► The ultimate Born, so far
► Significant power increase and interior tweaks
► But is it a genuine hot hatch?
If you want a genuine electric hot hatch, it’s still slim pickings. There’s the Abarth 500e with its silly engine-replicating speaker, the entertaining Mini Cooper Electric, and the ludicrously powerful 429hp MG4 XPower.
And now there’s a new kid on the block, the Cupra Born VZ. Arriving a couple years after Cupra’s first EV, itself a warm remix of the Volkwagen ID.3, the Born VZ promises to pull no punches when it comes to performance. Where the handling of the even previous eBoost range-topper felt nearly there, the VZ (which stands for Veloz or Speed) promises to be full on hot-hatch.
It shares lots in common with the new Volkswagen ID.3 GTX, which interestingly isn’t on sale until a few months after this Cupra. Let that be some indication of how important Cupra is deemed in the VW Group.
So is this another very quick EV but one lacking drama, or more of a proper hot hatch? Spoiler: it makes our list of the best electric hot hatches.
At a glance
Pros: Decent fun to drive, powerful, excellent electric range
Cons: Vague brakes, room for it to be more extreme, quite expensive
What’s new?
On the surface, there’s not much other than a VZ badge at the rear, two new colours and some cool-looking 20-inch wheels that feature a neat aero insert. You’d be forgiven for Cupra’s reluctance to change too much outside; the original Born’s looks earned 45,300 sales last year, itself an increase of 44% on the previous year. It’s a key contributor to Cupra’s growing popularity alongside the Formentor.
However, that VZ badge on the back does get a good amount extras on the technical side: there’s 40% more power under the hood, 75% more torque and a smidge more range than the eBoost owing to its new 79kWh battery. Cupra engineers have given the VZ an uprated suspension, anti-rollbars, along with improved brakes and steering systems to cope with the increase in power, while inside there are some fabulous Sabelt bucket seats.
What are the specs?
The VZ gets a significant performance boost compared to what is now the only other Born you can buy – the e-Boost. Power increases from 227bhp to 322bhp, and torque from 229 to 402lb ft. Like the rest of the Born line-up, drive continues to be delivered just to the rear wheels, too. The VZ’s 5.6-second 0-62mph time also shaves more than a second off the next version’s time, and the top speed is also raised from 99mph to 124mph.
The VZ also packs a new 79kWh battery pack, up from the 77kWh unit used on the ‘V3’ trim level. Despite what might seem a tiny increase in capacity, the Born’s maximum claimed range increases from 348 to 372 miles on the VZ, more impressive considering its extra power.
Even during more enthusiastic driving, we were still averaging around 280 miles from a charge, but around 320 miles is more likely in everyday driving. That’s significantly more than a MG4 XPower, which musters around 200 miles from its 64kWh battery.
What’s it like to drive?
There are two things you notice when jumping into the VZ. The first is its superb Sabelt bucket seats, which are comfortable yet supportive in harder cornering, and sit lower than a regular Born’s. They look sensational too, though even the Born’s ‘normal’ seats are still excellent. The second are its two drive mode buttons – the left ‘Drive’ switch lets you flick between five settings, including your own ‘Drive Profile’, essentially Cupra’s take on Volkswagen’s ‘Individual’ mode. The right ‘Cupra’ button takes you straight to the most aggressive settings, perfect for pressing for a quick overtake or if you see a fun S-bend on the horizon.
In a previous life, I had a standard 204bhp Born (now discontinued with this output) as my long-termer for almost 10,000 miles, so it’s a car I know well. I’ve always liked how the Born drives, but it always felt a bit lacking in fun. The VZ unlocks a new character from it, and you can’t help but think it’s the car the Born should have been from the start. The steering is sharper, carving the path out of the road and the traction offered considering its RWD layout is impressive. In fast driving, even in the wet, the traction control does a brilliant job of keeping you on the straight and narrow and enabling swift progress.
It’s a particularly enjoyable car to drive quickly, with its well-weighted steering and perfect balance encouraging you to push its limits. You find them quickly, as even with the ESC in its ‘Sport’ setting (you can’t turn it off completely), it quickly kicks into life. It’s clearly deliberate, and while we don’t expect the Born to become a drift hero, there feels a further degree of playfulness that could be obtained by winding it back a step further. When combined with a stiffer ride than before, the VZ feels easier to hustle around corners and is quite different from the appliance-like ID.3 it shares a platform with.
While the VZ’s brakes are sharper than the regular Born’s, and there’s more play with the steering wheel regenerative braking paddles, the brake pedal itself feels inconsistent and vague. I found myself defaulting to the regen paddles as a more pleasant way of slowing the car down, although it lacks a more severe ‘one-pedal’ setting.
The VZ is also the only Born to get Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) as standard, rather than an £830 option, giving it an extra layer of adjustability. The Born is naturally quite a firm-riding car, more so than the ID.3, so having the ability to soften the suspension down is welcome. Performance-wise, that extra poke is certainly welcome, but it’s well-modulated and smooth enough that it doesn’t make passengers feel unwell – as an MG4 XPower has the potential of doing with its additional 100bhp on tap.
What’s the interior like?
Largely the same as before, with a few neat upgrades. The Cupra VZ also benefits from a Smart Light. In practice, it’s a thin strip where the windscreen meets the interior. Its light zips to the left or right depending on where you’re supposed to turn next, and it also moves to the left or right depending on which lane you’re supposed to be in. It sounds a gimmick, but it proves legitimately useful on roads you’re not familiar with.
The VZ also gets the Born’s new, larger 12.9-inch touchscreen. Like similar systems being rolled out across the VW Group, it’s a big improvement. It’s quicker to respond and features new shortcut buttons, most usefully to get to the driver assistance menu. Previously, just getting to these took several button presses, and could prove quite a distraction.
The aforementioned bucket seats in a blue hardback shell could sell the Born to me on their own, but the standard-fit Sennheiser sound system is brilliant, and a big improvement over the standard Born’s muffled setup. Our test car also came equipped with the optional panoramic fixed glass roof, an expensive option, but one that really lifts the brightness of the cabin.
Most of the Born’s key touchpoints are well-finished, but there are some cheaper areas – the door cards in particular feel low-rent at this price. That said, the Born continues to be surprisingly spacious, with its flat rear floor courtesy of the MEB underpinnings meaning two adults can sit comfortably in the rear and with generous storage throughout. Another bonus of this new 79kWh battery is that with the older 77kWh unit, bad packaging meant there was no middle rear seat, whereas the VZ is now a proper five-seater.
Before you buy
The Cupra Born VZ may be the ultimate Born right now, but it’s got a new sibling in the ID.3 GTX, which – you guessed it – is the ultimate ID.3. With that in mind, it features the same 240kW rear-mounted motor and the same 79kWh battery. We haven’t driven it yet, but Volkswagen engineers say they’ve made it more engaging too.
While the regular Born is still an excellent compact EV, the VZ becomes our pick of the Born line-up. Priced from £44,625, this is by no means a cheap EV, though costs less than £3,000 more than the 77kWh model, which is significantly down on power and has less range. Standard equipment on the VZ is especially comprehensive, too.
While an MG4 XPower is significantly cheaper at £36,495, it feels very rough around the edges compared to this Cupra, and is significantly down on range, too.
Verdict
In many ways the Born VZ is the car the original Born should’ve always been. Legitimate increases in performance and handling put clear water between this and the standard car, and miles between this and the ID.3. In just a few corners, there’s no mistaking this for its Volkswagen counterpart.
It’s not cheap or the most attractive of hatches, but its confidence-inducing, better-weighted controls make it feel smaller – especially at speed. And Cupra should also be praised for not putting an engagement-sapping motor on the front axle to boost traction and overall power. It’s not quite a ‘proper’ hot hatch great, but it’s up there as one of the best-driving electric cars you can buy today.