Cupra Born arrives in Australia

You can’t buy it just yet but the 2022 Cupra Born – the first electric vehicle from the Volkswagen Group’s Spanish performance car brand – has arrived in Australia to commence local testing.

Essentially an edgy-looking Cupra-tweaked version of the Volkswagen ID.3 small electric hatch that’s still yet to make its way Down Under, the new Spanish EV is on target to launch in Australia in the second half of this year for around $70,000.

Challenging EVs such as the 2021 carsales Car of the Year, the Hyundai IONIQ 5, the Cupra Born will offer a driving range of between 340km and 550km depending on the battery size.

Pricing and specifications are still being locked in for the Born EV, but 45kWh, 58kWh and 77kWh battery pack densities are offered in Europe alongside two powertrains – 110kW and 150kW (rising to 170kW with the e-Boost option).

Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks said this week he was “determined” to have the Born EV on sale in Australia by year’s end, describing it as “undoubtedly our halo car, one that embodies all of Cupra’s performance and design allure in a zero-emissions package”.

Like many Chinese car-makers that have chosen Australia as a global test bed for their brands and products, Cupra has fast-tracked its export program and is planning to launch three sporty petrol-powered vehicles around mid-2022 priced between $40,000 and $60,000 initially.

These include the Ateca, Leon and all-new Formentor, with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options also on the table.

“Cupra’s conventional and PHEV range will be unique in this country, the perfect line-up for a new brand to challenge the established order,” said Wilks.

Like Tesla, Polestar and other brands, Cupra cars will only be available to buy online. They will be backed by a five-year factory warranty.

The first of three Cupra Born EVs to undergo local testing, with a target of 10,000km for each car, the first Born electric car now in Australia will be driven on public roads as the car-maker gathers local driving data.

Volkswagen Group Australia said this was the first time the Born had hit the road outside Europe.