Cupra Born Review | Should you buy one in 2022?

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 Autumn 2022, the brand was asking in the £35,000 to £40,000 bracket. 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 in this case, 'V3'. An 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.

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[robhallam]

Have one (V3) and love it!! It did fail after a few weeks where there was no drive but after recovery it "fixed itself" and hasn't missed a beat since. My colleague also has a V2 which had battery failure after 3 days leaving her stranded on a dark high speed country lane where I had to go to her and also call the police to ensure there wasn't an accident as she was on a blind bend. Still waiting for confirmation from Seat as to when they can assess the battery as there are limited facilities in the UK able to test and fix/replace batteries. A third colleague also has a V2 which has had no issues whatsoever.

[TellyMan]

nice born ultimatiam 7:37 call back to the Bourne movies

[Calocarv]

Will buy it when they offer windscreen wipers for right hand drive

[mindful-man-]

I had a really bad experience with mine. Endless software issues (heating turning on randomly, cruise distance resetting, and 13 other repeating problems), poor user experience on the infotainment (as per VW ID3), bad rattles, and in the end the charging flap stuck so I couldn't charge it. Got my money back and gave up on EVs (the Fiat 500e was pretty poor and the i3 before that was unfixable by BMW).

[qwi]

Never buy anything First Gen. I will buy it when the next generation comes.

[bondjamesbond]

No you should not buy one. Too expensive, weird styling in any case should steer clear from VW group cars until they have fully compensated customers that were caught up in diesel gate.