2023 Cupra Born priced close to $60,000 in Australia with a range of 550km
The first electric car of the new Spanish brand Cupra is set to cost around $60,000, with a range of up to 550km and a 0-100km/h time of seven seconds.
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It 2023 Cupra Birth of electric car will come to Australia early next year with a Golf GTI performance, up to 550km range and a price of around $60,000.
The Cupra version of the Volkswagen ID.3, Born’s small electric hatchback will target the heart of the petrol hot hatch, with price, driving range and performance on par with select Volkswagen Golf GTIs.
Cupra Australia’s head of product and planning, Jeff Shafer, told Drive This week Born will be launched in Australia in one model class, priced at “$50,000 high or $60,000 low” – targeting the Cupra’s petrol-powered Golf GTI twin, the Leon VZ ($56,990 drive).
For the money, the buyer will get the largest battery available overseas, a 77kWh package (can be used), powering the rear-mounted electric motor quoting 170kW and 310Nm in the ‘boost’ mode period of 30 seconds.
Cupra claims to be 0-100km/h time seven seconds flat, with a distance between 492km and 548km the range claimed in the European WLTP test, depending on the option checked. It’s not clear if the suggested price for the Born is a long drive, or before on-road costs.
These numbers put the Born roughly in line with the Cupra petrol-powered Leon VZ hot hatch, which costs $56,990 drive-away (MY22) with a 180kW/370Nm 2.0-liter turbo-petrol engine, front-wheel drive and 6.4 seconds of claim time. 0-100km/hour.
In city driving, the 556km the Leon VZ claims (from a 50L fuel tank) is nowhere near the Born’s 548km claims in combined driving, where electric cars are less efficient – although both figures are calculated in a lab, not in the real world.
Expect a high level of standard features on the only Born model class – although “there will be several package options”, Shafer has confirmed, according to the Cupra petrol and hybrid models.
Features available in overseas markets include 20-inch alloy wheels, 12-inch center touchscreen, LED headlights, fabric or suede upholstery, electric heated front sports seats, augmented-reality head-up display and a full suite of advanced safety features.
It’s worth noting that the Borns with a 77kWh battery and 170kW motor only offers four seats in Europe – while the version with the smaller battery has five seats. It is unclear how this will be structured in Australia.
DC fast charging of up to 135kW is standard, capable of fast charging to 80 percent in 36 minutes – or adding 100km of claimed range in six minutes.
Cheaper variants of the Cupra Born are available in overseas markets, with smaller 45kWh and 58kWh battery packs producing ranges of up to 347km and 419km, or underpowered 110kW and 150kW electric motors.
However, it won’t reach Australia until sometime after launch – once supplies stabilize – with Shafer saying Drive “We will definitely look at the extras [battery] packages in the future, but currently we’re looking at bigger ones for starters [offering].”
Shafer will not be interested in the expected sales volume for Born – and whether it will play among the most popular in Australia. Non-Tesla EVs, which record around 1000 annual sales.
“I don’t want to be clever, but production is always a problem. Headquarters [is] gave us excellent support in terms of vehicle provision. They have committed to providing what we need, but I probably wouldn’t give it a hard number [sales],” he says.
Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths explained, telling the media: “We’re not going to sell a few thousand electric cars [per year] – I don’t see that happening until 2025.
“I see we’re selling maybe a thousand, or a few thousand. A few thousand cars we should always be able to find.
“We made a strategic decision for us that Australia is an important market to prove that we can be a global brand. And when you have made a strategic decision, you have to stick to it, despite the fact that you have other pressures – whether it be by margin better in another market, or you need a car in another market to meet your CO2 targets,” Griffiths told the media.
“Ultimately, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to sell as many electric cars as we can supply, not until 2025 – unless the Australian government makes an awesome EV. [electric vehicle] policy before and suddenly it exploded.
Production from 2023 Cupra Born will kick off for Australia around November, ahead of the arrival of the first showrooms slated for early 2023.
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