Electric hot hatches have been something of a grey area these past few years, with many, if not all, failing to meet the brief. The missing ingredient? A combustion engine. It's like a chicken fillet roll without the chicken fillet - destined to fail from the start.
But the latest EV to throw its name into the ring may be about to change all that – the Cupra Born VZ.
The Born was the brand's first fully-electric vehicle when it launched in 2022, sharing its underpinnings with Volkswagen's ID.3. Cupra has since stuck the letters VZ on the rear of the Born to give us a more powerful version.
An acronym for the Spanish word ‘veloz’ - which translated into English means ‘fast’ - the VZ delivers 240kW (326hp ) and 545Nm of torque. It means a 0-100km/h sprint in just 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 200km/h. Yep, rapid.
The Cupra Born VZ also brings improvements to the chassis to make sure its driving dynamics match these impressive statistics. A new suspension, responsive steering behaviour, and improved brake pedal feeling, as well as a robust rear brake, come together to create one of the best electric hot hatches on the market.
Range is also brilliant. The Born VZ sits on a 79kWh battery which returns well over 500km from a full charge and can be charged up to 11kW on AC and 170kW on a DC unit meaning a fast charge from 10 to 80 per cent takes around half an hour. It makes for a very easy car to live with.
The Born VZ’s exterior design is enhanced with two new colour choices. Exclusively for the VZ is a 'Dark Forest', which adorned my press car. This is also joined by a 'Midnight Black' option. Nice 20-inch alloy wheels with copper inserts have been introduced, wrapped in wider Bridgestone Turanza rubber to help with the increase in power and torque through its rear wheels.
Copper accents continue into the smart and roomy interior, which benefits from a new and larger floating 12.9-inch infotainment system. Haptic controls can be found under the screen in lieu of dials and knobs, likewise on the steering wheel – a common theme on many new Volkswagen Group cars, one that I am not a big fan of.
Standard cup bucket seats are exclusive to the VZ in the Born range and can be lowered into a nice sporty driving position. I should note that the A-pillar on the driver's side creates a small blind spot through right-turning back-road bends. VZ or otherwise, the Cupra Born offers impressive rear legroom and 385-litres of boot space.
The Cupra Born VZ starts from €42,295 with my press model coming in at €47,585, both inclusive of the SEAI grant and VRT relief. On paper Cupra is the sporty subsidiary of Seat and owned by Volkswagen Group, but it is starting to feel more and more established as the months roll by. Well over 1,000 new Cupra models have been sold in Ireland so far this year, more than the likes of Lexus, Mazda and Citroen.
The Born VZ is testament to this growth. A brilliant little car.
