After the Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.6 for China, Audi Q4 e-tron twins, and Skoda Enyaq, it’s high time for SEAT to unleash its first purpose-built EV in the guise of the Born. Marketed under the Cupra go-faster brand, the newcomer is offered with rear-wheel drive and three battery options.
A rear-mounted electric motor drives the rear wheels with 150 PS (148 horsepower) and 310 Nm (229 pound-feet) of torque in the base specification, which marries the e-motor with a 45-kWh battery. This version of the Cupra Born is good for 340 kilometers (211 miles) between charges and zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in a rather slow 8.9 seconds.
Higher up in the lineup, the compact-sized hatchback offers a 58-kWh battery, 204 PS (201 horsepower), the same level of torque, 420 kilometers (261 miles), and 7.3 seconds. Customers can spruce things up to 231 PS (228 horsepower) with the E-Boost performance package, cutting down the sprint to 6.6 seconds. And finally, the largest battery available offers 77 kWh of net capacity and 540 kilometers (336 miles) of WLTP-rated range.
Scheduled to enter production in Zwickau, Germany, in September 2021 at the factory where the ID.3 is also produced since November 2019, the Born is the first Cupra to benefit from a net CO2 neutral concept. In plain English, the performance brand refers to renewable sources used in the supply chain.
Another way the Born helps cut back the automaker’s carbon footprint is the SEAQUAL Yarn used for the fabric of the bucket seats, which is a pompous way of saying recycled marine plastics. Customers can upgrade to Dinamica, a plusher fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and T-shirts.
In addition to near-perfect weight distribution, the 2022 Cupra Born should handle pretty well for an electric vehicle thanks to the low center of gravity and the differential that distributes the motor’s torque between the rear wheels. The electric power steering system may not be to an enthusiastic driver’s liking, and the same can be said about the low rolling resistance tires.
Pricing remains the only unknown variable at the present moment, but it’s easy to understand why the Born will be more expensive than the equivalent ID.3 from Volkswagen. Speaking of which, the entry-level version of the ID.3 currently retails from €31,960 (make that $39,160) back home in Germany.
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. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News