Cupra Born Review 2024

Electric cars are coming on in leaps and bounds, as the Cupra Born proves. It's focus is on driving enjoyment and performance, while also bringing a good slug of comfort to the mix as well. Based on the Volkswagen ID.3, we'll find out in this review just how good the Cupra Born.

Arguably the world's first electric hot hatch, the Cupra Born is a Volkwagen ID.3 with a scowling front-end slapped on it as well as an edgier-looking backside. It might be more appealing than its German cousin but, first, it's worth reminding ourselves what exactly Cupra is.

A relatively new brand in its own right, Cupra was formerly a long-standing sporty sub-brand of SEAT. It began its journey alone with the lightly rebadged hot Cupra Ateca and Leon but has since branched out into its own bespoke models, such as the Formentor coupe-SUV. 

The Cupra Born was the second bespoke car from the brand – at least in terms of its design. While to some eyes it looks like an ID.3 that's been photoshopped to look really angry, the angular nose, sharp surfacing and full-width light bar over the tailgate works better in the metal. Think of it as the ID.3's evil twin, which will suit those who reckon VW's effort is too bland and gawky. 

Inside, too, the basic architecture of the ID.3 is largely familiar, with the same overall dashboard architecture. While the Cupra Born couldn't be described as posh, it does at least look and feel a bit more interesting than the VW.

That added spice doesn't come at the expense of practicality. Although this is a family hatchback and not a more fashionable SUV bodystyle, you get more space than inside a Cupra Leon. Four adults should be pretty comfortable inside the Born, while wide opening doors means life easier, too.

Being based on the ID.3 means it gets very similar specs in terms of electric range and charging. There's rapid charging at up to 135kW with the bigger battery, enough for 62 miles of range to be added in just seven minutes. There are 58- and 77kWh battery options available, with the latter offering up to 342 miles on a charge. Cupra also claims the Born is delivered net carbon neutral, offsetting the production impact on the environment.

With the intention of the Born being a sportier model, Cupra's cheapest version offers more power than a base ID.3 (you can either have 204PS or 231PS). Both offer perky performance and are rear-wheel drive, which means the Born feels supremely agile both in and out of town.

The Cupra Born also sits lower to the ground than the ID.3 on which it's based, with a sportier suspension tune and optional Dynamic Chassis Control with five modes. The Born also gets specifically developed wider tyres and optimised brake feel, resulting in a sharper and more engaging overall feel than the VW on twisty roads. 

The trade-off is a ride that's a touch firmer than the ID.3, so if comfort is the priority the VW is the better bet. Thankfully, though, the Born is never harsh or uncomfortable, feeling well-controlled over even the worst surfaces. 

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You'll forgive us for mentioning the Volkswagen ID.3 so much in this review, but the similarities cannot be ignored. Strip away the badging, some details and the finishes and the basic cabin architecture is nearly identical.

That does mean, though, that you get great forward visibility thanks to a deep windscreen and slightly raised-up driving position. The steeply raked pillars to obstruct your junction view a bit, but it's not bad. Rearward visibility is limited by a narrow rear window, but you get parking sensors and a camera as standard to help with that. 

The standard single-piece sports seats are comfortable yet supportive, and there's plenty of adjustment in the wheel. Like the ID.3, the digital dial display pod is mounted to the steering column and moves with it, meaning you can't obscure it. 

Generally, it's a very light and airy cabin, helped by large glass areas and good headroom. Cupra prefers moodier, sportier trim colours to some of the light and bright options available on certain ID.3s, but we like the copper inserts dotted around the dash, as well as the fabric on the doors and centra armrest. We also like that Cupra has decided to put a sliding cover over the central cupholders, differing from the VW.

Some areas of the cabin are a little disappointing, though. There's more hard plastic than you might expect in places such as the door cards, and although general build quality seems solid, there's more of a plush feel to Peugeot's smaller electric cars, for example. 

That's not our only complaint, either. While the physical toggle switch for the 'gears' is pleasant to use, the VW Group's obsession with minimalist controls and touch sensitive switchgear frustrates. 

The touch buttons for the lights are mildly irritating, as is the silly haptic 'slider' for the temperature and volume control below the touchscreen. But most annoying is the touch sensitive wheel controls with volume buttons that do nothing if you simply press them – you have to caress them in a certain way to get them to respond.

Other annoyances include the several jabs of the touchscreen display required simply to turn the heated seats on or off, while there are no physical rear window controls up front – you have to switch between controlling the front and rear windows with the same switches – which strikes us as a cynical piece of cost-cutting. 

We're less frustrated by the infotainment screen itself, which is slightly easier to use than VW's similar system. Overall, you also get a good level of standard equipment, too. 

As you'd expect with Cupra being one of the VW Group stable's sporting brands, the Born has had a few changes made to it over the ID.3 to increase its appeal with keener drivers. 

For starters, it sits lower to the ground (10mm at the front, 15mm at the rear), has bigger wheels, and wider tyres specifically designed for the car. The optional adaptive dampers in the Dynamic Pack have a specific tune for the Born, too. It also has a more lenient mode to the stability control, although it doesn't let you turn it fully off. 

The latter point is a shame because, as the Cupra Born is rear-wheel drive, it could've been the first hot hatch capable of full-on oversteer since the last-generation BMW 1 Series. But that's hardly relevant to road driving, and we suspect given the Born weighs around 1750kg Cupra didn't want people pushing it beyond the limit. 

It's not so different to the ID.3 then, and sure enough it doesn't take long for you to realise this isn't a full-on hot hatchback like the Cupra Leon. For starters, the ride is still pretty comfortable, feeling a little tighter than the ID.3 but not letting big potholes thump into the cabin too much. 

Try to drive it like a lunatic and it won't thrill you like a hot hatch, either, refusing to engage in any playfulness and gripping relentlessly. However, accept that and wind the speed down a bit and there is fun to be had. Body control is very good for something so heavy, which combined with that instant power delivery, accurate and well-weighted steering, and a reluctance to understeer means you can enjoy threading it down a twisty B-road. 

It's certainly more fun than most small electric cars, which feel heavy and wallowy. But it's also great to drive around town thanks to the short overhangs, good visibility and a tight 10.2m turning circle. On the motorway, while it does fidget a bit more than softly sprung rivals, it cruises pretty nicely too. 

The brakes are strong and more natural feeling than in some EVs, where the pedal feel is artificial and it's difficult to come to a stop smoothly. Sport mode will increase the regenerative braking effect to simulate engine braking, as well as adding weight to the steering. But you can increase the regen braking by selecting 'B' mode on the drive rocker switch. 

That, combined with the lack of gearchanges and the need to even worry about turning it on when you step in makes it a doddle to drive. It's a pretty impressive all-rounder, then. But we suspect Cupra has more up its sleeve as higher performance, even sportier variants are in the works. 

To make the most of the potential for super low running costs with the Cupra Born you'll need to be able to charge at home. With energy costs rising it's not as cheap as it used to be to do so, but topping up your battery overnight is still vastly cheaper than filling up a petrol or diesel car with fuel. 

A domestic three-pin plug will take the best part of a full day to charge a 58kWh Born, but invest in a 7kW home wallbox and a full charge can be done in nine hours or so. Expect to add a couple of hours to that for the 77kWh battery version. 

If you need to do longer journeys you'll be at the mercy of the UK's public charging network, which is variable depending on where you live. Find a working rapid charger that can pump the full 100kWh speeds into the Born and you'll take it from 10-80% charge in around half an hour. 

The 77kWh Cupra Born can charge even faster at up to 170kW, meaning you can (in theory) achieve the same state of charge in a similar time with more range. 

At the moment the cheapest Cupra Born on the market is the 204PS model in V1 trim with the 58kWh battery, which starts from £36,475.

Step up to V2 trim and you'll pay £38,395, while V3 trim commands at least £40,150 at the time of writing. V2 and V3 trim also give you the option of the bigger battery and more powerful motor, starting from £41,975 and £43,735 respectively. 

Seeking out a used Cupra Born and a two-year old example with 15,000 miles clocked up will cost you from around £23,000 for a V1 model. Opt for a V2 version and you'll need to spend a further £1000, and the same again for the V3.