Cupra Born: The new electric car which 'oozes style' and proves they don't have to be dull

Born is a key part of the success story. Especially this extra-quick version which seems to wreck the concept that electric cars are dull. The styling of this car seems to undo that notion, as does its 0 to 60mph time of 5.6 seconds.

It has other more practical offerings too such as rapid recharging which helps to quell fears that repowering your electric vehicle is a time-consuming job.

So, what is Cupra? It’s a brave spin-off from SEAT, the Spanish brand. The car world is an incredibly competitive one.

New marques only appear only very occasionally yet even admirable ones like Infiniti (a spin off from Nissan, you may remember) find it hard to stay the course.

We’re told it takes a decade at least for one to become established and even longer for it to be properly trusted. Yet Cupra has only been around since 2018, but this Spanish company has already found a lot of amigos.

To be fair, Cupra only became a standalone brand seven years ago but it existed as a motorsport name so that no doubt helped it to become familiar.

More than that, Cupra is making headway at a difficult time. No-one in their right mind would have chosen the lockdown era to launch but I guess if it can handle a pandemic then it can handle anything.

So, here we are with the Cupra Born, a 326ps sporting hatchback. More important than the power is the fact it manages 372 miles between charges. It is that rare thing: a practical electric.

But it’s the emotional aspect that this brand aims to use to win over a new army of fans. It has been declared Trendiest Brand of the Year at the prestigious Auto Motor und Sport Awards in Germany which is a first for the “unconventional and emotional challenger brand”.

That’s the reward for what has been a whirlwind seven years. The brand has introduced seven models to the market, built a fully-fledged lineup and attracted hundreds of thousands of car enthusiasts.

As a Cupra’s CEO Wayne Griffiths – a former Leeds student, no less – declared: “While we’ve matured as a brand, we’ve never lost sight of our roots. We remain the unconventional, emotional and trendsetting brand that boldly defies expectations and challenges conventions.”

So, what exactly is the Born, the model tested here? It’s a sporty sibling to the Volkswagen ID.3 and like many SEATs and Cupras it is named after a place – in this case, a suburb of Barcelona.

So while many electric vehicle customers are level-headed types, Cupra aims to attract a younger, sportier crowd.

And while Born may be a pretty standard shape, the sporting touches make this model stand out. Tested here it is in a sporty green called Dark Forest with plenty of copper trim and incredible sports seats.

This is the VZ, not to be confused with the tamer V2 or V3. The fact VZ and V2 look similar, especially in handwriting, must cause some confusion, you’d imagine.

The VZ is lavishly equipped as a technical tour-de-force. This all-electric car is capable of delivering 326PS of power and 545Nm of torque – 75 per cent more than any other Born version.

The enhanced powertrain coupled with improved chassis dynamics thanks to a sports suspension, means the Born VZ is quick off the mark. The model’s top speed has also increased and is now limited to 124mph.

But, performance has not been achieved by sacrificing efficiency. The improved battery pack now offers 79kWh of net capacity (plus 2kWh) and is able to travel up to 372 miles. It can then be recharged at home using a 11kW AC system or at a DC 185kW fast-charging point, with a fast charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent taking just 26 minutes.

As well as an uplift in power, it VZ also plays host to a sportier interior, with new Enceladus Grey Cup bucket seats as standard, and a Sennheiser Premium Audio sound system. On the exterior, the new model has dashing 20in Thunderstorm alloy wheels as well as the option of the exclusive Dark Forest paint finish.

Born’s arrival hasn’t gone un-noticed. It was crowned the best small electric car to drive at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards. It is the third year that the Born has won this award, and judges were once again impressed by its sharp driving performance and impressive range.

Born was the brand’s first fully electric model, and the starting point of Cupra’s electrification journey. Initially launched in 2021, it has been one of the most celebrated models by the challenger brand, showcasing a blend of performance and style in a fully electric setup. Now joined by Tavascan in the fully electric range, as well as hybrid models.

This achievement marks the most recent win in a remarkable series of awards for the Born in recent months, following accolades at the Carbuyer, Autocar, and Auto Trader awards.

This third win at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2025 solidifies its reputation as a standout performer in the electric vehicle market.

Cupra Born VZ

Price: £44,625. Born starts at £35,495.

Engine: Electric motor generating 326ps and 545Nm of torque

Performance: Top speed 124mph and 0 to 60mph in 5.6 seconds

Emissions: 0

Warranty: Five years, 90,000 miles