Cupra Born: Large battery, e-Boost confirmed for Australia

Cupra has confirmed the largest battery, most powerful powertrain will headline its electric warm hatch model line-up in Australia.

According to an updated website page, the top-spec Cupra Born variant will feature the largest 77kWh (usable) battery pack and most powerful e-Boost front-wheel driven electric motor producing 170kW of power and 310Nm of torque Down Under.

This results in a quoted seven second 0-100km/h acceleration time and 475km of claimed range, though it is 548km officially on the WLTP testing cycle.

It boasts maximum charging speeds of 11kW AC and 125kW DC.

By citing these figures as “up to”, it suggests lower spec grades with smaller batteries and less powerful drivetrains will be offered, similar to its current line-up of the petrol and plug-in-hybrid Cupra Leon hatch and Formentor crossover.

The Cupra Born is slated to arrive in Australia from the first quarter (January to March) of 2023.

Based on the Volkswagen ID.3 – which is not due locally until 2024 – and underpinned by the dedicated Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) platform, the sportier small hatch will be positioned as the Spanish performance brand’s flagship vehicle and is expected to be priced around the $60K mark.

While it’s unclear what cheaper configurations will be available, the Born is available overseas with a 58kWh battery in a 150kW/310Nm tune or 170kW/310Nm when optioned with the e-Boost software. The driving range claim is around 420km for both models.

The 58kWh e-Boost guise is the fastest Cupra Born due to the lighter battery, with the Spanish performance brand claiming it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds. However, the Australian website indicates it won’t be offered locally.

The Volkswagen Group carmaker will also soon introduce an entry-level 45kWh battery model with only 110kW/310Nm and 349km of claimed range overseas.

Key standard features will likely include a large 12-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, bucket seats made from sustainable materials, LED head- and tail lights, and more.

When it does land in Australia, the German-made EV will join the recently facelifted Nissan Leaf and Mini Electric as the only pure electric vehicles in a hatchback body.

However, the Chinese-made MG4, BYD Dolphin, and GWM Ora Cat EV hatches are poised to also lob in 2023.

Given the Born’s performance positioning and potential pricing, it’ll compete with the popular Tesla Model 3 sedan and Polestar 2 liftback.

Cupra Australia will reveal further local pricing and specifications of the Born closer to its launch, so stay tuned to zecar for the latest.