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The Cupra Born is the Volkswagen ID.3 by way of Spain

This is the first all-electric product of Seat’s performance division

Cupra's first entry into the world of electric cars looks edgy. PHOTO FROM CUPRA

For Seat to have a separate Cupra division for performance products is a clear intent of its plans to make fast cars a priority. We’ve seen it in the Formentor VZ5. The Spanish automaker’s sporting arm is kind of what GTI is to parent company Volkswagen. So, when Cupra unveiled its take on the ID.3 called the Born, it was only natural for us to want to see if it could give us any information about the upcoming GTX version of the VW hatchback.

The car is named after El Born, a trendy district in Barcelona. PHOTOS FROM CUPRA

The Born gets the same powertrain choices as the ID.3: 148hp and 201hp. But Cupra is offering the car with an optional e-Boost performance pack that pumps up output to 228hp. The sprint to 100km/h is dispatched in a Cupra-worthy 6.6 seconds with the smaller battery pack. Admittedly, the bump in horsepower is a little on the low side, and it might be due to Volkswagen wanting even more grunt for the ID.3 GTX. Still, the numbers alone make the Born deserving of the Cupra badge.

The combination of colors make the Born distinctive from its ID.3 twin. PHOTOS FROM CUPRA

Cupra models have recently been more attractive than their counterparts from the Volkswagen Group. While the ID.3 is far from boring, there is just something about the way Seat manages to elevate most VW products. The Born just looks more daring and edgy with its combination of colors and different front and rear bumpers. It’s a car that looks like it wants to play, which is the whole point of the Cupra brand’s existence.

The augmented-reality HUD makes driving this car feel like a video game. PHOTOS FROM CUPRA

That same fun-loving spirit extends to the interior with its equally striking theme of various hues. Tech-savvy drivers will definitely like the augmented-reality heads-up display that shows information in a layered format. But being an electric product of the VW Group means the Born also has environment-conscious touches like the upholstery yarn made from plastics fished out of rivers and seas.

Seat and Cupra vehicles should definitely be sold in more countries. PHOTO FROM CUPRA

Even with its clearly Spanish origins, the Cupra Born will be produced at the Zwickau factory where the ID.3 is also made. It will be interesting to see how the car will compare to the spicy iteration of Volkswagen’s electric hatchback. But we’re not betting on the latter looking more macho. If the horsepower difference isn’t all that substantial, we’ll get the Born.



Miggi Solidum

Miggi is an editor-at-large at VISOR. Professionally speaking, he is a software engineering dude who happens to like cars a lot. And as an automotive enthusiast, he wants a platform from which he can share his motoring thoughts with fellow petrolheads. He writes the 'G-Force' column.



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