Electric Cupra Born a chance for Oz

The Cupra Born could be the first battery-electric vehicle from a mainstream Volkswagen Group brand to launch in Australia.

While the Spanish performance car spin-off from SEAT doesn’t arrive here until 2022 – watch out for the launch line-up to be announced later this week – local management of the enthusiast brand has already identified the Cupra Born and electrification as a potential marketing and sales opportunity.

There’s no guarantee that Cupra will achieve its Born ambition, as its fellow brands Volkswagen and Skoda already have EVs on sale in other markets.

And one member of Volkswagen Group Australia, luxury brand Audi, already sells an electric car in Australia, having launched the Audi e-tron last year, which is currently priced from $137,100 plus on-road costs.

“Cupra would love to be the first [mainstream] group brand in Australia to bring an EV to market,” a spokesman confirmed.

“But the conditions that have applied which have prevented us from doing so with other brands continue to apply.”

The lack of government incentives for EVs in Australia has dulled Volkswagen Group Australia’s enthusiasm for EVs until now, but the new sweetener in New South Wales announced last Sunday have warmed things up a little.

Both the Volkswagen ID.4 and its non-identical twin the Skoda Enyaq iV are mid-size SUVs that would suit Australian market tastes.

By contrast, the Born is a five-door hatchback based on the same version of the VW Group’s MEB electric vehicle architecture as the Volkswagen ID.3.

The Born is Cupra’s first EV and it will launch internationally with a choice of 110kW, 150kW and 170kW if you tick the option box marked e-Boost. All Born e-motors make 310Nm and are mounted on the rear axle.

Lithium-ion battery pack choices are 45kWh, 58kWh and 77kWh – if you opt for the Range pack option. The WLTP range starts at around 310km, then climbs through 420km and tops out at 540km.

The quickest Born combination is the 170kW e-motor and 58kWh battery pack, which can reach 100km/h in 6.6 seconds.

Capable of fast-charging at a maximum 125kW DC, the Born can add 100km of range in seven minutes.

The Born’s powertrain will be complemented by a tuned sports chassis that includes progressive steering, dynamic chassis control (DCC), ESC Sport and lower ride height.

Designed at Cupra’s Martorell headquarters near Barcelona, the Born will start production in September at Zwickau in Germany alongside the Volkswagen ID.3.