Cupra Born 2022 Review – International

Is the 2022 Cupra Born an all-new car for an all-new car company? Well, no.

The car is a restyled (very lightly in some places) version of the Volkswagen ID.3 with some Catalan flair thrown in.

And here’s the thing: that flair has been thrown in well, with a far more appealing front-end design and a more compelling interior design mated to the ID.3’s hardware, like its 12-inch multimedia screen, its switchgear and its small digital instrument cluster.

It rides on the same MEB (modular electric matrix) architecture as the ID.3 and ID.4, to the point of sharing their precise battery sizes, electric motors and power electronics.

There will be a range of German-built Born models in Europe, with three different battery sizes, four different power outputs and six equipment packages to choose from.

The family will begin with a 45kWh package of water-cooled lithium-ion pouches lurking beneath the floor (and it shouldn’t bother making the trip to Australia. That will then climb to the 58kWh pack that is expected to be the biggest seller, while at the top end there’ll be a 77kWh battery pack.

While all Cupra Born models will deliver 310Nm of torque, the power outputs will differ. There is a 110kW motor for the smallest battery pack, a 170kW motor for the biggest pack and a choice of 150kW and 170kW motors for the 58kWh battery.

Cupra expects the 58kWh/170kW combination to be the range sweet spot, and that will take it to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds for about 420km of range.

A medium-size car inside, the Born is 4322mm long, 1802mm wide, 1540mm high and sports a 2766mm wheelbase.

We don’t yet know what the 2022 Cupra Born costs, though it’s expected to be slightly above the Volkswagen ID.3 in Europe, because it’s more premium.

Pricing starts at €37,220 ($A58,000) for the base car in Germany, but in Australia, where Cupra will be pitched as a performance brand, expect higher-spec models with the higher-output powertrains to be offered.

Like the rest of the Cupra range, the Born will be sold online and a subscription service, ranging from six to 24 months, will also be on the cards. All Cupra vehicles will be serviced at Volkswagen Australia dealerships and covered by a five-year warranty.

Ecologically, Cupra has made an effort. The base car’s seat trim is made from recycled plastic that’s been harvested from the sea (unintentionally, unfortunately) by Mediterranean fishermen, while the car’s manufacture and delivery is offset to be carbon neutral before it ever reaches customers’ hands.

The little battery will give a range of 340km, more or less, while the big boy stretches that out to 540km. In between, 58kWh-pack owners can expect 424km of range with the 150kW motor or 420km with the 170kW motor.

There are cost, handling and increased consumption prices to pay for bigger batteries. The 58kWh battery pack weighs 376kg by itself, but the 77kWh version is 493.4kg. That takes the overall weight of the 77kWh version out to 1871kg, while the entry battery size pulls that down to 1708kg.

Inside, there is a small 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver, touch-screen functions on the 12.0-inch MMI and a voice control set-up speaks at least a modicum of Australian.

The floor is flat all the way through, and so is the look of the rear-seat bench. That is only visual, though, because the outer seats are comfortable, with bags of legroom.

Luggage capacity is 385 litres.

While it shares the chassis, battery and electric motor hardware with other Volkswagen Group models, the 2022 Cupra Born is unique amongst the MEB users in being able to completely switch off the skid-control systems to drift (though it’s hard to imagine why you’d want to do that).

The top speed is limited to 160km/h, and the 170kW Born’s ability to reach 100km/h in 6.6 seconds makes it quicker than either the ID.3 Pro or the ID.3 Pro S (which run to 7.3 and 7.9 seconds respectively) and just shy of the Golf GTI.

The energy consumption is quoted at 15.4kWh per 100km, though Cupra has yet to officially certify that figure.

The bigger Born models happily chew away on 11kW alternating current (taking 6h15 to fill the 58kWh battery and 7h30 to totally charge the larger pack).

Similarly, the 58kWh Borns can eat direct current at a maximum of 120kW, taking 35 minutes to charge from five per cent to 80 per cent, while the 77kWh battery can take up to 125kW of charge, reaching 80 per cent in 38 minutes. Cupra insists they’ll both be able to take 170kW next year.

Two high-performance computers manage it all, with one for the MMI and the delights of over-the-air updates (which will soon include the direct application of Spotify and Apple Music), while the other does the actual car stuff.

There is a five-link suspension at the rear-end and a MacPherson strut set-up at the front, while the Born persists with the ID.3’s perfectly functional but much-derided drum rear brakes.

It’s different up front, with all models up to 150kW using 330x23mm disc brakes, while the 170kW range-topper uses a set of 340x27mm discs. And they all use single-piston callipers, with pads designed to last the full life of the vehicle.

The stock 18-inch tyres and wheels can grow to 20 inches, including a go-fast option that sees the contact patch grow from 215mm to 235/40R20, at the cost of some dollars and about 20km in range.

First impressions are that the 2022 Cupra Born’s aggressive nose, particularly, works better than the ID.3’s inoffensive blob, and that’s carried over in the airy cabin, filled with light and many a Catalan design feature.

There are wonderful touches and textures that fill the dash, with Cupra seeing the ID.3’s basic approach as a canvas to work from, and they’ve done it very well.

The dash no longer feels brittle and no longer looks boring.

The downside is that it retains the ID.3’s intrusively high floor, which makes the cabin space feel decidedly smaller than it visually suggests.

The twist gear selector lever feels solid and strong, and the instrument cluster works beautifully, with a clear, simple message.

Beyond the EU-mandated whir at up to 30km/h, the (170kW/150kWh) Born is silent until the wind noise begins to make its presence felt at around 85km/h.

The motor can be heard when it’s punching on full throttle, but it’s not intrusive even then. It’s more like a polite admission of effort.

It’s not sporty, though, and that’s a product of weight and very slow steering just off centre, which often demands second bites at bends.

The upside to it comes around city streets, when the placid ride, tight turning radius and calm demeanour come to the fore.

It’s not the sort of car to fling at corners in a fury (even if Cupra suggests you can) because it’s better at just living life, and living it serenely, briskly and well.

The highest regeneration level is 0.3g when you lift off the throttle, and it’s so effective that we arrived at lunch with more energy in the battery than we began with.

There’s real refinement here, with the ride and the handling joining together in one coherent thought and the car always feels like it has more to give.

With the 2022 Cupra Born, VW Group’s Spanish brand has looked at what Volkswagen delivered with the ID.3 and promptly made it better, in every respect.

That’s no easy feat and probably wasn’t appreciated around every watercooler in Wolfsburg.

It looks better, its interior is demonstrably more engaging and considered, and its ride quality even steps things up a notch.

It has huge breadth of capability and its composure seems immeasurable.

If you’ve never heard of Cupra, and in you’re in the market for an electric car, make this your first test drive when it arrives.

Guarantee you’ll be impressed.

How much does the 2022 Cupra Born 231PS (170kW) with e-Boost cost?
Price: $70,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: Late 2022 estimated
Powertrain: Permanently excited synchronous electric motor
Output: 170kW/310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 58kW lithium-ion
Range: 420km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.4kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested