CUPRA Born: why it’s a 5-star What Car? electric car

“The CUPRA Born rails against the idea that small electric cars have to be boring,” What Car? said in its five-star review. “You might expect the CUPRA Born to feel very similar to the Volkswagen ID 3, because they share many of the same parts, but CUPRA has positioned the CUPRA Born as a sportier option – both through its more aggressive look, and the way it drives. 

“The CUPRA Born sits slightly lower and its steering is set up differently: the result being a more engaging driving experience. If you drive them back-to-back, you’ll appreciate the tweaks that make the CUPRA Born sharper and more fun. 

“Whichever CUPRA Born you go for, a single electric motor drives the rear wheels, and the steering, suspension and brakes have been tuned to make the car more engaging. Being more focused on sportiness means the CUPRA Born offers tidy and precise handling. Thanks to accurate, well-weighted steering and decent body control, it’s more engaging to drive than the Renault Megane E-Tech and the MG4 – which loses its composure a little when pushed hard. It’s an absolute breeze to steer through town and easy to thread smoothly down a B-road.

“There’s also a hot enhanced CUPRA Born VZ with even longer electric range, which gets a stiffer suspension setup for sharper, more playful handing. It inspires even more confidence in corners and is even more enjoyable to drive quickly.”

#2 Fantastic range & fast charging

Range is always an important figure for electric cars: especially a fun-to-drive electric hot hatch like the CUPRA Born, which positively encourages you to go the extra mile. And don’t think that all of that added performance will compromise how far you can go. The CUPRA Born offers plenty of range, whichever model you pick.

The core CUPRA Born V1, V2 and V3 trims come with a 59kWh battery that offers an official range of up to 266 miles – which What Car? says is all that most buyers will need. If you want more, the CUPRA Born V3 offers the option of a 77kWh battery with an official range of up to 348 miles, while the range-topping high-performance CUPRA Born VZ has a 79kWh battery with an official range of up to 372 miles.

The What Car? road-test team were also impressed with how fast you can top the CUPRA Born’s battery up. “A 10-80% top-up on a public charger will take around half an hour. With a 7kW home wall box, you’re looking at empty to full in around nine hours in the 59kWh version, and 12 hours in the 77kWh.”

#3 Perfect for long journeys

With the CUPRA Born’s great hot-hatch driving character, appealing long-range capability, and fast charging speeds that keep you moving, you’ll probably be planning some epic long-distance road trips. And that’s another area in which the CUPRA Born shines compared to some of its key rivals.

As the What Car? road test team explained in its five-star review: “The CUPRA Born is a reasonably comfortable electric car, and does a good job of absorbing lumps and bumps in the road. With precious little noise from its electric motor, it’s very quiet at town speeds. Pick up the pace, and it’s still impressively hushed – far more than the MG4 or, indeed, most petrol or diesel alternatives.

“The CUPRA Born’s ride height has been lowered slightly compared with the similar Volkswagen ID 3, making it a little firmer. But the difference isn’t huge and the CUPRA Born is more settled than the MG4. The high-performance CUPRA Born VZ gets adaptive suspension as standard, which means you can adjust the setup to better suit the road you’re on. As such, the CUPRA Born VZ is comfortable, even with its large 20in alloy wheels.”

#4 Plenty of space for passengers and luggage

When it comes to heading off on long road trips, you’ll want to pack in plenty of friends and all their stuff, and this is another area in which the CUPRA Born shines. 

“The CUPRA Born is roughly the same length as the Volkswagen Golf and is just as roomy in the rear,” What Car? said. “There’s space for at least a six-foot passenger to sit behind someone equally tall without feeling squished. At 385 litres, the CUPRA Born's boot is about the same size as a Volkswagen Golf’s and will be fine for such daily duties as carrying a small buggy, the weekly shop or a weekend away.”

#5 Stylish, high-tech and impressive value

Last, but certainly not least, CUPRA hasn’t only focused on sprightly performance and sporty driving character with the CUPRA Born. It has also delivered impressive levels of standout style and smart connected tech – inside and out.

“The overall feel of quality inside the CUPRA Born is much better than in the MG4 and the Nissan LEAF,” What Car? said. “Its basic layout is the same as the Volkswagen ID 3, but a slightly different and broader mix of materials and colours mean that the CUPRA Born looks and feels classier inside – especially around the centre console and arm rests.

“Regardless of the trim you go for, you get a small but clear 5.3in display that shows your speed and remaining range. A 12in touchscreen infotainment comes as standard and features wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. The screen itself is bright and clear, and the operating system is slightly more intuitive than in the Volkswagen ID 3. The CUPRA Born VZ has a 12.9in touchscreen with an updated system which is easier to use – thanks to a simplified layout and a slightly faster response.” 

The CUPRA Born also comes with impressive levels of equipment on every model. “The entry level CUPRA Born V1 gives you LED headlights, climate control, parking aids and 19in alloy wheels, which is all you really need,” What Car? explained. “The CUPRA Born V2 has privacy glass, heated windscreen washer nozzles, and a head-up display to project your speed onto the windscreen. It also gets heated seats and a heated steering wheel if you like your creature comforts.