Cupra Born

Report 1: A New Born for Christmas…

We take delivery of the Cupra Born EV hot hatch, just in time for Christmas...

Date: 3 January 2026 | Current mileage: 1514 | Claimed range: 366 miles | Actual range: 260 miles

Sporty is such a relative term when it comes to EVs. Your average, vanilla-flavoured family electric car can probably sprint from 0-62mph in under 8 seconds. That is not slow by any means, but it’s something we’ve all become accustomed to, creating somewhat of a grey area when it comes to what constitutes a sporty EV.

Well, the Cupra Born really is sporty. In its flagship VZ form - which is the one we have - it’s widely considered to be an EV hot hatch, boasting a 0- 62mph sprint of just 5.6 seconds. And although it’s essentially the exact same as a Volkswagen ID 3 under the metal, it’s not really.

The Born has significant upgrades over the VW ID 3, including sharper steering and brakes, a firmer suspension and an enhanced interior. Even the deep Dark Forest paint job screams performance. 

My wife says it feels like a “proper boy’s car” and reminds her of when we had a Honda Civic Type R for six months. And I get it. Having to heave yourself over the raised edges of the sports seats every time you jump behind the wheel reminds you that this isn’t your average family electric car. 

Put it into Cupra mode and the whiplash-inducing acceleration you get is astonishing. The tiniest squeeze of the accelerator jolts the car forward as if possessed - to the point where the kids think it’s a hilarious party trick. “Dad, do the kangaroo thing”, they say.

Speaking of kids, this Cupra Born is our daily driver and most of the time, our two young kids are in tow. Thankfully, the Cupra Born does an astonishing job of toning down its bohemianism when you need it to.

As standard, the VZ model comes with adaptive suspension, meaning a stiffer set-up for tackling tight bends when in Cupra mode. But it also means that leaving things in Comfort mode disguises its sporty underpinnings incredibly well. The Born isn’t as cushy as a comfort-focused family hatchback, but I’d argue that in Comfort mode, it will match most electric hatchback competition - which is to say it’s a little on the firm side, but perfectly fine for day-to-day driving.

Having taken delivery of the Born just in time for Christmas, we’ve already had it up and down the country and in-and-out of pretty much every retail park in the UK. Sportiness aside, the Cupra Born is proving to be an excellent, nippy family car.

Its compact size makes navigating car parks a breeze, its range has been very accurate, and its infotainment system works without fault. 

It’s still a compact family car at the end of the day, so only time will tell regarding practicality, but so far it’s handled present runs, tip trips, and IKEA visits without missing a beat. Storing a pram alongside shopping bags has required a little more finessing, but that comes with the hatchback territory.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the Born was just a regular electric family car. Unlike a lot of hot hatches, the Born can be driven in a much tamer manner. And if it wasn't for the bulky - but very comfortable - bucket seats, you really wouldn’t think twice.