VW’s sporty Spanish brand Cupra has announced that it already has almost 350 deposits for it’s new “Born” electric hatchback, just 4 weeks after opening for pre-orders with a price tag of $59,990 (before on road costs).
Potential buyers should be aware of the fine print “Manufacturer’s recommended driveaway price (MRDP) is indicative only” because as we know Covid, supply chain issues and movements in the Aussie dollar can change prices substantially.
Launched in 2018, CUPRA has its corporate headquarters and a racing car workshop in Barcelona.
Australian deliveries for the electric hatchback with 511km claimed WLTP range begin in late March/early April 2023. The current pre-order list stands at 343 and once that hits about 400 that will be the first batch to be delivered in Australia.
The sportily styled fast hatchback has been selling well overseas which is not surprising considering specs such as 310Nm of torque and 170kW max power enabling acceleration of 0-50km/2.8s and 0-100km/7s.
CUPRA Australia Director Ben Wilks said:
“For CUPRA’s customers, almost all of whom are private rather than fleet buyers, BEV technology is affordable and the ultimate solution to removing fuel costs and tailpipe emissions. For them, and a growing numbers of Australian, no considerations could be more critical.
“As a brand we are moving quickly into a fully electrified future, and the response to the CUPRA Born demonstrates that Australians have a voracious appetite for plug-in models that both reduce their emissions, are stylish and fun to drive”.
“Being compact, rear-wheel drive, with instant torque and teamed with a long 500km-plus range places the Born in a unique position in the market – and all for less than $60,000 before on-road costs.”
tesla made price cuts in US upto $20k USD, so i say wait
With a range of 511km, when new, the only bit of medium distance driving the Cupra is good for in Australia, is stuff like Sydney to Canberra, since that’s only about 290km.
For single day long distance runs, ICE is at present still better..
Brisbane to Sydney, approx 925km
Sydney to Melbourne, approx 875km
Melbourne to Canberra, approx 665km
For short runs like the daily commute, or stuff like Brisbane to Surfers Paradise, about 85km, that’s where a BEV is well worthwhile.
Totally disagree. You’re assuming the driver is a robot, everyone needs to stop to eat meals, grab a drink or ice-cream, use the toilets etc. While that’s happening you topup the car charge
I’ve done Sydney to Melbourne and back again in a much shorter range EV a few weeks ago
And I know several people who have done it in EV’s with a about 400km range with ease
Don’t confuse WLTP with highway range.
Bjorn Nyland’s 1000km test are a good comparison of models over long distances.
Thanks for info on Bjorn’s tests. I found the one from May last year for the Cupra Born.
https://insideevs.com/news/575877/cupra-born-bjorn-1000km-challenge/
1000km, the Cupra had to do 6 stops to recharge.
Bjorn’s videos are entertaining but the tests done at freezing temperatures are irrelevant to Australia where for most people temperatures are mild most of the year round
In this case the Cupra Born Bjorn tested was a cheaper shorter range version than what will be sold in Australia and the test was done at an average temperature of 0°C which would’ve cut range a lot
There’s so many different measures of a vehicle’s range, and tbh I’ve not found any of them especially useful because it varies so much depending on what you’re doing – running AC? Range drops a lot. Running the heater? Drops even more. Tyres a bit below pressure? Windows down? Carrying 4-5 people? Boot full of stuff? All of this impacts your range. I’ve found that the Ioniq EV will often estimate its range as around 310-315km from a full charge, but in reality, it depends how fast you’re driving and over what kind of terrain – a long flat motorway… Read more »
Jeni, as an owner (> 12 months) of a mid-range EV (300km give or take), what you’re saying simply isn’t really accurate. The overwhelming majority of people either a) never drive between our capital cities, or b) do so very, very occasionally. Since having my EV for example, I’ve done one longer distance trip – Sydney to Orange – and found that we needed to top up about half way (in Lithgow) and this worked very well, time for a quick walk to use the bathroom and to grab a drink from the convenience store. Tbqh, this is something we’d… Read more »
Not a bad price for a long range EV. Just hope that the 4electrics last.