Cupra Born

The Cupra Born is a battery electric compact car/small family car (C-segment) marketed by SEAT through its performance-oriented Cupra marque. Initially unveiled as the SEAT el-Born concept in 2019, the production car was revealed in May 2021 as the Cupra Born. The Born is based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform and has been manufactured at the same plant in Zwickau, Germany, as the MEB-based Volkswagen ID.3. The car is named after a neighbourhood in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Concept
The vehicle was previewed as the SEAT el-Born, which was unveiled in March 2019 Geneva Motor Show. The prototype car was fitted with a 62 kWh battery pack, with a claimed 420 km range (WLTP). It was powered by a 204 PS electric motor, able to accelerate to 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. The battery was compatible with 100 kW DC supercharging, and features a thermal management system. It featured driver assistance systems, and was capable of Level 2 Autonomous Driving.

Production version
Production of the Born was confirmed in July 2020, and it is sold under the Cupra brand. The production car would have a larger battery pack than the prototype. The car was renamed to Cupra Born in February 2021, therefore dropping the "el-" from the name. It was expected to cost around £40,000, which is noted to be around the price of the higher end models of the Volkswagen ID.3.

The Born had its official premiere in May 2021. It will have two powertrains, a base electric motor at the rear and rear-wheel drive of 110 kW, while the most powerful model will have a rear engine of 150 kW / 204 hp and 310 Nm, which will develop 170 kW. With Boost Mode, it takes 6.6 seconds for the flagship model to accelerate to 0-100 km/h.

It will have three battery capacities of 45 kWh for the weakest version and 55 kWh and 77 kWh for the most powerful model. The range will be from 340 to 540 kilometers (370 miles). Charging on a fast charger with up to 80% battery will take 35 minutes, and as Cupra announces, it will cover 100 kilometers in 7 minutes. The interior features a 12.0-inch touchscreen, sports seats with integrated headrests and a head-up display. Equipment also includes adaptive cruise control, Travel Assist system for semi-autonomous driving, traffic sign recognition, automatic braking system, Dynamic Chassis Control Sport suspension. Production started in September 2021.

Facelift
At an event held in Spain on June 7, 2022, Cupra briefly showcased the facelift for the Born.