Cupra Australia has confirmed additional supply for its Born hatchback, which it says is off to a roaring start in the sales charts despite cars only just landing in the country this month.
The spanish VW Group spin-off said: “Response to the initial allocation of 400 Borns made available for sale online before Christmas was such that a total of 600 then 700 were allocated by the factory, of those some 500 have sold, and ordering is now unrestricted.”
The additional supply will come online in May. The hatchback is available in just one spec level with two optional packs. It starts with a headline-grabbing pricetag of just $59,990 before on-roads, which with current rebates means it will actually be cheaper than the sticker price in some states.
The single available 82kWh battery pack is the largest in the electric hatch segment, granting the Born a 511km driving range between charges. This makes it both more affordable with a longer range than the popular entry-level Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel drive.
The Born – named after a district of Barcelona known for its culture – is a rear-wheel-drive proposition, is the first car in Australia to debut Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform and comes with an electric motor producing 170kW/310Nm (similar outputs to that of a Golf GTI). While it has hot-hatch aspirations, its 0-100km/h sprint time is 7.0 seconds, thanks to its nearly 2000kg tare mass.
Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, bucket front seats in recycled trim, keyless entry and ignition, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity on a 12-inch multimedia touchscreen, a minimalist 5.3-inch digital dash, dual-zone climate control, and sporty suspension.
The interior package ($2900) adds a blue interior treatment with seats finished in a partially recycled Dinamica trim, as well as the addition of 12-way power adjust, heating and message function for the front passengers, and a beats premium audio system. Interestingly, choosing the interior package drops the Born to a four-seat layout.
The performance package ($2600) adds 20-inch alloy wheels clad in Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, and dynamic chassis control suspension. The grippier tyres on this option pack means range is reduced to 475km.
Cupra says it is working towards aggressive sales targets and is already outselling several brands in the Australian market, with a view to outselling its fellow Volkswagen Group sister brand, Skoda.
In fact, executives for the brand were somewhat confident that the Born could possibly sell more than 1000 units in its first year on sale, provided supply continued to keep pace with demand.
The Born arrives ahead of other MEB-platformed vehicles, the next of which should be the Volkswagen ID.4 which is scheduled to arrive before the end of 2023.
It is part of Cupra’s aggressive expansion plans in the Australian market, which its overseas sales executives were particularly keen on, stating Australia was one of the most competitive and difficult markets in the world. Success here could determine the success of the brands in other markets around the world.
Next up for Cupra is a list of possible additions, including an even more affordable 58kWh version of the Born, possibly a wagon version of the Leon hatchback, and the just-revealed electric Tavascan SUV which should be the brand’s next new nameplate for the Australian market.
Keyword: More driving range AND more affordable than a Tesla Model 3? Cupra secures 'unrestricted' supply of the 2023 Born electric hatchback