Cupra: This is how the Born electric car drives 🎥

The Born's electric motor, with a choice of 110 kW or 150 kW and 310 Nm each, acts on the rear axle.

The Born is considered the sporty version of the VW ID.3 and, like its Stromer colleague, is also produced in Zwickau, Germany. Nevertheless, the Born is no copycat and knows how to convince, as AutoSprintCH was able to determine on a first test drive.

Concept and development in Martorell, Spain
Underneath the Born's body is the same technical basis as in the VW ID.3, the ID.4, the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Škoda Enyaq IV. All these electric vehicles from the VW Group use the modular e-drive system (MEB) developed in 2015.

Consequently, the Spaniard, which was developed in the company's home town of Martorell near Barcelona, will be built together with the e-tron and the IDs at the plant that has been specially converted for the production of electric cars.

20-inch rims and 235-millimeter-wide tires
However, the Spaniards were not satisfied with just putting a copy on the tires. A few wishes could not be realized, Cupra regrets - for example, a version with all-wheel drive. But in Martorell, they've done some fine-tuning where possible.

The body design, for example, which they have tailored to the MEB platform, is much sportier and more aggressive than that of the other Group electric cars. The Born's dimensions are roughly the same as those of the VW ID.3, but the body is lowered by 15 millimeters at the front and 10 millimeters at the rear. The Born thus appears much closer to the road than a conventional SUV.

And when it comes to the tires, Cupra has not focused purely on saving energy, but more on looks: In addition to the 215-millimeter-wide tires mounted on 18- or 20-inch rims, 235-millimeter-wide tires can also be ordered.

The gimbal tunnel serves as a spacious shelf
At first glance, nothing reveals that the Born is a pure electric car. And at second glance? Neither does it. Even the cover of the power socket is located where the gas cap is on a combustion engine.

The impression of a normal compact crossover doesn't change when you get in. There is even a cardan tunnel between the seats. This no longer has a technical function in electric cars. In the Born, however, it serves as a lush storage space.

Important information on the head-up display
Cupra has moved functional elements such as the gear selector to the side of the small but clear instrument cluster - this switch is also familiar from the ID.3 or BMW i3.

A clearly legible head-up display projects the most important information in front of the driver onto the windshield. The front sports bucket seats can be adjusted sufficiently far, are comfortable and offer excellent lateral support even on long journeys.

Acceleration to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds
The Born readily delivers everything that makes an electric car so special today. We set off silently on our test drive, and the journey between Barcelona and Sitges was very quiet. In the city, the car, like any e-car, brings a lot of comfort with its automatic transmission and easy handling. However, we experienced the real driving fun on winding mountain roads.

The Born sits excellently on the road, surfs through the curves as if on rails with its almost optimal weight distribution, and we never had the feeling that we wanted too much from the rear-wheel drive car in the curve.

The small battery pack enables acceleration to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds; with the more powerful battery pack, 6.6 seconds are sufficient - somewhat faster than a Porsche Macan in the basic version, for example. The electric motor with either 110 kW (150 hp) or 150 kW (204 hp) and 310 Nm of torque from the first revolution in each case acts on the rear axle.

Performance model coming in spring 2022
The nippy German-built Spaniard appeals to male and female drivers who like it sporty. Those who not only want this expressed in looks but also in dynamics should wait until the performance model hits the road in spring 2022. It offers 170 kW or 231 hp.

Those who want to experience the Born live can take off on a test drive at Auto Zürich until Sunday, November 7, 2021.

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