Currently reading: CUPRA Born: how to pick your perfect spec

With plenty of punchy performance and driving character on every model in the range, here’s how to find your ideal CUPRA Born

The CUPRA Born is a car that has picked up plenty of acclaim in recent months thanks to its standout style, it amped-up performance, its compelling driving character, and its impressive all-round capability as an all-electric model.

The fact that the CUPRA Born recently topped two Autocar EV group tests – including one that focused on its compelling driving character – proves that appeal. And that's just part of the reason why we've just named it Best Electric Car in our 2024 Autocar Awards. The CUPRA Born has also picked up a glowing five-star review from our colleagues at our sister title What Car?, and was named Best Small Electric Car To Drive in the 2024 What Car? Awards.

Now, the CUPRA Born is an even more compelling purchase, with a simplified model line-up and 0% APR for up to three years with a £4,500 contribution towards your finance deposit on Solutions PCP.*

But how do you find the perfect CUPRA Born for you? Well, that’s where we can help.

Learn more about the CUPRA Born

Pick the right range and performance

CUPRA has simplified the CUPRA Born range for 2024, offering five variants that make it even easier to pick the right model from the line-up for you. Let’s start with the important figures: range and performance.

The CUPRA Born V1, V2 and V3 models all come with a 59kWh battery that offers up to 266 miles of all-electric range, while delivering up to 230PS of potent e-Boost electric power and 310Nm of punchy all-electric torque from the rear-wheel-drive motor. That means hot-hatch-beating acceleration from 0-62mph in as little as 6.7 seconds. The CUPRA Born V3 also offers the option of a larger 77kWh battery that delivers up to 348 miles of range if you feel the need to go further. Simple, eh?

Then there’s the range-topping CUPRA Born VZ. Boasting an even-larger-capacity 79kWh battery that offers up to 372 miles of electric range, it also significantly boosts the CUPRA Born’s power and torque. Delivering 326PS (40% more than any other CUPRA born in the range) and up to 545Nm of torque (a staggering 75% its sister cars), it lets you sprint from 0-62mph in as little as 5.6 seconds.

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What’s standard on the CUPRA Born V1?

Once you’ve figured how much smile – and how many miles – you want from your CUPRA Born, it’s time to pick your trim. And the CUPRA Born V1 offers plenty of standout style and technology as standard from the start.

On the outside, you get 19in ‘Typhoon’ alloy wheels, full LED headlights and stylish coast-to-coast full LED tail lights as standard, as well as a choice of five bold colours that really make the CUPRA Born’s distinctive styling shine.

Up front you get bucket seats in black upcycled Seaqual yarn that deliver exceptional cossetting comfort. They put you in prime position to enjoy the crisp 5.3-inch digital cockpit that places all of your navigation and infotainment right in your eyeline behind the heated leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel. 

The large 12.9-inch central touchscreen offers a wealth of CUPRA Connect Gen 4 features – including always-online 3D navigation with real-time traffic and Wireless Full Link Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration with your smartphone. And it can all be controlled with CUPRA’s intuitive voice control.

You can interact with your CUPRA Born remotely, using the MyCUPRA smartphone app, which lets you check your car’s location, its current charge and its predicted range. It also lets you schedule or de-activate how your CUPRA Born is charging to better control your costs, as well as pre-warming or pre-cooling the car to ensure it’s at the perfect temperature while still plugged in and charging. 

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Around the cabin of the CUPRA Born V1, there’s plenty of copper detailing and ambient lighting to give you that exclusive feel, day or night. And, regardless of which CUPRA Born you pick, you get luggage capacity of 385 litres as standard.

When compared to large all-electric SUVs, the CUPRA Born’s compact dimensions – just 4.3 metres long and 1.8 metres wide – make it easy to wind through twisting roads and park perfectly in the tightest of spaces. But the CUPRA Born V1 also comes with a rear-view camera with front and rear park distance control to help you guide your way round the hazards of the urban jungle when needed. 

There are also plenty of useful driving and safety aids as standard on the CUPRA Born V1, including rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, dynamic road-sign display, lane assist, forward collision warning with automatic braking, and a driver alert system that recognises when you might be tired.

Last but not least, when it comes to charging, the CUPRA Born V1 offers 165kW charging capability as standard, letting you charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 24 minutes on a compatible ultra-rapid DC public charger. Add in the CUPRA Charging service, and you get simple one-touch pay-as-you-go access to around 550,000 charging points across Europe, as well as two monthly membership tiers that help you cut your costs. 

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Add even more with the CUPRA Born V2 and V3

The mid-range CUPRA Born V2 and V3 trims add plenty of extra goodies to the equipment list, which further bolster the premium feel. 

The CUPRA Born V2 comes with heated seats and a heated steering wheel, an augmented-reality head-up display and dark-tinted windows to boost the CUPRA Born V1’s impressive standard spec. The CUPRA Born V3 trim goes one step further, with 20in ‘Thunderstorm’ machined aero alloy wheels and stylish Granite Grey Dinamica-trimmed seats with 12-way electrical adjustability for the front seats, along with pneumatically adjustable lumbar support and a massage function. 

Last, but certainly not least, the CUPRA Born V3 has the option of a larger 77kWh battery, which offers up to 348 miles of range. It also offers even faster charging speeds, up to 175kW. On a compatible ultra-rapid 175kW DC charger that could top you up from 10% to 80% in as little as 28 minutes.

If that wasn’t enough, a range of optional packs – including the Skyline panoramic sunroof pack, a heat pump, and the Pilot, Tech and Dynamic packs – let you custom-spec your CUPRA Born to your liking, whichever trim you pick.

Go even sportier, with the CUPRA Born VZ

The incoming CUPRA Born VZ takes the model's celebrated performance and style to another level. VZ stands for ‘veloz’, meaning ‘fast’ in Spanish. But, if you needed any more incentive, just take a look at what it adds to the spec sheet. 

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On the outside, you get the choice of all five colours, plus an exclusive Dark Forest green, as well as two new 20in alloy wheel options – on which are mounted the CUPRA Born VZ’s wider high-performance tyres. There are also moody dark chrome logos for the CUPRA Born VZ, further reinforcing its performance character.

Under the skin of the CUPRA Born VZ, the uprated powertrain offers 326PS and 545Nm of all-electric torque, getting you from standstill to 62mph in as little as 5.6 seconds. You’ll also notice the chassis changes made to the CUPRA Born VZ compared with the rest of the range. Its dynamic performance has been sharpened even further with upgraded DCC Sport suspension, more responsive steering, and an improved brake pedal feel.

Ah, but does the extra performance of the CUPRA Born VZ compromise its range and practicality? Not so. The CUPRA Born VZ has an official range of up to 372 miles from its 79kWh battery. And, if you use an ultra-rapid 185kW DC charger, you can top it up from 10% to 80% in as little as 28 minutes.

Inside, the CUPRA Born VZ boasts a 12.9in central touchscreen that has been designed to be even more intuitive to use, along with a 10-speaker 425W high-fidelity audio system from Sennheiser that comes as standard and incorporates the renowned brand’s AMBEO Concerto software for enhanced surround-sound. Plus, you get the Tech (M) package as standard, featuring keyless entry, a wireless phone charger and CAR2X connectivity, while The CUPRA Born VZ also includes regenerative paddle shifts on the steering wheel, making it even easier to choose the right level of braking from the enhanced cup bucket seats – which offer a lower-feeling, more sporty driving position. They’re made of a blend of upcycled Seaqual yarn and rich-feeling Dinamica. Last but not least, the CUPRA Born VZ also features CUPRA’s new Smart Light technology goes a step beyond the ambient lighting found in other CUPRA Born models, using its full-width wrap-around LEDs to visually convey the car’s charge status, infotainment functions or any hazard warnings.

When it comes to tech, the CUPRA Born VZ adds an enhanced suite of driving and safety aids, with the optional Travel Assist 2.6 (which comes as standard on the CUPRA Born VZ First Edition) combining the Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist to improve their performance, especially on poorly marked roads. Optional Side Assist keeps an eye on your blind spots when you’re on the move, while Exit Warning will alert you to obstacles when you’re pulling away from a parking spot.

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Then, when you do reach your final destination for the day, the optional 360-degree Top View Camera and Remote Park Assist and Trained Park Assist make it even easier to find your CUPRA Born VZ’s fit for the evening. 

So, there’s quite the variety open to those who are considering the CUPRA Born as their next  – or first – all-electric car. There’s something for everyone, from practical and comfy to fast and luxurious, which should meet the expectations of pretty much every driver and their passengers. So, which CUPRA Born will you go for?

Learn more about the CUPRA Born

* With Solutions Personal Contract Plan. Maximum 36 month contract. Minimum 10% Deposit. Maximum 40% Deposit. 18s+. Subject to status & availability. T&Cs apply. Available when ordered by 30 September 2024 from participating CUPRA Retailers. Indemnities may be required. Subject to changes in vehicle or equipment prices. Not available in conjunction with any other finance offer and may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Accurate at 07/2024. Freepost SEAT Financial Services.

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