A month with a Cupra Born VZ: can an electric car be fun to drive and easy to live with?

This is the new Cupra Born VZ, and it’s an electric hatchback which serves as a sporty alternative to cars like the Volvo EX30, Kia EV4 and the Volkswagen ID3.

It’s got 326hp going to the rear wheels, body-hugging bucket seats and an aggressive-looking bodykit, so it has all the ingredients of a great hot hatch. I’ve spent a month with the Cupra Born VZ to find out how it stacks up in the real world.

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Living with a Cupra Born VZ: the good bits

There’s a lot to like about the Cupra Born, starting with the styling. I reckon the chunky bodykit and copper accents look ace, and I like the ‘Timanfaya’ grey paint as well. Shame it’s a £700 option, though.

Inside, this car has the same carbon-backed sports seats as I had in my old Cupra Formentor, and they’re brilliant. I love how body-hugging they are in the corners, while also being comfortable over long-distances.

The panoramic roof makes the cabin feel light and airy, although it is a £1,015 optional extra. I like the steering wheel as well – it looks and feels sporty, the buttons feel nice and clicky and there’s a dedicated ‘Cupra Mode’ switch as well.

Pressing that gives you an extra boost when you put your foot down, and the Born feels pretty rapid in a straight line. It’ll do 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds, which is about the same as a top-spec Cupra Leon. That’s if you have it in Cupra mode though – otherwise it doesn’t feel quite as quick as the numbers suggest.

I like how easy the Born is to drive around town. The turning circle is really tight, and the surround-view camera system is brilliant as well. It’s ideal for the busy urban streets around where I live.

Living with a Cupra Born VZ: the drawbacks

As much as I’ve enjoyed living with this car, it’s not perfect. The most disappointing bit is the way it drives on a twisty road.

It’s by no means bad, but it’s not as much fun as the styling would suggest. I came from a Cupra Formentor, a car which is a riot to chuck about, so I had high hopes from the Born. The steering is accurate and it doesn’t lean too much in the bends, but it just feels a bit numb.

The range isn’t brilliant either. Cupra says this car should do 388 miles on a charge, but I only managed to get around 280 miles from it.

Like all other Cupra models, this car doesn’t have physical buttons for the climate control. Using the touchscreen to adjust the temperature and fan speed on the move is a faff, and the screen froze up on occasion as well.

But the biggest drawback to this particular Born is the price. As it sits, this car costs almost £48,000. For around £2,000 less you could have a top-spec Volvo EX30 with 428hp, or even a larger Audi Q4 e-tron.

So, is it worth the money?

Final verdict on the Cupra Born VZ

I really enjoyed my month with the Born VZ. It’s comfy to drive, looks great and has plenty of tech, making it a really good daily driver. However, I wouldn’t get this VZ version.

Seeing as it’s not all that much fun to drive, I’d get the less powerful V2 version instead. It looks pretty much the same as the VZ, and with 231hp on tap it’s also more than fast enough. Speccing this model to the same level as my car brings it to just under £41,000, and you can save over £9,500 on top of that through Carwow. You can also save around £8,600 on the VZ with Carwow, but it’s still quite a bit pricier than the V2.

The Cupra Born is a brilliant electric family car, just make sure you pick the right version and shop around for the best deals before buying.

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