The facelifted Cupra Born has been revealed with a more aggressive exterior, and an upgraded interior with a more luxurious feel and some old-school switchgear.
Externally, the Born sports an even sportier design than before. Up front there’s a new C-shaped headlight cluster sporting triangular elements with optional matrix LED lighting, and a more heavily sculpted bumper.
Out the back the tailgate has been tweaked to accommodate new tail-lights that include triangular graphics and an illuminated Cupra badge. The rear bumper’s design has been turned up to 11 with an unmissable diffuser-style element.
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Timanfaya Grey joins the paint options alongside Glacial White, Midnight Black, Aurora Blue, Vapor Grey and Dark Forest. Depending on the model, the Born rides on 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels.
Cupra has addressed many of the complaints levelled against the interior of the original Born, as well as the closely related Volkswagen ID.3.
Adjusting settings, skipping tracks, lowering the volume, getting the climate control just right, and opening and closing the windows, will hopefully all be a lot easier to do now.
There’s a new steering wheel that junks the spokes’ capacitive pads for physical buttons and roller switches, which should eliminate accidental presses. Meanwhile the capacitive sliders under the main touchscreen are illuminated, so they can be used at night.
The door cards have been redesigned to include more premium materials, including faux suede on higher trim levels, and Cupra’s signature copper highlight colour, but the biggest upgrade is the inclusion of four separate window switches on the driver’s door.
Previously there were just two switches, with a toggle button to determine whether they were controlling the front or rear windows.
Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch instrumentation display that replaces the 5.3-inch screen of yore, while in the centre of the dashboard is a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with a revised interface using an Android-based operating system.
Other changes include a redesigned control pod for the headlights, and the addition of air vents to the rear. Bucket seats are standard on all Born variants, with the range-topping VZ employing grippier CUPBucket seats.
| Motor | Battery capacity | Range | Max DC fast charging | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | 140kW | 58kWh | ~450km | TBC |
| Endurance | 170kW | 79kWh | ~600km | 185kW |
| VZ | 240kW | 79kWh | ~600km | 185kW |
In Europe there will be three motor-battery configurations, all of which feature an electric motor driving the rear wheels, and the option of one-pedal driving.
The VZ has a new launch control setup, as well as paddles to control the amount of regenerative braking and a “new interior sound signature that adds emotional depth to the driving environment”.
According to Cupra, the 240kW/545Nm VZ is a capable of completing the 0-100km/h dash in 5.6s, and hitting a top speed of 200km/h.
It’s unclear which of these will arrive Down Under, but the Cupra Australia has previously promised and delayed the hot VZ model.