Cupra Born - TopCarNews

Cupra Born (2022 – present) | Expert Rating

Summary

The Cupra Born is an all-electric family-sized hatchback based on the Volkswagen ID.3, and the first EV to go on sale from SEAT’s performance-focused spin-off brand, Cupra.

The Born’s reception from the UK media has been very mixed – the hatchback has received plenty of praise for its sporty styling and practical interior, but a wide selection of reviewers have expressed their disappointment with the steering dynamics, pace and acceleration of the entry-level 45 kWh and mid-range 58 kWh Born models. Overall, it seems Cupra’s performance-orientated ethos is not too present in its first electric model.

Fitted with Cupra’s augmented reality head-up display, which projects graphics onto the car’s windscreen while you are driving, a more expensive and powerful 77 kWh version is planned to arrive in the UK sometime in the second half of 2022.

Described as “a mildly entertaining ID.3” by The Telegraph, publications such as Car, Carwow and Parkers find the Born hard to recommend over its cheaper Volkswagen sister model, despite its exterior styling and interior improvements, in what Autocar calls an “awkward moment” for the Cupra brand.

Dismissing the Cupra Born’s ID.3 roots, The Sun conversely points out out that this five-door hatchback offers a much cheaper all-electric alternative to the popular Tesla Model 3, and The Sunday Times concludes that, should you not be too bothered by performance, the Cupra Born is a “superb electric car with a useful real-world driving range”.

In isolation, the all-electric Born is an impressive family car, but for drivers expecting hot hatch performance rivalling the similarly-priced Cupra Leon, it is likely to disappoint. “A very competent electric hatchback”, Top Gear concludes, “but not quite the EV hot hatch we expected from Cupra.”

As of January 2022, the Cupra Born holds an Expert Rating of 71%, based on 15 reviews published by the British media. This is a brand new model, and therefore, we expect to see a large number of UK-based reviews being published in coming months, which could push the rating up or down by a few points.

Born highlights

Competitive battery range
Spacious and practical interior
Attractive exterior looks
Low running costs
Good levels of equipment as standard

Born lowlights

Performance does not match the sporty looks
Fiddly touch-sensitive buttons
No four-wheel drive models
Not as fun to drive as the Cupra Leon
Hard to recommend over the Volkswagen ID.3

Key specifications

Body style: Medium hatchbackEngines: electric motor, battery-powered
Price: From £33,735 on-road

Launched: Spring 2022Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Cupra Born is the sportier twin of the fully electric Volkswagen ID.3.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Score: 9 / 10
“The Cupra Born takes Seat’s sporting brand into the electric age in fine style while being a sharper drive than the VW ID.3 on which it is based.”

Autocar

Model reviewed: Born 58kWh V2Score: 7 / 10“To drive, I think the Born doesn’t have too much to fear from anything else in its nearby classes. I would like this car a lot. If only it were less annoying to use.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“It’s claiming to be the emotional one of the VW Group, but the drive experience can’t back up the jazzier looks and doesn’t feel vastly different from its ID 3 sibling. Does that make it a bad car? Certainly not. But does that give any reason to buy a Cupra over an ID 3? That’s where it gets more awkward for the Spanish brand.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: Born 58kWh V2Score: 8 / 10“In isolation, the Cupra Born is an impressive bit of kit. Stylish, with more than enough power for urban environments, it also feels a touch sporty when you get past the city limits. The interior is solid too, and it’s competitive on paper too. But in standard 45kWh or 58kWh trims, it’s hard to justify buying it over the VW ID.3.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Cupra Born is a spacious electric hatchback with a practical interior and strong electric performance. For a supposedly sporty car it isn’t a huge amount of fun to drive, though.”
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Driving Electric

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“More adventurous styling and a better-quality interior help set the Spanish brand’s first electric car apart from the Volkswagen ID.3 it’s based on.”
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Electrifying.com

Model reviewed: Score: 9 / 10“The ID.3’s feistier Spanish stablemate looks perfect for those who prefer a sportier drive.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview“The El-Born gets an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display – as seen in the Volkswagen ID 3 – and full connectivity. It also gets sports bucket seats and the new CUPRA steering wheel with mode buttons and high-quality.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6.6 / 10“As an out-and-out hot hatch, the Cupra Born is just not fast or fun enough to recommend. And as an electric car, the VW ID.3 is more sensible and the Tesla Model 3 offers better range plus access to its Supercharger network.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: Born 58kWh V2“If you don’t want to stab the accelerator mid-apex to look like a hooligan, then the Born darts from corner to corner with composure, and before you know it, you’re having fun in an electric car which isn’t made by Tesla or costs £60,000-plus.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Combined with a more striking design and quality of interior finish, it has an edge over its closest rival, the Volkswagen ID.3. Even if you aren’t fussed by its on-road performance capabilities the Born is a superb electric car with a useful real-world driving range, and a modern and roomy interior.”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 58kWh 204hpScore: 6 / 10“As a mildly entertaining ID.3, the Cupra Born just about passes muster. As a hot hatchback, however, it really doesn’t cut the mustard. There’s too much weight and size here to qualify, the steering isn’t as sharp as you’d want it and the damping feels clumsy and not at all like SEAT’s go-faster team’s normal efforts.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“A very competent electric hatchback, but not quite the EV hot hatch we expected from Cupra.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 10 / 10“The Cupra Born takes all the good bits from the class-leading Volkswagen ID.3 and adds a slightly more polished interior and an upgraded infotainment system.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

As of January 2022, the Cupra Born has not been crash tested by Euro NCAP. If and when it is put through its paces by Euro NCAP, we will publish the results here.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Cupra Born has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Cupra Born has received

2022

What Car? Awards – Best Small Electric Car

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