The first Cupra Born electric hatch has rolled off the production line in Germany.
The Born is set to go on sale in Europe from November 2021 with the option of using the car through a subscription service.
The Cupra brand, which will launch in Australia in 2022, is aiming to bring the Born here in late 2022 or early 2023.
The Spanish brand’s first electric vehicle, the Born is based on the Volkswagen ID.3 and shares its MEB architecture.
When this model does arrive in Australia, it will likely be the Volkswagen Group’s first MEB-based electric model.
It’s set to beat the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 to the Australian market as Volkswagen pushed the arrival of these models back to late 2023.
Cupra expects the Born will make up 20 per cent of its global sales.
The Born is currently being produced at the Volkswagen Group Zwickau plant, where it’s built alongside the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 and the Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback.
Although the Born is being produced in Germany, Cupra will soon produce electric vehicles in its home country of Spain.
“Producing our first 100% electric model in Europe’s largest electric vehicle factory will provide valuable learnings as we look to build electric vehicles in Martorell from 2025 onwards,” Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths said.
“Our ambition is to produce more than 500,000 urban electric vehicles per year in Spain for different Group brands.”
Named after the lively El Born neighbourhood in Barcelona, the Born is a critical model for Cupra as the brand aims to go EV-only by 2030.
The Born is offered with two drivetrains we’ve already seen in the ID.3, with either a 110kW or 150kW electric motor driving the rear wheels.
There is also an e-Boost option that increases the power output to 170kW.
Peak torque from the motor regardless of power output is 310Nm.
With a 58kWh battery pack, the Born e-Boost is capable of the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds, but this rises to 7.0 seconds with the heavier 77kWh battery. A smaller 45kWh battery pack is available on base models.
Depending on the battery and electric motor combination, electric driving range is between 340km and 550km according to the WLTP test.
European customers will get a chance to have a closer look at the Cupra Born in the metal at the 2021 Barcelona motor show, which starts on September 30, 2021.
