Test of the Cupra Born: the electric which exceeds the terminals?

The Volkswagen group continues its offensive in the field of electric with a new car based on the famous Meb platform: the Cupra Born, which wants to be naturally the technical cousin of the Volkswagen Id.3, with a slightly more sporty temperament.What is this new electric compact is worth?This is what we went to see on the side of Barcelona, during a test of a few hours.

Is it still necessary to present the Cupra brand?First present at Seat as a sports label, Cupra emancipated itself in 2018 by becoming a brand in its own right.So far, it was content to rebadge Seat vehicles before deploying a new product plan, with the ambition to electrify a good part of its range.Member of the Volkswagen group, Cupra takes advantage of the organic group's organ banking to draw some elements-most of its even elements should be said-and this technical cousin of the Volkswagen Id.3 should not reserve us big surprises.

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However, Cupra died on to make her electric a little more spicy than the ID.3, with elements that are specific to it.Starting with the external style, a little more modern, and a less stripped interior which, in our eyes, becomes more qualitative.But we will come back to it below.At the same time, Cupra selling its product as a rather dynamic model, the engineers saw some elements at the chassis level to try to provide an ounce of pleasure behind the steering wheel to its driver.Does it feel behind the steering wheel?Are we dealing with a real little sportsman or a compact barely more dynamic than an ID.3?This is what we will check in this test.

Technical sheet

Design

Is this model telling you something?This is normal, since its concept car was presented in 2018, but under the Seat logo and bore the name of "El Born", in reference to a district of Barcelona, not far from the headquarters of Seat and Cupra.The Cupra Born is a rather large compact, with a length of 4.32 meters, or 6 centimeters more than the Volkswagen ID.3.

It claims a width of 1.81 meters, a height of 1.54 meters and a wheelbase of 2.77 meters or, at the nearest millimeters, the same ratings as the ID.3.The Iberian compact has larger wheels than its German cousin: tires can reach 235 millimeters wide and the size of the rims can oscillate from 18 to 20 inches.What to deteriorate comfort?We will see it a little lower.

Aesthetically, as you can see, the Cupra Born has much more racy lines and curves, more imposing wheels and a ground cleared from 15 millimeters at the front and 10 millimeters at the rear.The front is distinguished by a nose which echoes that of a shark according to the brand, in particular thanks to the presence of a very fine grille associated with a ribbed and plunging hood.The shield inherits a large opening underlined with a copper border, a distinctive color of the brand, which is found in particular at the level of the logo.

From back, the Cupra Born is distinguished by a large diffuser surmounted by the license plate, enough to literally establish the car on the road and give it the dynamic side desired.A large beak extends the roof line with a rear amount that accentuates the effect of the floating pavilion.

These rear amounts, unlike the ID.3, are not provided with a simple sticker, but small patterns in diamond directly machined.If the ID.3 did not succumb to the fashion of light banners crossing the stern, the Cupra Born made this choice, as on practically all the latest new models presented by the.

Habitability

If the Volkswagen ID.3 did not necessarily mark our minds by its ergonomics and the quality of its materials, the Cupra Born is a little better, without correcting all the defects of its cousin.We generally find the dashboard of the German compact, with a small 5.3-inch screen under the driver's eyes and a larger 12 inch, tactile, to control the whole info-divisional system.

The selected materials are of qualities and a little more original than aboard the ID.3, with in particular 3D patterned doors, or the presence of a central console which gives a more "cocoon" appearance once installed on board, where the ID.3 prefers to leave a large empty space.As standard on our 204 horsepower test version, the seats are in Seaqual fabric, that is to say that the fabric is made with plastic recovered in the oceans and then recycled.

Regarding space on board, the Cupra Born is larger than the ID.3, but gives less this impression of space.However, the Born does not lack volume, with a habitability worthy of the upper segment and a rather comfortable rear seat to transport two passengers, and even a third thanks to the absence of a transmission tunnel which usually hinders the space to the legs.

Only downside for the rear central place, the seat is a little less comfortable than the other two.The rear passengers will benefit, like those at the front, from two USB-C ports, while an induction recharge is also available under the front armrest.

Finally, with regard to the chest volume, the Cupra Born is exactly like the ID.3, with a volume of 385 liters, which can climb up to 1267 liters once the rear seat folded down.It is still necessary not to transport the imposing charging cables, which still take a little space in this trunk, rather spacious but not gigantic either for the category.

On -board technologies

As stated above, our test model has two screens, a 5.3 -inch very small under the eyes of the driver who seems almost ridiculous in size compared to what is offered today in competition, all the moreMore than its "floating" integration is a bit clumsy and does not really qualitative.

For once, that of the ŠKODA ENYAQ, which has the same screen, benefits from more successful integration.This small screen is modular with different displays, but is not as complete as hoped for, the central touch screen acting as a real "control tower".A augmented reality head-up display system is available as an option for 1000 euros, but our test models were not equipped with it.

The 12 -inch touch screen, compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, does not benefit from an exceptional graphic quality, but the menus are rather pretty although are badly arranged, we get lost very quickly with a multitude ofsubmenus to manage different functions, starting with ventilation.

Even if the infotainment system suffers from complicated ergonomics, the menus are very numerous and rather practical, especially those related to electrification, with in particular a recharge planning during your long journeys via GPS.A vocal control system, which is challenged with the keywords "Hola, Hola", is also there.

Like his cousin ID.3, the Cupra Born benefits from a catalog of particularly supplied driving aids, with the predictive adaptive cruise control, the panel reading system, the dead angles detector or the 360 ° camera.Like the ID.3, the semi-autonomous driving system is a frank success, even on departmental, where the car will rather marry the curves, without having to put your hands on the steering wheel.To do this, remember to check the "Pack Pilot L" option at 460 euros on our trial version to take advantage of this rather surprising system of efficiency.

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The car can also be connected with urban infrastructure, if they are also obviously, but also with other cars thanks to the Car2X function.Technology does not use the mobile telephone network, which means that it offers extensive coverage within the system limits.

Within a radius of 800 meters maximum, connected vehicles directly exchange their information and positioning.This allows them to get into each other of dangers or to get in touch with the road infrastructure in a few milliseconds.Today, few cars are equipped with this system: its usefulness is therefore quite relative since the environment that revolves around is not yet mature enough.

Autonomy, battery and recharge

At a time when we write these lines, in France, the Cupra Born is available only with a motorization of 204 horsepower and a 58 kWh battery.Quickly, other versions should arrive and follow the same scheme as the ID.3, with a 150 horsepower version with a 45 kWh battery for the entry -level, and a 231 horsepower version with a 77 kWh battery that will arrive in 2022.Note that a variant of 231 horsepower with the 58 kWh intermediate battery will also be available.

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In this regard, communicating on 231 horses for the one called Cupra Born Vz is a bit ambitious, in the sense that it will be a temporary e-boost, available for only ten seconds and with a level of batterySufficient, a bit like the new Volkswagen ID.4 GTX.

In terms of autonomy, the version with the small battery claims 340 kilometers with a single load, 420 kilometers for the 58 kWh battery and 540 kilometers for that of 77 kWh.The batteries compatible with the fast chargers (125 kW) can recover 100 kilometers in 7 minutes, and 35 minutes are enough to find 80 % of the battery.The version with the 77 kWh battery may benefit in 2022 from a maximum charging power of 170 kW.

Conduct

During our test, we were able to take charge of the version sold in France for the moment, with the electric motor of 204 horsepower and 310 Nm positioned at the rear axle level.The Spanish manufacturer ensures that the transmission of the power to the rear axle and the distribution of the masses to 50-50 promote the sport temperament of the model, regardless of the version.With its 58 kWh battery, the autonomy displayed on the dashboard is approximately 320 kilometers, far from the 420 announced under the WLTP cycle.The previous users may have had a little heavy foot!

It must be said that our test journey was not frankly conducive to electric eco-driving, with a small passage in Barcelona, but especially more winding departmental roads in the heights of the Catalan capital, more what to testThe dynamic qualities of the car rather than its appetite in kWh.Nevertheless, with an average raised of 19 kWh/100 kilometers with a sometimes sporty driving, let's say that, like the ID.3, the Cupra Born is not a big kwh cruncher, and we could have descended well below being more attentive.

Cupra sells its Born as a model with dynamic claims, so let's use it in this way.From the first laps, indeed, the Iberian shows more temperament than the ID.3, even if the figures are strictly identical to equivalent version, with a 0 to 100 km/h shipped in 7.3 seconds.Our test version does not benefit from the "Cupra" driving mode, this mode being reserved for the Born Vz veloch of 231 horsepower.

Nevertheless, the "performance" mode makes it possible to harden the consistency of the management, to improve the response to the accelerator, or to harden the suspension if you checked the depreciation controlled at 850 euros.Our test model was not equipped with this last element, the option being available only from next year.

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In fact, indeed, the Cupra Born is a more dynamic car than the ID.3, without being a real sportsman either.The work of engineers around management and suspensions is felt, with a better controlled roll than an ID.3, a more informative direction and a more precise front axle.The slightly wider tires make it possible to have more stability in turn, even if, on a little tight curves, the ESP will tend to start too early, without being castrating.The behavior of the car remains generally very healthy and in no way trapping.

In terms of comfort, despite its sporting claims, it is rather correct, although a bit firm on certain compressions, the fault surely at the rims of our test version.Regarding braking, the transition between regenerative and friction is rather well managed, even if, as usual on most electric cars, the feeling at the start of the pedal is a hair too spongy.The Cupra Born benefits from a "B" mode to amplify regenerative braking, unfortunately it is not configurable on several levels and almost useless, even by activating it.

Price

The commands of the Cupra Born will be open from November 2, 2021 but, as a previously stated, only the 204 horsepower version with the 58 kWh battery will be available. Les prix débutent à partir de 40 250 euros, hors bonus écologique de 6000 euros (5000 euros dès le 1^er janvier 2022).With a few options, our test version is exchanged for just over 44,000 euros, enough to stay below the threshold of 45,000 euros and benefit from the maximum bonus in France.

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With the arrival of the 150 horsepower version and the small battery, the entrance ticket should be around 35,000 euros, excluding bonuses.The Cupra Born starts slightly above the Volkswagen ID.3, around 500 euros on average at power, battery and equivalent equipment level.For once, customers can choose between a more consensual and comfortable electric car, or a more dynamic model, both aesthetically and behind the steering wheel.The Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.3 are produced in the same factory in Zwickau, Germany in Germany.

Like the ID.3, the most fierce competing of the Cupra Born will be the Tesla Model 3 which displays higher prices than the Cupra Born, certainly, without the gap being abyssal nevertheless, with services above almost all levels, thatIt is in terms of technologies, autonomy and road services.And Tesla having had the good idea of recently lowering the prices of its Model 3 in France, some customers could think very seriously between the American sedan, or the Iberian compact with a Germanic accent.

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