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Seat Retains the Tacky Name for Its Production EV: Cupra el-Born Is... Born

Cupra has a perfectly sane explanation for choosing the name el-Born for the initial concept, and for the upcoming production electric vehicle they just presented at “Casa Seat” in Spain: it is, after all, a historic barrio in Barcelona. But at the end of the day it still sounds like a B-movie derivative of the serious MEB platform.
2021 Cupra el-Born 20 photos
Photo: Seat SA
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We knew it was coming – after all, the Volkswagen Group keeps threatening us with countless electric vehicles based on the modular, EV-dedicated MEB car architecture, including one based on the 2019 Geneva Motor Show el-Born Concept.

While Cupra would like us to think otherwise, the production-series model is not exactly bubbling over with personality – the Spanish division clearly infused the EV with its own styling traits, but somehow the underlying ID.3 atmosphere is still very much alive as well.

Nonetheless, this is Cupra’s first-ever 100% electric model, so the el-Born is a major step for the strategic outcome of the company – especially during these troubled times.

The new Spanish performance vehicle will be manufactured at the e-mobility site of Zwickau, in Germany – alongside the VW ID.3. That’s a predictable piece of information, because the Cupra el-Born is clearly an enhanced version of the ID.3.

According to the first details revealed by Cupra, the el-Born will come with specific fine-tuning. Most importantly, the Spanish model features an exclusive MEB-enhanced Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (DCC Sport) system, enabling it to continuously adapt to the surrounding driving conditions.

The Cupra el-Born will be capable of sprinting from a standstill to 50 kph (31 mph) in just 2.9 seconds. The model is scheduled to arrive in 2021 with a 77 kWh (82 kWh gross) battery pack, enabling a range of up to 500 km (312 miles). It will also be just as proficient in terms of recharging, being able to recuperate more than 260 km (162 miles) in just 30 minutes.

The interior features high-quality recycled materials, sport bucket seats, a new Cupra mode-enabled steering wheel with Drive Profile Selection, as well as a Head-Up Display with AR (Augmented Reality) capabilities.

For more information on the el-Born check press release attached below.

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press release
About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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