CUPRA Born
60/63 e-Boost 170 kW electric RWD automatic
Sustainability Rating: 4½ stars
Our verdict:
The CUPRA Born is a fully electric car produced by SEAT, part of the Volkswagen Group. Tested here is the 'e-Boost' version with 170 kW. The usable battery capacity is a reasonable 60 kWh and an empty mass of 1.8 tonnes. Supported by good consumption figures, the sustainability assessment comes put at a creditable 4 stars and an average score of 86%.
- The CUPRA Born has no tailpipe emissions and excels in mitigating harmful brake dust through regenerative braking and the use of rear drum brakes. Production and energy supply slightly reduce its score.
- Energy use is typical. Cabin heating in cold winter conditions raises demand temporarily, but it stabilizes to sensible figures when stable in-cabin temperature conditions have been reached. The Highway consumption offers no surprises.
- Low consumption, a reasonable battery size and Europe's clean electricity mix, together with production in Germany, boost the CUPRA Born's greenhouse gas performance and its environmental rating.
Driving Experience
Our comments:
- The estimated real-world consumption values of the CUPRA Born are in the 'adequate' range for all warm weather scenarios - urban, rural, highway and mixed driving. The predicted performance in cold winter conditions remains adequate as well, although the rural consumption just crosses the threshold to a poor' assessment. The sensible consumption figures in combination with the reasonable battery size deliver driving ranges that are mostly seen as adequate. The consumption readings on the board computer display are very accurate.
- Drivers are advised to preheat the vehicle before cold winter trips, if possible. By doing so, an increased driving range can be achieved. The possible values are not high for the tested CUPRA, but are still a valuable contribution to a longer driving range in cold conditions. The vehicle's heat-up of the cabin in -7C cold ambient conditions is mediocre - it is seen as poor at head level and is adequate in other places. The car is equipped with the optional heat pump. Its cabin insulation is found to be 'adequate'.
- The vehicle's home charging grid-to-battery-efficiency is a typical 89.3%. The fast DC charging is seen as adequate. The tested vehicle did not offer any possibility to supply electricity to external consumers, but it is worth mentioning that the version with the 79 kWh battery can provide up to 10 kW of electric power in a vehicle-to-home mode, which is an impressive function not many cars on the market today are equipped with.
See datasheet for more details.