It’s called the Cupra Born e-Boost, for many it will be another expensive electric car, but if we stop and take a closer look at the market and how the automotive world is changing, we find that the gap between electric and thermal has narrowed. Take the Cupra, for example: the 204-horsepower electric Born also exists in a petrol version (plug-in hybrid, to be exact), and the price is identical to that of the Cupra Leon 1.4 e-HYBRID. With a price reduction, “clean” gasoline of comparable power (it has 190 hp) costs 35,200 euros, which is about 6,000 euros less.
A thousand euros more than the 204 hp Born but with a 58 kWh battery, you can buy a 231 hp version of the Cupra Born e-Boost, which is priced very similarly to the 245 hp 2.0 Cupra Leon TSI. In short, it is clear that at higher powers the war between purely electric and “rest of the engines” has escalated and the gap has narrowed because gasoline engines cannot reach too high powers as for emissions regulations, you want because if they if they do, they pay a supermark, not yet provided for in the electronic world.
What’s more, even when they have to pay road tax, the electrics will do so at a rated power that is different from the maximum (I’ll explain to you here), and which is also not a hindrance, because on the road you need a burst of power for a few moments, abundantly covered performance characteristics of the combination “electric motor + battery” (different on the track).
Therefore, having established that electric vehicles are absolutely competitive in these segments, it would be hypocritical not to admit that for those who do not need such large capacities, the path to battery-powered and affordable small cars is still a long way, and the gap in terms of prices does exist in the cheapest categories. . But here we are talking about Cupra, a brand that focuses on design, performance and sporty feel…
Having said that, let’s see if the performance matches the image of this brand. The engine is all there, but that goes without saying because the data sheet is clear: 310 Nm instant torque and available immediately, with perfectly linear power that seems like a drawn ruler… and in fact it is, the advantage of electric motors is precisely that they can ignore the problems that thermals have to solve with a much higher level of complexity. .
On the street, this means having a very small toy in your hands. funalmost brutal in its category, but never excessively or with little visceral reactions. The advantage of this e-Boost is not only electronics, but also different and guessable structure: retains the slightly raised driving position that many people like today, but the height from the ground is not like an SUV, and the damping response is just right, soft, but with good support.
Of course, a little body roll still comes at a price, but by choosing a variable DCC setting, you can combine the benefits of a suspension group that differs in damping depending on the driving mode (CUPRA stiffer) with 15 mm lower at the front and 10 mm lower at the rear compared to the standard MEB known to us from other models since ID.3.
We already knew progressive steering and that’s what you need to have a light and nimble car in town with a steering that gets stiffer as the speed picks up. The rest of the “dynamic” work is done by a frame with a 50:50 weight balance (with an electric drive this is easy to achieve), rear wheel drive and multi-link with five arms behind.
In short, the MEA in the “tuning” version that you enjoy more than the initial setup, and that driving matters in bringing back a car that remains simple and accessible, yet enjoyable and engaging if you want all the power it provides.
To make it perfect in its segment, you would only need to make it a little sharper and more precise in handling, but this is already a good way for most drivers.
How much does he consume? The claimed range for the e-Boost, which is more powerful than the entry-level Born, is 420 km at 58 kWh or 548 km at 77 kWh. However, before talking about real consumption, a little advice dedicated to this model: given the tuning work to make it more attractive and sporty, Ideally, Born e-Boost should be chosen with the smallest battery. if autonomy is not an imperative requirement for you.
First, why save 120 kgsecond, because the weight reduction results in both better shooting (58kWh almost half a second faster from 0 to 100) and less aggressive load transfer, since the lighter battery gives us the advantage of fast right-left movement.
However, traversing city, highway and countryside in a fairly realistic combination around Verona, the electric Born E-Boost averaged 20.3kWh/100km, which translates into a real range of 286km for the smaller battery and 380km for the larger one. one with 77 kWh net. Not bad considering more power compared to the 150kW models and it feels like it should be able to get results around 17/18kWh/100km on our test track, but we’ll see as soon as the opportunity arises for longer.
Good job on the interior: First of all, Cupra listened to user feedback and replaced the touch buttons, the side buttons of the steering wheel that were accidentally pressed while driving, with physical buttons, along with other small innovations. The interior is more sporty, with a variety of colors and materials giving a modern and captivating décor.
Among the seats, the ones at Dinamica are by far the nicest, but those with an environmentalist soul can opt for the SEAQUAL, which uses plastic pulled from the seas and recycled to create a fabric-like thread that doesn’t feel anything like tactile sensations. from plastic.
What about aesthetics? s, social networks and forums show that this is the most successful body among those in the group.
App related infotainment systemNew steering wheel with physical buttons
Some sporadic slowdowns
TECHNIQUE
- MOTOR: permanent magnet synchronous electric
- POWER: 170 kW (231 hp)
- TORQUE: 310 Nm
- rear drive
- SUSPENSION: Front McPherson, five-link multi-link, with anti-roll bar (front and rear)
DIMENSIONS
- LENGTH: 4324 mm
- WIDTH: 1809 mm
- HEIGHT: 1549 mm
- WHEELBASE: 2766 mm
- TRUNK: 385 liters, up to 1267 liters
- TURNING RADIUS: meters
- WHEELS AND TIRES: 19″ (215/50), 20″ (215/45), 20″ (235/40)
- BRAKES: 2 x 340mm ventilated discs front, rear drums
- BATTERY: 82 kWh (gross), 77 kWh (net), also available with 58 kWh net version
- VOLTAGE: 400V
- WEIGHT: curb weight 1838 kg (58 kWh), 1950 kg (77 kWh)
PERFORMANCE
- MAXIMUM SPEED: 160 km/h (electronically limited)
- ACCELERATION 0-100 km/h: 6.6 seconds (58 kWh), 7.0 seconds (77 kWh)
- STOCK: up to 420 km WLTP (58 kWh), up to 548 km WLTP (77 kWh)
- AC CHARGING: 7.4 kW single-phase, 11 kW three-phase
- DC CHARGING: 120 kW at 58 kWh, 135 kW at 77 kWh (10-80% in about half an hour)
- SUITABLE FOR NEW DRIVERS? yeah
Cupra Born costs 41,100 euros. in the version with the 204 hp engine. (150 kW) and a 58 kWh battery. The Cupra Born e-Boost starts at 42,100 euros. versions with a capacity of 231 hp. (170 kW) with a 58 kWh battery, while the 170 kW version with a 77 kWh battery requires 46,350 euros.
Born comes standard with a 12″ capacitive touchscreen infotainment system, 5.3″ instrument screen, 4 USB C ports (2 front and 2 rear), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, network connectivity and app support, 18″ CUPRA sports suspension, full LED headlights, COAST-to-COAST LED taillights, tinted rear windows, power mirrors (adjustable, heated and folding), SEAQUAL sports seats, LED interior lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control control, heated leather steering wheel, keyless entry, aluminum pedals, front and rear parking sensors, ADAS LVL 2 (pedestrian and cyclist collision avoidance, lane keeping, fatigue detection) and 11kW AC and 120kW DC charging.
Born e-Boost adds to the above a CUPRA driving profile, 135kW DC charging (from a 77kWh battery), a steering wheel with physical buttons, 19-inch Aero alloy wheels and front disc brakes starting at 330mm x 23mm. basic version up to 340 mm x 27 mm.
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Source: HD Motori
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.