Cupra Born 2025 review – engine, gearbox and technical highlights
Cupra has used Volkswagen’s EV tool kit to create the Born, which shares its core structure with the ID.3
Under the skin lies Volkswagen’s familiar MEB platform. The battery pack is positioned under the floor and there’s an electric motor mounted within the rear axle, making the Born rear-wheel drive.
There are three powertrain combinations to be had and two power outputs: The standard 228bhp version is offered with either an entry-level 58kWh battery, or a larger – and heavier – 77kWh battery, which extends the range to 341 miles. The VZ with its 322bhp motor and 79kWh battery is the flagship and incidentally, has the most potent version of this APP550 motor of any application across the Volkswagen Group. All 228bhp models, regardless of battery size, produce a maximum torque of 229lb ft. The VZ with its more potent motor pumps out a hefty 402lb ft.
Compared to a conventional hatchback, the Born’s technical make-up is theoretically much better optimised for dynamics. Weight distribution is even across both axles and the floor-mounted battery pack places the bulk of its mass low down. The drawback, though, is that the electric drivetrain is rather heavy. The lightest Born comes in at 1818kg, with the top spec VZ model coming in at near-on two tons – not a figure you’d associate with a ‘hot hatch’.
