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2021 SEAT el-Born Spied Winter Testing, Looks Like the Volkswagen ID.3

Because it shares the MEB vehicle architecture with the ID.3, the el-Born looks quite similar to Volkswagen’s electric hatchback. The carparazzi caught a camo’d prototype doing its thing in sub-zero weather, complete with the series-production exterior lighting, alloy wheels, and roof spoiler.
2021 SEAT el-Born 12 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Up front, you can also catch a glimpse of the lower grille’s pattern as well as the radar sensor for the adaptive cruise control. The lights are all diodes, and like the ID.3, the side mirrors are attached to the doors instead of the A-pillars. Even the side windows are similar to the Volkswagen, which goes to show that the el-Born can be summed up as a badge-engineered product.

Presented as a concept car in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show, the five-door hatchback features rear-wheel drive thanks to an e-motor with 204 PS (201 horsepower) on tap. Battery capacities should number three choices, starting with the Pure at 48 kWh. The Pro and Pro S versions have gross capacities of 62 and 82 kWh in the Volkswagen. The most expensive option is good for up to 550 kilometers on a full charge (342 miles in the UK).

“The el-Born embodies the technologies and design philosophy that will help us meet the challenges we face in the future,” said Luca de Meo when the concept was unveiled. On the other hand, the president of SEAT didn’t mention a thing about a dual-motor option or a performance-centric model.

On the technological front, Level 2 autonomy will provide autonomous steering, acceleration, and deceleration for brief periods of time. The driver is still required to keep his or her hands on the wheel every 10 seconds or so, but hey, it’s a start towards Level 3 and ultimately Level 5 autonomy!

Something that doesn’t get our hopes up is the interior of the el-Born. SEAT always had worse materials than Volkswagen on the dashboard and door cards, and because the ID.3 already features cheap trim throughout the cabin, it’s pretty much a given the el-Born won’t feature any improvements.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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