Cupra Born EV coming early 2023
Volkswagen Group Australia’s first full-electric car will come from its fledgling Spanish brandSpanish performance brand Cupra will officially herald the Volkswagen Group’s introduction to the EV space in Australia, the company has confirmed.
The 2023 Cupra Born small electric hatchback will beat the Skoda Enyaq iV SUV to local roads, plus a swag of other Volkswagen EV models, with deliveries slated from early next year.
It is understood multiple powertrain options are on the table for the Cupra Born line-up, but the most likely candidate is a 170kW/310Nm electric motor drawing power from a 58kWh battery.
This model can complete the all-important 0-100km/h dash in 6.6 seconds and offers about 420km of range.
Cupra has been busy testing a trio of Born prototypes in Australia since January.
Cupra Australia head of product and planning, Jeff Schafer, said being the first Volkswagen Group brand to deliver EV tech wasn’t necessarily deliberate.
“It’s not a co-ordinated move at a group level, but from day one we wanted to make sure this brand was electrified, and that involves the plug-in hybrid models from launch and making sure that we have the Born at the earliest possible opportunity,” he said.
“We’re still working on the details of the range, but I would certainly expect the 170kW e-Boost version within the range.
“In terms of specific grades and battery packs, we will come back and confirm that.”
Said to offer the space of a medium-size car inside, the Born is 4322mm long, 1802mm wide, 1540mm high and sports a 2766mm wheelbase.
Shafer said several other EV models were on the radar for Cupra locally, with officials lobbying to get as much stock as they can.
“We are going to be making the transition from combustion-engine vehicles to EVs pretty quickly within the Cupra range, so we’ve already seen some concepts coming up from Cupra in the electric space,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Skoda Enyaq iV and Coupe iV are due to launch either in the second half of 2023 or early in 2024, while the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 are also locked in for launch later next year.
Related: Cupra Formentor, Ateca and Leon pricing announced
Related: Cupra Born arrives in Australia
Related: Cupra Born 2022 Review
Related: Cupra EVs fast-tracked for Oz
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