Cupra Born VZ 2025 Review

It's too early for local 2025 Cupra Born pricing as costs and full specification are still being wrangled with the Spanish car brand but when the electric hot hatch lands in early 2025 we suspect it won't be cheap.

After all, the base Cupra Born starts at $59,990 and the hotter more powerful version is expected to command a premium of at least $10,000 on top of that, suggesting the Born VZ will be priced north of $70,000.

That could be a problem for some buyers as it will see the slower Cupra hot hatch cost significantly more than the much-quicker MG4 XPOWER ($59,990).

Helping justify its premium the Cupra comes with an impressive standard level of kit that on top of the base Born's LED headlights, ambient lighting, heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and metallic paint you get larger, wider 20-inch wheels, Cup bucket seats and five seats thanks to the better packaging of the new battery.

Another benefit is you get the more modern and larger 12.9-inch infotainment system that runs VW's latest software that is quicker to react, plus there's the handy backlit sliders to raise or lower the temperature within.

Finally, the flagship VZ comes with a ten-speaker 425-watt Sennheiser premium sound system, plus an upgraded Smart Light interactive ambient lighting that helps with parking, infotainment functions and even alerts you when there's danger ahead.

When it comes to safety the standard Cupra Born has a fine track record receiving five stars for protection in both Euro NCAP and local ANCAP testing. The VZ adds the car-maker's latest semi-autonomous cruise which includes the firm's latest lane-keep assist tech that now works even on poorly marked roads. The advanced tech can assist with lane changes too.

Other fresh driver assist tech includes a remote park assist feature, a new top view 360-degree camera, blind-spot detection, exit warning, a more advanced auto-high-beam and traffic sign recognition.

Perhaps the most significant upgrade the Born has undergone to transform it into the hot hatch is it now features an entirely all-new powertrain that employs the Volkswagen Group's latest AP550 inverter and e-motor.

Producing 240kW and 545Nm of torque, the gains over the standard Born represent a 40 per cent hike in power and a substantial 75 per cent gain in torque.

It's no surprise that 0-100km/h now takes just 5.6 seconds – a second quicker than the current Born with the e-Boost pack, while top speed rises to 200km/h (40km/h faster).

Sadly, when it comes to impromptu traffic light grand prix the latest Cupra hot hatch is blown into the weeds by the MG4 XPOWER that takes just 3.8sec to launch from 0-100km/h.

That said, the Cupra Born VZ does get a new bigger 79kWh battery that sees it cover a very respectable 570km on a single charge. Topping up is at a rate of 170kW with 10 to 80 per cent charge taking 30 minutes, although software updates might see charge increase to around 185+kW which will drop that time to around 26mins.

As mentioned earlier, focusing on the 2025 Cupra Born VZ's straight-line speed is missing the point. With the Volkswagen Group's resources Cupra could have easily thrown in a second motor and produced a 400+kW rival to the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N but it didn't.

Instead, it recruited one of its WTCC touring car racers to its engineering team who were tasked to set out to make the Born VZ as enjoyable as possible.

The result is a car that rides on new adaptive dampers and springs and gets fresh anti-roll bars. Big hardware changes have also occurred with both the steering and brakes and behind the wheel if you've driven the standard car you'll be instantly won over by the level of composure and engagement now offered.

We love the new Cup seats that also grip you tightly and provide the impression you're sitting low.

Initially, the Born VZ doesn't feel as instantly agile as a Golf GTI and that's because weighing in at around two-tonnes it isn't but grip and traction impress.

Where the Born VZ delights is when you grab it by the scruff of its neck along your favourite road and push too hard and it understeers, instead of coming off the throttle the instant slug of torque means you can rebalance the car using the throttle, just like a powerful sports sedan.

It's addictive and demonstrates how finely balanced it is (there is a 48:52 weight distribution) while the stability control is there to help any slide doesn't get out of hand.

Finally, the new adaptive dampers also manage to shake off a poorly surfaced road meaning the Born VZ should prove as easy to live with as a Golf GTI.

While we like the revised steering that is both light and precise and well-weighted the brakes still need plenty of work before they're a match for the very best hot hatches. They suffer some dead travel and aren't as progressive as they should be as the computers blend the regenerative effect of clawing back energy with real mechanical braking.

Making up for the odd pedal feel are the steering wheel-mounted paddles that help dial-up brake regen on the move and can even replicate the feeling of a down-change when entering a right bend.

We also hate the fact the fastest Born VZ relies on rear drum brakes that smacks of cost-cutting.

Another unusual decision by the engineering team is the omission of a synthetic soundtrack for the sportiest Born. Instead, there's just silence that's amplified by the high-level of refinement dished up by the new powertrain.

Speaking of which, while we never wished for more power its feels like the Born VZ and new breed of electric hot hatches will always miss out on the very final few tenths of engagement a combustion-powered engine can deliver and, ultimately, without a rorty four-cylinder turbo the Born VZ is too polite, sophisticated and well-mannered to measure to some of the heroes from the hot hatch past.

After plenty of time spent behind the wheel it's surprisingly easy to justify the 2025 Cupra Born VZ over the much-quicker MG4 XPOWER that always feels like its chassis can't quite keep up with speeds it so easily serves up. We loved the level of engagement, adjustability and sheer fun it offers. Shame it's probably going to be priced out of contention for many buyers because this side of the $110,000+ Hyundai IONIQ 5 N it's hard to think of an EV that's more fun.

2025 Cupra Born VZ at a glance:
Price: $70,000* (estimated, plus on-road costs)
Available: Early 2025
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 240kW/545Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 79kWh lithium-ion
Range: 570km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: 5-star (ANCAP 2022)

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