When reviewing the new Cupra Formentor a few weeks back, I mentioned that when a car company introduces a new brand it can takes some time for the car-buying public to get to know about it and its range of cars.
Advertising helps and word of mouth is also good, but nothing beats seeing the car ‘in the flesh.’ The Formentor was gorgeous and so is the Cupra Born that I drove last week. Both are new cars from the Cupra brand, which is the performance sub-section of Seat cars.
The Born is Cupra’s first fully electric motor. It was unveiled as a concept car in 2019 as El-Born and takes its name from an area in La Ribera, one of the oldest districts in the city of Barcelona.
The Seat headquarters is in Martorell, which is in the hills above Barcelona, but the Born is made at Seat’s German plant in Zwickau. I read recently that the plant in Zwickau produces 1,400 electric cars per day, including VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and Audi Q4.
My test car came in Quasar Grey and with 19-inch typhoon alloys it was very attractive to look at. The copper surround on the air intake and the copper touches inside the cabin are just two of the features that add to the classy look of the Born. The Cupra logo is distinctive and you will find it on the bonnet, the boot and on the steering wheel. The one on the boot will also open the boot for you.
The designers say they wanted to make a real statement with the Cupra, and they came up with an unusual logo. The design team say the creation of a separate and powerful logo was critical in order to help establish Cupra as an independent brand of car. As an emblem it’s supposed to symbolise the sense of belonging to a clan, the Cupra clan.
When you sit in there is no ignition to turn on, simply select drive on the unusual shaped lever to the right of the steering wheel and off you go. All the information you need for the controls and radio are available in the impressive 12-inch infotainment screen on the dash.
The interior colour was Granite Grey Dinamica, which was a bit dark, but my test car had a neat sunroof which naturally brightened the décor and added to the classy look.
In the back seat, there is room for two adults in comfort, three at a squeeze and the boot has a 385-litre capacity, which is decent. As usual with most electric cars, no spare wheel.
You should get about 430km from the 78kW battery, while the smaller 58kW unit should deliver about 350km. It will charge very quickly.
Prices start at €42,080, while my test car which came with some extras, will cost you €53,077. Road tax is only €120. Just one annoying item for the driver, who has control of all the windows. You have to choose rear or front and I often found myself opening the back windows by mistake. Surely there was room for separate buttons for back and front windows?
Mature readers may remember Butch Moore, the lead singer with the Capitol Showband, who had a big hit in the sixties with a song called ‘Born to Be With You.’ So, if you are thinking of making the switch to electric maybe this Born is for you.
