Cupra Born: five reasons why we love it...and five why we loathe it

Cupra's first electric car is also its first entrant into the affordable EV niche. 

This is an area that is as eminently profitable as it is fiercely competitive, with cars such as the Volkswagen ID 3, Renault Megane E-Tech and the MG 4 nipping at the Cupra’s toes. 

But given that this sharply-styled hatchback is the creation of a company whose name is a contraction of cup and racing, the Born has a number of dynamic tricks up its sleeve to convince you that it is worth its asking price.

It arrived in 2021 as a refreshingly sporty take on the Volkswagen ID 3, and since then has rocketed to the upper reaches of the sales charts.

But since then fresher, more affordable competition has come along, so what key selling points does it still have, and does it have any drawbacks to detract from its appeal?

Read on to find out five things we love, and five things we loathe about the Cupra Born.

We LOVE the Cupra Born because...

The Born's rear-motored platform delivers a 50:50 weight distribution, with suspension that does a fantastic job of keeping body roll at bay. As you're going round a corner, the handling is responsive and balanced enough to make it a car that is as agile as it is entertaining; it really does feel rear-driven.

This is therefore an EV that has real driver appeal - a novelty since the only other electric cars with such a USP are the Abarth 500e and Kia EV6.

We LOATHE the Cupra Born because...

Its infotainment screen is essentially the same as those used on other Volkswagen Group products, which is to say it has an unlit temperature control-cum-volume bar, it takes longer than it should to boot up in the morning, it doesn't respond as quickly as it should, and the layout is unintuitive.

We LOVE the Cupra Born because...

Despite its positioning as the sporty cousin of the Volkswagen ID 3, the Born doesn't lose out on comfort; it is very well judged in this respect.

While the suspension is relatively firm, it feels expensively damped and rides with pliancy and composure even when fitted with 20in alloys.

If you want a floaty and utterly absorbent ride, you might be better off with a DS 4, but most of the time you will realise that the Born strikes a very nice balance between sportiness and comfort.

We LOATHE the Cupra Born because...

For a car with sporting intentions, it's not as quick as we would like. With the standard 58kWh car achieving a 0-100kmh time of 7.3sec and the 77kWh car dropping that to 6.6sec, it is about as fast as the ID 3 if a little quicker than the equivalent petrol hatchbacks.

But for something styled the way it is - both inside and out - we would expect more.

We LOVE the Cupra Born because...

It has a very competitive range and efficiency. You can expect to see real-world figures of 3.8mpkWh even when the car is used on longer motorway journeys. This makes for a range of around 322km for the standard 58kWh car and close to 402km for the 77kWh version.

The 58kWh car can charge at a maximum speed of 120kW, the 77kWh model 135kW. At their fastest charging speed, they can replenish their batteries from 5-80% in 35 minutes and 36 minutes respectively.

We LOATHE the Cupra Born because...

While its electric range is competitive, rivals such as the Kia Niro EV, Renault Megan E-Tech and Citroen e-C4 offer a similar range with comparable levels of equipment. Combine this with the fact that the Citroen is significantly cheaper and more comfortable, it is a more appealing prospect for buyers who are less interested in driving.

We LOVE the Cupra Born because...

Inside, not only is the Born a cut above its rivals, but also the Volkswagen ID 3 upon which it shares its MEB electricity platform. 

While some areas of the interior feel their price, there are more soft-touch materials dotted around the cabin than the Volkswagen, and the textured silver trim pieces make for an interesting if slightly featureless dashboard.

Not only this, but no matter which car you go for, the seats are comfortable and supportive. Basic cars get black cloth repurposed from litter found on beaches, while the top-spec cars get plush-feeling Dinamica microfibre made from recycled plastics.

We LOATHE the Cupra Born because...

The Born's false boot floor - designed to create a flat load space when the rear seats are folded and to hide the charge cables - is quite an expensive option. 

There are also very few clever features in the boot itself, save for a few hooks for shopping bags. We would at least like to see a 12V socket or a plastic divider.

We LOVE the Cupra Born because...

Given that there's no engine or gearbox to rob interior space, the Born makes very effective use of its interior space.

Rear leg room equals that of the BMW 5 Series and while the bench doesn't sit very low, headroom is still quite generous. 

And as for boot space, the fact it has 385 litres is impressive given that there's a battery pack under the floor; this puts it on a par with the Volkswagen Golf.

We LOATHE the Cupra Born because...

The options for the regenerative braking system are limited to just two. As standard, the car will vary the amount of regen depending on the speed limit, level of traffic or road layout. But if you select 'B' mode on the gear stick it ups the regen to a constant but still relatively mild level. It also doesn't let you drive with just one pedal, like many systems on the market do.