Cupra Born – The older brother of the Volkswagen ID.3

The Cupra Born is finally here, but the Spaniards made us wait a long time for their first fully electric car. We looked at how it drives and how it differs from the Volkswagen ID.3.

Cupra Born goes on sale in 2021. Built on MEB platform. The same one from which Volkswagen builds all its electric cars. Not only ID. 3which is close to Borno, but also a little bigger ID.4 and ID.5, ID.7 stretched to its limits, ID. Buzz and ID.6, not available in Europe. It doesn’t end there, until 2028 MEB will be the backbone of more than 70 models of the concern and other brands that VW has sold the platform. This is how the new one was created Ford Explorer.

Can a different car be built from the same building blocks: platform, battery, engine and powertrain control system? Cupra proves that it is possible, despite the fact that it is made in the German factory Zwickau, and not in the Spanish Martorell. At least for now. The difference is basically the suspension with a different configuration, greater power (systematically increased), and design.

Cupra was born It has a rigid suspension reduced by 15/10 mm (front / rear). The operating system is more direct, and the car is only an e-Boost version, ie electric motors on the rear axle with a power of 231, not 204 HP, as in the case of the company’s competition. And this is regardless of whether we choose a car with a small battery (58 kWh) or a large one (77 kWh).

Same blocks, different car

It would seem that the same platform requires the same use of space inside the car. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cupra was born it is decorated completely differently from the twin VW ID.3.

Different materials, different design of the dashboard, differently designed central tunnel, different seats – all this makes us feel like we are sitting in a different car. The interface, clock graphics and menus are also different, as are the driving modes and the Cupra software is at the forefront, which further emphasizes the Spanish nature of the car.

The multimedia suite, i.e. the screen and the operating system, is the same, although it has been improved. And this is probably the weakest part of the whole car. Some are interesting and you may like them. Bronze color details, carbon effect panels and steering wheel buttons make the Cupra a joy to drive.

And this is, because the extra horsepower, the situation Cupra, kickdown and suspension in different settings and steering is more interesting when driving. Acceleration can be jaw-dropping, although on paper it only takes 6.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h. But there is one but. In order to enjoy the extra power, several difficult conditions must be met. Difficulties and those over which we do not have full control. Because we cannot, for example, heat or cool the battery manually. For e-Boost to work, the battery must have a temperature between 23 and 50 degrees Celsius.

However, we won’t be using the driving mode every day. For normal, quiet driving, the actual range is about 300-320 km.

Cupra Born – how much does it cost?

The 231 HP Cupra Born e-Boost with a small battery costs PLN 177,000. zlotys. A car with a large battery will cost PLN 205,000. zlotys.

In this episode we try Cupra Born, twin model Volkswagen ID.3. Although the cars are similar, the Born looks more refined. Does this mean higher prices? How does this car drive and what is its battery capacity? Like What? Is the Cupra Born the most powerful electric car in its segment? You will find the answers to these questions in the latest video CAR TV.

We invite you to watch! The tested model is the Cupra Born with AWD drive and 231 HP.