CUPRA launches first Born EV with e-Boost performance enhancement

CUPRA has launched its first all-electric vehicle ever, the CUPRA Born, which appears to have lost its “El” since we last reported on it.

The CUPRA Born integrates the most advanced and efficient electric powertrain technology available. There is a choice of 150PS (110kW) motor and 45kWh battery with a range of 211-miles; a 204PS (150kW) motor and 58kWh battery; and an up to 231PS (170kW) motor and 58kWh battery with ‘e-Boost’ (available 2022), with a 260-mile range, as well as an up to 231PS (170kW) and 77kWh battery with ‘e-Boost’ (again, available 2022) with a 335-mile range.

Fast recharging (125kW) is also possible, with 62 miles (100km) of additional range delivered in as little as seven minutes (77kWh battery only). The battery can be recharged from 5% to 80% in as little as 35 minutes.

The powertrain utilises a 16,000rpm permanent magnet synchronous motor, integrated above the rear axle. Torque is transferred across the rear axle using a single-speed transmission with differential, ensuring smooth power delivery and driver confidence during cornering.

The CUPRA Born uses a water-cooled, multi-pouch lithium-ion battery system housed low and centrally in the car to offer the best centre of gravity – using it as an advantage to deliver enhanced driving dynamics, according to Werner Tietz, Executive Vice-President for Research and Development at CUPRA and SEAT.

“The CUPRA Born integrates a very advanced electric powertrain technology, helping to deliver an exhilarating drive from CUPRA’s first all-electric vehicle,” he said. “The CUPRA Born proves that electrification and performance are a perfect match, it’s a game-changer in the market, contributing to the reduction in CO2 but without any compromises – it’s environmentally conscious but at the same time dynamic and exciting.”

CUPRA Born is based on Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture, the modular electric-drive toolkit that provides a platform that engineers have maximised to develop a vehicle like no other. With the battery positioned centrally between the axles weight distribution is an almost perfect 50:50 with a low centre of gravity, imperative for a high-performance electric car.

The front aesthetic focuses on the newly designed full LED headlights, flanking the concave upper section that sits like a shark nose and the copper-framed lower intake designed to channel air towards the radiator for battery thermal management.

The bonnet incorporates three-dimensional shapes to help bend the light and bring the front end to life, while the volume sitting on top of the headlights and through the wings help create the vehicle’s sporty stance.

The full LED headlamp signature is unique and instantly recognisable, enhanced by the small triangles on the side of each lamp.

The interior is characterised by the floating 12-inch infotainment touchscreen. The EV also benefits from an augmented reality head-up display system, which projects crucial driving information onto the windscreen, and appears layered over the real world. Data that is displayed includes driver assistance indicators, vehicle speed and navigation commands. All information is directly in the driver’s line of sight, improving the overall driving experience and minimising the need for the driver to look away from the road ahead.

The MEB platform also brings new possibilities for interior design, maximising space thanks to the clever use of storage, such as the high centre console, which combines connectivity points with a large storage capacity.

The range of assistance systems is expansive and all encompassing; Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Side and Exit Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Emergency Assist and Pre-Crash Assist; all these work together to give valuable information to the driver and keep occupants safe. All visual warnings are displayed in the driver’s line of sight via the augmented reality head-up display system.

Onboard systems use data supplied both from an array of integrated sensors – radar, camera or ultrasonic – and information fed from online sources to build a picture of the vehicle’s surroundings and protect the occupants from possible hazards.

The brand’s first 100% electric vehicle seamlessly augments CUPRA’s DNA pillars of design, performance and electrification, which will deliver a credible performance electric model, according to Wayne Griffiths, President of CUPRA and SEAT.

“The CUPRA Born is a game-changer in the electric market and the impulse of the company’s transformation,” he said. “Delivering stimulating design, instantaneous performance and offering an all-electric range of more than 500 kilometres, the CUPRA Born will contribute to reducing global CO2 emissions and meeting European targets. But it’s more than that.”

Technical data