2023 Cupra Born detailed for Australia

Cupra has outlined what to expect from its first electric car in Australia.

The Cupra Born will touch down in March or April 2023 with the largest battery option and most powerful motors offered in Europe.

Cupra says it’ll be priced roughly in line with the Leon VZx hot hatch, suggesting you’ll pay around $65,000 drive-away for the Born depending on your home state.

Based on that price, the Born will take on the base Tesla Model 3 (~$71,000 drive-away) and Kia Niro EV (~$71,000 drive-away). The Born differs from the majority of the electric cars in Australia, however, as it’s a hatchback instead of an SUV or sedan.

Australians will only be offered the e-Boost model with a 77kWh (usable) lithium-ion battery pack good for a claimed 511km of range on the WLTP test, and a rear-mounted electric motor making 170kW of power and 310Nm of torque. The 100km/h sprint takes a claimed 7.0 seconds.

It’ll charge at up to 11kW on an AC charger, and 170kW hooked up to a DC fast charger.

Under the skin, the Born shares its MEB chassis with the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback. Boot space is a claimed 385 litres, and the car measures 4322mm long, 1809mm wide and 1540mm tall, with a 2766mm wheelbase.

Standard equipment in the Born locally will include:

Exterior

• 19-inch black and copper Typhoon alloy wheels
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• LED headlights, tail light, fog lights
• Automatic headlights with auto high-beam
• Tinted rear windows
• Rear roof spoiler

Interior

• 5.3-inch digital instrument binnacle
• 12-inch infotainment touchscreen
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto
  • Wireless phone charging
  • DAB+ digital radio
• Front bucket seats
• Floor mats
• Keyless entry and start
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror

Chassis

• Sports suspension
• Progressive (variable-ratio) steering
• Surround-view camera

Safety

• Seven airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist detection
• Lane-keeping assist
• Parking assist
• Blind-spot assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Driver attention monitoring
• Rain-sensing wipers

A pair of options packages are offered, starting with the Interior Package. It brings:

• Aurora Blue, suede-trimmed, front bucket seats
• Heated front seats
• 12-way power adjustable front seats with massaging
• Two-seat rear bench (three-seat bench standard)
• Heated washing jets
• Beats premium sound system (nine-speaker, 395W)

The Performance Package will bring:

• 20-inch firestorm alloy wheels in black and silver
• 235mm Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres (wide tyre package)
• Four-seat interior
• Adaptive damping

MORE: Everything Cupra Born