Why You Should Be Excited About The Cupra Born

When many people hear the name “Volkswagen’, there are just too many huge cultural references that could come to mind; the quirky, iconic Beetle, the erstwhile Type 2, or maybe Dieselgate? 

As car brands go, Volkswagen is huge. Last year, it was second only to Toyota in terms of sheer car production volume, churning out 9.31 million cars. Although sadly, most of them internal combustion. 

Today, one of Volkswagen AG’s subsidiaries has just unveiled what many are suggesting is the world’s first true electric hot hatch, with up to 170 kilowatts of power in its most potent version, and a sub 6.6 second sprint time. 

But is it?

 This article will explore the specs of this new ‘hot hatch’ from the Volkswagen family, explain why it’s important in Europe, and ask if it’s something we should be excited about. 

First, some history. While Volkswagen is big as a car brand, its parent group, Volkswagen AG, is even bigger. In fact, you just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind boggling big it is. Audi and Porsche are part of the Volkswagen group, which is why Porsche and Audi are using the same J1 platform for the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. It’s why Volkswagen’s ID.4 and Audi’s Q4 e-tron are essentially the same vehicle underneath, made on the very same platform. 

But in addition to these well-known family ties, there’s also Bentley and Bugatti, brands which have (yet) to embrace electric vehicles. There’s Lamborghini, the company who, last week, confirmed that all of its high-end vehicles are going plug-in. There’s Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, a company that Winter made a very good video about here, a few weeks ago. 

And then there’s Scania and M. A. N. trucks, and Volkswagen Commercial vehicles. There are also two more brands that you might not associate with Volkswagen - Škoda and SEAT.  Škoda became part of the Volkswagen group back in 2000, a merger that was responsible for Škoda’s reputation dramatically changing overnight from the jokes of 80’s childhood about wheelbarrows and east-bloc engineering to one for higher-end features at affordable prices. (It’s buyers have, traditionally, skewed toward the older end of the market.)

Seat meanwhile, a spanish brand which Volkswgen took full ownership of in 1990, is aimed at younger buyers, and focuses on sporty styling and handling. Its Cupra sub-brand, formerly known as SEAT Sport, is a name reserved for Seat’s most sporty models. 

Which is where the Cupra Born comes in, the car that’s just been released by the company and which traditional European automotive journalists are getting excited about. 

Why? Well, first, Cupra has a good reputation for making driver-oriented sporty cars that pack decent performance without breaking the bank. And second, because the Cupra Born is based on the same MEB platform that Volkswagen’s ID.3 is built on, it shouldn’t be as production-constrained as most new-to-market cars out there. 

Lastly? Seat’s engineers have tweaked the rear-wheel drivetrain of the ID.3 to find an extra 27 horsepower (20 kilowatts) for the more powerful motor that’s not available on the ID.3. You’ll have to specify the ‘e-Boost’ package for maximum acceleration. But, pick it and the mid-range f58 kilowatt per hour battery pack, and you’ll hit 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 6.6 seconds. That’s three tenths of a second slower than the 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTi, totally earning the hot hatch badge. 

However, let’s return to what the Cupra Born has, and doesn’t have.

From a design angle, the Cupra Born looks like an angrier, more intense evil twin to the ID.3, just without a goatee. Because the two vehicles share the same platform and underpinnings, the overall shape of both cars is identical, but the Cupra’s bonnet and headlight arrangement puts a snarl on the front of the Born, whereas the ID3’s more of a neutral face look. The bonnet also looks to sweep down lower than it does on the ID3, with sharper, sportier lines emphasizing the wheel arches, but look closely and you’ll see that the front part of the bonnet is actually a part of the front bumper. It’s a clever design trick that makes the Born look closer to the road than the ID3. But sadly, it is just an illusion. 

While the interior of both cars have the same arrangement of floating screens, and BMW- i3-inspired gear selector, the Cupra Born projects broody intensity to contrast the ID 3’s ‘welcome to the future’ optimism. It’s worth noting that the Born uses a larger twelve-inch center touch-screen versus the 10-inch screen of the ID3, and it also has a couple of extra buttons on the steering wheel designed to aid in access to sportier driving modes. The center console in the Born, with cup holders hiding underneath a retractable cover, is visually less fussy than the ID3’s open arrangement, and the Born’s seats are designed for hugging you a little more completely than the softer, more daily-driving oriented ID3 seats. 

As for the Car’s infotainment system? Aside from the size difference, we’d wager both have almost identical user interface and options, but if we’re scoring on looks and trim choices alone, the Born looks ready to take your lunch money and ask you to do its homework while the ID3 is in the cooking club and handed its homework in at the end of class. 

To the drivetrain. 

All Cupra Borns will be rear-wheel drive cars for now, featuring either a 148horsepower (110 kilowatt) motor, or a two hundred and one horsepower (one hundred and fifty kilowatt) motor. Because it shares much of its design with the Volkswagen ID.3, the Cupra Born will mimic the ID3’s battery pack choices, with either 45 kilowatt-hour, 58 kilowatt-hour or 77 kilowatt-hour packs. All of those figures by the way, are usable capacity, not nominal capacity. And like the ID3, charging will max out at either 125 kilowatt for the smallest battery, or 150 for the higher-capacity ones.

The cheapest Born will feature the 45 kilowatt-hour pack paired to the 110 kilowatt motor, offering an estimated 211 miles or 340 kilometers on the optimistic WLTP test cycle. Matching the performance specs of the ID3 Pure Performance, it does the sprint to 100 klicks ( 62 miles per hour) in 8.9 seconds. 

At the other end of the spectrum will be the longest-legged Cupra Born, with the larger 150 kilowatt motor and 77 kilowatt-hour pack. It will do a claimed 336 miles (540 kilometers per charge, but if you order one with the optional E-Boost performance package (the one that adds an extra 20 kilowatts of power) -  you’ll see sprint times drop to seven seconds flat. That’s faster than the ID3 Pro Performance that it is closest to in terms of specs. 

If you’re after maximum performance though, you’ll want the Cupra Born mid-range pack - which combines the larger motor setup with a 54 kilowatt per hour pack. Add the E-Boost performance package, and you’ll do the sprint to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.6 seconds. 

The frustrating thing? It’s not available yet. Production will start in September at the same Zwickau production facility in Germany that the ID3 is produced at. We also don’t (yet) have pricing. That said, expect it to be similar or slightly more than the ID.3, with the most expensive variant offering the biggest heart attack for your bank account. 

Now we’ve talked about the specs, let’s talk about where this fits into the market. Because of its sportier looks, the Cupra Born is going to be more attractive to those who are looking for a sportier ride. And with a zero to 62 time of 6.6 seconds in its quickest variant, we think it will deliver. Interestingly, even the most powerful Cupra born is slower than the ID.X engineering prototype, so we’d love to see Volkswagen AG green light it, and an all-wheel drive Cupra sibling. 

Is it a hot hatch? Well, the form factor certainly ticks all the boxes. Traditionally, hot hatches have been front-wheel drive, so purists may say no, but we suspect this will perform extremely well on the track and because of its drivetrain, do away with the traditional torque-steer and squirreliness of many a hot hatch over the years, including the Chevrolet Bolt EV, a car that is as close as most Americans will get to the Hot Hatch feel this side of the Atlantic, and is about the same in the stop light derby as the Born.

Design wise, we prefer the Cupra’s more aggressive stance and darker interior options. And while boost mode won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s ideal for executing a quick overtake without getting yourself into trouble. 

We haven’t obviously had a chance to ride or drive the Cupra Born, but you know it’ll it’s on the list for when post-COVID transatlantic travel is possible again. And when it happens, we will share.