Cupra is wowing buyers in Australia at the moment by offering a range of very interesting models. And one of the latest to hit the scene is the Cupra Born. It’s a fully electric hot hatch that is, get this, rear-wheel drive.
Yep, a rear-wheel drive hot hatch. Okay, it is electric which obviously takes some of the fun away, being silent and all of that. But still, it’s great to see car brands making efforts to keep the average driving enthusiast happy.
Just a single trim level is being offered in Australia. It comes powered by a 82kWh (or 77kWh usable) battery that feeds a 170kW/310Nm rear-mounted e-motor. Cupra says to expect a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds, which is perfectly in line with hot hatch territory.
What is the full-charge range of the Cupra Born? It depends. If you stick to the standard package the figure is 511km. However, there is a Performance Package available that causes the range to drop to 475km. That’s because it comes with Dynamic Chassis Control which is probably heavier, as well as 20-inch ‘Firestorm’ alloy wheels that wear wider 235 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
As standard the Cupra Born comes with a 12-inch touch-screen media interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired), along with digital radio. A 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster, four USB-C ports, dual-zone climate control, and sports suspension and aluminium pedals also come standard.
Front passengers get Seaqual bucket seats, and there’s some special floor mats, an alarm system, tinted windows at the rear, along with LED taillights and headlights, and a bunch of safety assist systems that should keep you out of trouble.
The Cupra Born joins a growing lineup of appealing models hitting Australian showrooms, alongside the Leon, Ateca and Formentor. According to April VFACTS new vehicle registration figures, Cupra has delivered 967 vehicles so far this year (for the first four months of the year).
Since the brand is only new we can’t compare that figure to past performances. However, for perspective, that’s more than Alfa Romeo (124 units), Genesis (445), Jaguar (145), Peugeot (609), and Polestar (670).
The Born is on sale now priced from $59,990 (excluding on-road costs) and Cupra is offering drive-away specials in most states; NSW is listed at $62,490, Victoria at $64,990, and WA from $66,490. Only two option packs are available, including the Interior Package for $2900 and the Performance Package for $2600.
