Cupra Born review

It was a long time coming, the Cupra Born. We first saw it as the Seat el Born concept – named after a particularly trendy neighbourhood in Barcelona – way back in March 2019. Since then it’s not only gone from concept to reality, but also switched brands completely.

You see, had the Born been a Seat, normal VW group procedure would have dictated that it needed to be slightly cheaper than the Volkswagen ID.3. If you’ve sat in a lower-spec ID.3 and poked around at some of the cheap plastics, you’ll know that the VW has already been designed on a budget. Undercutting it wasn’t an option.

But as a Cupra, VW Group can price the Born slightly higher, charging a little bit more for some sharper design and a touch more sportiness. Apparently.  

And I gather it’s been updated?

That’s right. For 2026, Cupra has given the design a refresh – everything from new headlights and grille at the front to a more prominent diffuser and light-up logo at the back. And wider 235mm tyres in between.

Inside, the materials have had a going-over, bucket seats are now standard, and the new steering wheel is home to – rejoice! – proper buttons instead of those horrid haptic thingies that VW has recently promised to wipe from the face of the Earth.

Meanwhile the touchscreen now runs Android OS and the driver’s display has almost doubled in size. Not that it really needed to be bigger, but progress is progress innit.

In the flesh the Born does still look eerily similar to the ID.3: the boxy shape, identical glass, short overhangs and similar C-pillar somewhat give the game away. But it's meaner and sportier.

And has Cupra overhauled the powertrains as well?

Ah, about that. You’d think the facelift would be Cupra’s cue for a bit more power, a bit more battery and a bit more range across the board. Not quite.

As before the entry car gets a 58kWh LFP battery, though power from the rear-driven motor is a more modest 188bhp and DC charging tops out at 105kW. Meh. That one’s good for 300 miles of range WLTP.

The mid-spec Born receives a 79kWh NMC battery that will peak at 183kW DC, meaning a 10-80 per cent re-juice should take half an hour. That’s more like it. As is 390 miles WLTP. And the motor kicks out 228bhp.

Then there’s the top-spec VZ, which is as close to a hot hatch as you can spec the Born. Same battery, more power (322bhp), and weirdly more range (392 miles). This one is home to stiffer springs and anti-roll bars to make it more agile, and grippier tyres give it, er, more grip. And as of 2026, launch control. Which you can deploy to achieve 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds. Nippy.

There’s a few minor hardware tweaks to try and distance the Born from the ID.3 too, including suspension that’s 15mm lower on the front axle and 10mm at the rear.

How’s the overall experience?

Better than the VW ID.3. The road manners are crisper without sacrificing comfort, the interior functions just as well and the screen menus are less irritating to operate. Marginally. It comes across as a likeable and usable electric car. Sets new standards and does very little differently, but it’s a safe option. Just don’t buy into the ‘electric hot hatch’ line unless it's specifically about the VZ.

What’s it up against?

Other than the ID.3? Let’s see, if it’s a traditional hatchback you’re after then the Peugeot e-308 and Vauxhall Astra Electric that offer the closest competition on paper. If you’re open to a more crossover-y vibe, then suddenly you’ve got the Kia EV4, Nissan Leaf and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric as contenders. On a budget? The MG4 is for you.

The updated Born is priced from £35,995, although the bigger battery is only a grand on top of that, so you’d be mad not to invest in the extra range and convenience. The VZ is £45,995, which means you’ve really got to want the dynamic ability and extra oomph to choose it over the regular car. Especially when the smaller Alpine A290 is only two thirds of the price.

The Cupra Born is an excellent electric hatchback – possibly the best there is in an admittedly small field. Just don’t swallow the marketing spiel about it being a hot hatch, unless it’s the VZ. In which case... it pretty much is. Even with modest power (as these things go) it's second only to the Ioniq 5N for EV hatch fun. Yeah, it's that good.

Beneath that, the Born is competent rather than scintillating; it’s not involving or fun. It’s more about the style, and this does undoubtedly look and feel cooler than the VW ID.3.

Think of it as an ID.3 alternative with a slightly plusher interior, lots of copper-coloured detailing and a pointy snout and you’ll be much closer to the mark. With interior tech that’s less of a dog’s dinner.