Cupra Born 2023 Review — Australia

Cupra has kept the model walk relatively straight-forward by offering a solitary version of the 2023 Cupra Born in Australia, priced at $59,990 plus on-road costs.

Down the track, officials say shorter-range versions fitted with smaller 45kWh or 55kWh batteries and a less powerful 110kW motor are also on the table.

Depending on which state you live in, the Born is eligible for EV rebates of up to $3000, plus additional purchase incentives. That makes the drive-away price as low as $57,490 in Queensland after eligible incentives, or as high as $62,990 in WA.

The sub-$60K list price, which helped make the Born almost a sell-out success before customer stocks even arrived here, undercuts the entry Tesla Model 3 ($64,300 plus ORCs, of this week) and Polestar 2 ($63,900 plus ORCs), as well as entry-level Hyundai IONIQ 5 Dynamiq ($69,900 plus ORCs) and Kia EV6 Air ($72,590 plus ORCs) electric ‘SUVs’.

On top of the retail price, Cupra has also confirmed a Performance Package will cost $2600 and an Interior Package $2900. Aurora Blue premium metallic paint adds $475.

Cupra, which launched in Australia in July 2022 with a range of three combustion-powered models – the Formentor crossover, Leon hatch and Ateca SUV – sells the Born online and via nine agents/dealerships nationwide.

Standard equipment for the 2023 Cupra Born includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED tail-lights and LED fog lights, plus automatic high-beam, tinted rear windows, ambient interior lighting, a leather steering wheel, keyless entry and start and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

The optional $2900 Interior Package brings Dinamica front bucket seats with heating, 12-way power adjustment and massage function, plus heated washer jets and a nine-speaker Beats audio system.

Meanwhile, the $2600 Performance Package adds Dynamic Chassis Control (adaptive damping) and larger, wider 20-inch alloy wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber.

A major caveat with both these packages is that opting for them reduces the seat count from five to four, apparently because the additional equipment tips the vehicle over its GVM with five passengers on board.

There are five different paint hues offered as standard – Glacial White, Geyser Silver, Quasar Grey, Rayleight Red or Vapor Grey.

The Born is backed by Volkswagen’s standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia, while its battery pack is backed by a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty – both par for the course.

A potential missed opportunity arises around servicing. Unlike Cupra’s initial offerings in Australia (plus current promotional offers on other models), which came with three years of free servicing, the Born sticks to a rigid capped-price regime priced at $1590 for the first five years/75,000km.

That’s lineball with Cupra’s combustion models, despite fewer moving serviceable parts on the Born. Go figure.

At least Cupra’s five-year servicing packs include a concierge service covering pick-up/drop-off to your local Cupra service centre.

The 2023 Cupra Born is backed by a maximum (2022) five-star ANCAP safety rating in Australia, thanks in part to standard equipment including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (Front Assist) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping (Lane Assist), auto parking (Park Assist) and blind-spot monitoring (Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert and Exit Warning), plus Driver Fatigue Monitor, Pre-Crash Assist, a 360-degree camera and reversing camera.

About the only notable safety omission is speed sign recognition, a feature currently not available on Volkswagen Group vehicles locally.

There’s also seven airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and the usual suite of electronic aid acronyms (ABS anti-lock brakes, ESC stability control, etc).

Infotainment for the 2023 Cupra Born comprises a 12-inch centre touch-screen display with wireless phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (both via a wired connection only, not wireless), two USB-C ports up front and two USB-C ports in the rear seat area.

The centre touch-screen is matched by a separate 5.3-inch instrument cluster, which presents almost like a motorcycle instrument binnacle, with clean, effective and legible presentation.

The 2023 Cupra Born promises to bring rear-drive dynamics to the table courtesy of a rear-mounted electric motor producing 170kW and 310Nm, and drawing energy from a 77kWh battery.

Cupra claims a 0-50km/h acceleration time of 2.8 seconds and a 0-100km/h time of 7.0sec neat, on the way to a claimed top speed of 160km/h. That makes it less than hot-hatch quick and certainly not very fast.

Dictating many of Cupra’s performance claims (not to mention the way it drives – see below) is a kerb weight of approximately 1.9 tonnes.

Unlike the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5, the Born doesn’t offer vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging functionality, which precludes owners from charging personal electrical appliances on the go.

It rides on the same MEB (modular electric matrix) EV architecture as the Volkswagen ID.3 hatch and ID.4/ID.5 SUVs, and also shares their battery sizes, electric motors and power electronics.

There is a five-link suspension at the rear-end and a MacPherson strut set-up up front, and like the ID.3 and ID.4, the Born employs drum rear brakes. Yes, you read that right.

For the record, the Born measures is 4322mm long, 1802mm wide, 1540mm high and rides on a 2766mm wheelbase, making it slightly shorter but slightly wider and much taller than a Toyota Corolla hatch.

Cupra claims a total range of 511km for the 2023 Cupra Born. That figure is paired back slightly to 475km on vehicles fitted with the optional Performance Pack courtesy of Michelin tyres with more rolling resistance.

We found a circa-500km range relatively easily achievable based on our drive at the local launch, but you’d need to be in optimum driving conditions (not too hot, not too cold) and conservative behind the wheel to get more than that.

We averaged 19.6kWh/100km on our drive in a mix of conditions including headier proceedings, against a claim of 17.0kWh/100km combined.

When it comes to recharging, the Born offers a 5-80 per cent charge time in as little as 30 minutes using a DC fast-charger at the maximum 170kW charging rate, which slightly down on the segment leaders.

The maximum AC charging capacity (is you have a wallbox installed at home at additional cost) is 11kW, which translates to a 0-100 per cent charging time of seven hours and 30 minutes.

But it will take the humble household powerpoint about 32 hours to fully replenish the Cupra’s battery.

Cupra has really put itself on the map in Australia 12 months on from its official launch by producing fun, playful and visceral cars compared to traditional offerings. The sensational Leon VZx and Formentor VZx are both cases in point.

So naturally, the expectation is that these character traits carry over to the Spanish brand’s first electric car. But our first local road drive revealed mixed results.

The Cupra Born acquits itself positively from a ride, handling and refinement point of view, with well-weighted and accurate steering, polished bump absorption and a quiet cabin around town.

This is particularly the case in vehicles without the Performance Pack fitted, which enjoy less rolling resistance and an added layer of pliancy from their Bridgestone tyres.

Likewise, the electric drivetrain is clinically smooth and clever at low speeds and during transitions around obstacles including roundabouts, as well as feeling unfazed and effective in climbing to highway speeds. A 0-50km/h time of 2.8sec makes for brisk and effortless day-to-day proceedings.

That said, Cupra has seemingly brushed over some of the basics. Both of the test vehicles we drove presented long, spongy brake pedals that didn’t really offer sufficient retardation until they almost reached the firewall. It was a detail that became a problem during headier driving, as we discovered at the press launch.

Additionally, the absence of regenerative brake paddles – like those in many EVs – also seems like an oversight here, where it would have added extra sportiness to the driving experience while also allowing owners to dial in stronger ‘engine’ braking on descents and in traffic.

Even so, the Cupra Born covers A-to-B driving quite comprehensively, with a decent battery range and good ride comfort being the most redeeming features. But what about in performance terms?

Beyond the 50km/h mark, the electric drivetrain’s enthusiasm is blunted by the underlying 1.9-tonne kerb weight, making forward progress spritely rather than fast.

There is also a lack of sound and theatre, so while it might offer a 0-100km/h acceleration time within a second of the Golf GTI’s, the Born always feels slower and duller than Volkswagen’s iconic hot hatch.

Elsewhere, in contrast, it seems Cupra engineers have deliberately drafted playfulness into the Born’s chassis by allowing the rear-end of the car to shimmy and shake through faster corners, which certainly allows it to feel lively.

However, on typical Aussie roads that works both ways; hit a meaningful mid-corner bump at speed and the balance of the car is undermined by unwanted rear-end movement.

Some might describe that as fun, and you’d think the 51 per cent rear weight bias would also accentuate the car’s rear-drive layout. But the low-slung mass of the Cupra’s battery pack effectively dulls that sensation, too.

Despite the busyness of the rear-end on rough roads, the Born still strikes a sporty balance through corners and telegraphs its intentions clearly to the driver.

It’s relatively easy to find the limits of the standard Bridgestone rubber, but the Born chassis can handle far more grip, as we discovered in another vehicle with the $2600 Performance Pack, which immediately elicited more traction and dynamism from its softer Michelin rubber, and extra body control and outright poise from its adaptive suspension.

So overall, the Born offers well-rounded and pleasing dynamics – despite its enormous ever-present kerb weight – but a hot hatch it ain’t.

In a word, minimalist. The 2023 Cupra Born extends the cabin virtues of existing Cupra models in Australia by employing a layout with minimal switchgear, plenty of storage and a strong focus on design and tactility.

You could argue it goes a step further with its very basic but effective instrument cluster and by removing the rear window switchgear on the driver’s door card – instead requiring the driver to use a separate toggle switch to switch between the front and rear windows in what is nothing more than a cheeky cost-cutting measure.

The multimedia system is completely devoid of buttons and switchgear with the exception of a volume slider and temperature controls, mirroring other Cupra models.

It looks clean and sounds OK, but the reality is you spend more time delving through touch-screen menus than any sane person would want to, potentially causing distraction and requiring multiple steps for simple commands like switching on the air recirculation.

That said, all of the on-board tech works well and all of the cabin materials up front feel and look premium.

The Cupra Born is, however, afflicted by a higher than normal seating position (compared to an equivalent combustion car), because of the batteries stowed under its floor. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is noticeable and slightly strange for a quasi-performance car.

Happily, the Cupra Born’s most basic seats are trimmed in recycled plastic harvested from the sea by Mediterranean fisherman. They are cosseting and comfortable on longer drives, while also offering ample support in sportier settings.

The rear-seat space of the Born is surprisingly cavernous, with wide door apertures, a flat floor and a flip-down armrest. But again, the execution could be better; there are no rear air-vents and the middle pew disappears if you opt for either of the optional packages.

But the Born does bring functionality in spades, with decent door pockets, a relatively open glasshouse design and ISOFIX child-seat attachment points for the outbound seats.

The decent 385-litre boot space is likewise flat, accommodating and big enough for a couple of full-size suitcases. There are also luggage hooks, a 12-volt outlet and split/folding seats back there, but no spare wheel.

The 2023 Cupra Born is a worthwhile rival for established EV players, but it is clearly missing a bit of the spice that has made Cupra’s combustion models so memorable to date.

Ultimately, the Tesla Model 3 offers a more convincing execution of the EV brief, while the Kia EV6 does an even better job when it comes to electric car performance, especially at $100K GT level.

However, as an introduction to the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming EV onslaught, the Born is a solid first step for Cupra and its giant German parent company.

2023 Cupra Born at a glance:
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 170kW/310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 77kWh lithium-ion
Range: 511km (ADR)
Energy consumption: 17.0kWh/100km (ADR)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP Year – 2022)