV’s radiator to help keep the battery cool.
And while the EV has eye-catching, slightly wild alloy wheel designs — a choice of six designs are available, from 18 inches to 20 inches in diameter.
Pretty impressive. While the Volkswagen has a 10-inch central infotainment touchscreen, the CUPRA increases that to 12 inches, along with an augmented reality head-up display. There’s also a fully digital gauge cluster and touch-sensitive icons controlling the major convenience functions. As you would expect, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included, with the CUPRA Connect app used as a hub for all connectivity functions. And while the centre console of the ID.3 falls away from the dashboard, in the CUPRA it actually rises up to meet the dash.
The bucket seats on the CUPRA are offered with two upholstery options. The first is a microfibre cloth, the second is a yarn from eco-friendly company, Seaqual; the latter uses plastic waste trawled from the oceans.
The entry-level 148bhp version, fitted with a 45kWh battery, is claimed to deliver 211 miles on a single charge and cover 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds. Next up is the 58kWh battery, which produces 201bhp and claims to run for 260 miles, with 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds.
The current range-topper produces 228bhp, with the option of either a 58kWh or 77kWh battery. Interestingly, the Volkswagen ID.3 doesn’t currently include the 228bhp option. With the Cupra Born, opt for the 77kWh battery and Cupra says you’ll have a range of 335 miles. The most powerful version will also cover 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.
Thinking of making the switch to electric?
According to CUPRA, if you use a 125kW fast charger, the largest battery can gain 62 miles of range in seven minutes; leave it plugged into the same fast charger and a 5%-80% recharge takes 35 minutes. Also available for home charging is a bespoke, CUPRA-branded domestic wallbox. This can be controlled using the firm’s new Easy Charging smartphone app.
Safety is, of course, paramount. As always in modern day cars, there’s a suite of active safety systems fitted as standard. Included in the package are emergency assist and pre-crash assist, predictive adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and travel assist. Options include a top-view camera and intelligent parking assist, plus high-beam assistance.
The CUPRA Born is the brand's first model to follow a net CO2-neutral concept, whereby energy from renewable sources is used in the supply chain. CUPRA, meanwhile, plan on becoming a fully electric brand by 2030.
