CUPRA BORN

SPANIARDS DELIVER A ELECTRIC HATCH TO ENGAGE THE DRIVER, RATHER THAN THE ECO-COMMUTER

- ALEX AFFAT

THE BORN is a significant car for the ambitious Spanish upstart, Cupra. A milestone. Groundbreaking, even.

It's the Volkswagen Group-owned brand's first electric car, offering five-seat packaging and up to 511 kilometres of driving range, along with genuine enthusiast driving dynamics - and a bigger boot than Cupra's bigger combustion-powered Leon.

Priced at a keen $59,990 (before on-roads and/or state EV incentives), with a steady supply of Australia-bound vehicles from the factory, the recipe for success is there, and we're expecting good things. Does the Cupra Born deliver? Let's find out.

The range is simple to figure out as there's just the one model offered for sale at present.

State Governments are, slowly but surely, introducing their own EV incentives, with drive-away pricing - depending on state and eligibility - in some cases offered for as low as $57,490 (Queensland). Be sure to check what electric vehicle incentives may be available to you.

For your dollars, you net a powertrain comprising an 82kWh gross (77kWh net) battery providing up to 511kms of range on the WLTP test cycle, powering a 170kW/310Nm rear-mounted motor that drives the rear wheels.

That's very nearly Golf GTI power (the comparisons are unavoidable), which is rated at 180kW/370Nm. But, before you get too excited, the battery-packed Born tips the scales at a portly 1811kg, versus the Golf's comparatively svelte 1570kg. It completes the 0-100km/h dash in around 7.0 seconds, Cupra claims.

The Born's 400V architecture allows for DC fast charging up to 170kW, replenishing from 10-80 percent in under 40 minutes. AC charging rates max out at 11kW, which means 7.5 to eight hours to complete a full charge.