LAOIS MOTORING:   New Cupra Born delivers more for the keen driver

Cupra is a sister brand of Seat which most will know is part of the VW empire.

The Cupra brand hopes to offer buyers a more sporty driving experience than other offerings from VAG. It’s not a Seat with a sporty theme but rather a brand in itself that  offers unique cars with sporting overtones.

The new Cupra Born EV is a car designed with driving pleasure in mind while retaining the practicalities of a hatchback. All its underpinnings are actually those of the VW iD3 so if you notice a strong resemblance that is why.

So has it any street cred?

Absolutely! It's a cracking looking car and if the amount of admiring looks it got from passers by is anything to go by its a winner in the beauty stakes. Lots of angles, an imposing sharp looking front end with a raked roofline and rear diffuser give it a purposeful stance. The big 20 inch alloys and copper detailing on the car look great too.

What’s it like inside?

Unlike the unique and individual exterior much of the basics of the cabin will be familiar to VW iD3 owners. The devil is in the detail however with gorgeous Cupra bucket seats with integrated headrests, mood lighting and their claimed party piece a huge 12” central touchscreen.

Here for me is where they have lost the plot. Its massive, distracting and very fiddly to use despite the touch sensitive base that allows you change temperature by sliding your finger over the control…….also fiddly when driving, give us buttons! I’m also not a fan of the small digital driver display some of the digits are tiny.

Surely that should take precedence of that huge central touchscreen. That aside I  like the interior. Quality is to the fore and the whole package feels just right. There is a host of standard kit too. A list too long for here.

The interior is roomy with loads of head and legroom both front and rear and the boot is a decent size too.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Cupra Born e-boost on test comes with a 58kWh battery producing 231 bhp combined with an electric motor which drives the rear wheels. The Born feels quick and the rear drive set up does make it feel a bit more involving to drive but only just. It is no “hot hatch”.  

The 0 to 100km/h takes a claimed 7 seconds while top speed is claimed to be 160km/h.

Range was a bit off from claimed 420km. From a 100% charge the display showed a range of 314km I got closer to 280km driving sensibly I may add!

Road tax is €120.00

What’s it like to drive?

From the flat bottomed steering wheel to the selectable steering wheel mounted drive modes it all feels very much designed for the driver. On the open road it does perform very well. It handles better than you expect. That rear wheel drive system puts the power down to the tarmac very efficiently.

Is it a car you will get into and drive just for the hell of it? I think you would.  Is it a car that doubles up as the compact transport but offers the driver a bit more involvement? Absolutely!

My Verdict?

The Cupra Born range starts at €48,110. The Born e-boost costs from €52,295. 

I like it’s attempt to be a bit different and it deserves praise for offering a driving experience that is a bit more involving than the VW iD3 upon which it is based.

Overall then the new Cupra Born is an appealing newcomer and well worth a closer look.