New this week: Cupra Born

Seat and Cupra, it's a long story. The most passionate will remember the Ibiza Cupra, which appeared in 1996, and perhaps also the first Leon Cupra, in 2000, with its 2.8 V6 engine (204 hp), its four-wheel drive and its pretty mechanical sound. Over the generations, the sportiest versions of the core models have all been badged Cupra or FR (Formula Racing). Then, in the more recent past, the major marketing authorities cleverly put this designation at the front of the name (Cupra Leon, Cupra Ateca, etc.), widening the range of engines available under this label, even including plug-in hybrid couplings.

In broad terms, it was a white hat, a white hat, but we could sense that an evolution was brewing. Then Seat freed itself from this little game: Cupra is now a brand in its own right, intended to be more upscale and more dynamic. The Formentor, its first model, surprised the automotive world a little over a year ago. First with a 4 hp 310-cylinder turbo engine, then a few weeks ago with the 5-cylinder block from the Audi RS3 (390 hp). Completely against the grain of rampant electrification, the Formentor (also available as a plug-in hybrid, all the same) had the primary mission of getting people talking about the brand, failing to generate sales. For the moment.

Change of direction

With the Born, Cupra enters the 100% electric era. But if the Volkswagen group, of which the brand is a part, manages to give very different typologies and personalities to its thermal ranges, it is perhaps more difficult for it to produce two very distant electric cars on the same basis. First physically: it will not have escaped your attention that the Cupra Born looks like a Volkswagen ID.3.

This is normal, because it is the same car, or almost. Same technical platform (MEB), common running gear, engine and propulsion architecture. On the other hand, the Born is longer (4,32 m compared to 4,26 m), for an identical width (1,81 m) and a roof placed one centimeter lower (1,54 m). Same platform means identical wheelbase (2,77 m), habitability does not increase, as does trunk volume (385 liters). This new electric boasts superior dynamism and adopts the color and stylistic codes of its young coat of arms. The black and gold rims give it a slightly more "bad boy" look, and its slightly different proportions allow it to promise more in terms of handling and driving pleasure. It remains to be hoped that Cupra will choose tires from a premium manufacturer and not second-line tires as we can sometimes see in original equipment, even among the biggest. Because with maximum torque (310 Nm) from the start, and 204 hp on the rear axle, traction will be easy to fault.

Three powers and 3 batteries

This 204 hp livery, the only one available at launch (orders open), is in fact a mid-range version, delivered with a 58 kWh battery (420 km range announced) for a price of 40 euros (excluding bonus of 250 euros). It's expensive (even slightly more expensive than the ID.5000) for a brand which has everything to prove, but whose cousinship with Volkswagen and the efforts made on the presentation can make you want to put your hand in your pocket. At this price, the equipment level is good, and the high-power charging cable, often offered as an option, is here as standard. On the other hand, everything that is “wow effect”, such as the navigation system with augmented reality (the arrows are displayed on the road) or the 3° camera remain optional.

Quite quickly, at the end of the year, an entry-level version of 150 hp, less expensive, but also a more powerful livery of 230 hp, will be offered. The “small” Born will only be available with a 45 kWh battery, and an approved range of 310 km. As for the “big” Born, you will be able to benefit from a 77 kWh battery and 540 km of autonomy. The latter will be equipped with a charger that can accept 125 kWh from a fast terminal, allowing you to go from 10% to 80% autonomy in 35 minutes. In all cases, and without going as far as the too frequent use of high-power charging points (preserving the longevity of the battery), the purchase of a Born must be accompanied by that of a Wallbox. This has a cost (1500 euros on average), but don't forget that using a normal socket quadruples the charging time. With Cupra expected to expand its ranges upwards, we can think that the Born will soon see the birth, perhaps during next year, of an even more powerful version with two electric motors and four-wheel drive. It would then compete with the future Volkswagen ID.3 GTX, which will arrive next year with a minimum of 300 hp under the hood and, we hope, without the ugly fluorescent green lines that we could see in certain photos . It would then join, in a more accessible way, the technical characteristics of the Audi Q4 e-tron currently being marketed.