CUPRA Born (2026 - ) Electric review

Given the Born VZ model’s position as the racy range-topper, it seems to be very efficient. The new 79kWh battery gives the Born VZ the most range in the lineup at 389 miles on a full charge. That’s more than the new 58kWh model with its 300-mile range, and even more than the less powerful 231hp model with the same battery manages. We haven’t yet put that range claim to the sternest of tests, but in the balmy and warm conditions of our test drive, and with a mixture of city, country and motorway driving, the Cupra VZ returned 3.8 miles per kWh in our hands. That’s especially impressive given how much time we spent in the sportiest ‘Cupra’ driving mode, making full use of the rear-mounted electric motor’s 326 horsepower. In terms of other running costs, Cupra says you’ll only need a service every two years or 12,000 miles, and there are pre-paid servicing packages available as well. Just beware the cost of new tyres, though.

In theory, the Born should be pretty solid in reliability terms as all of its chassis, electronics, battery, motors and more are shared with the likes of VW, Audi and Skoda, and that helps to spread the risk of any reliability issues. However, Cupra hasn’t done brilliantly in recent years in reliability surveys, so the jury is still out. Most of the complaints seem to surround the laggy and irritating infotainment system, though, and that has been significantly upgraded for the 2026 model, which may cure those issues.

The Born was assessed by Euro NCAP in 2025 and took home a full five-star safety rating, which is impressive. It scored 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child safety, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 76 per cent for its electronic safety systems. Since then, Cupra has updated the Born’s safety setup, including improvements to the ‘Travel Assist’ system which ties the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping steering into one unified feature. There are also three ISOFIX anchor points for child safety seats throughout the car, which is one more than many other manufacturers give you.

Because we were testing the top-spec VZ model, it meant that our Born test car came with the ‘DCC’ adaptive suspension dampers, which allow you to electronically adjust them from really soft to really firm, depending on whether you want to drive in a sporty or a comfortable manner. In Comfort mode the Born’s suspension is spectacularly good at soaking up the worst road surfaces, and it’s especially good considering the VZ’s sporting brief. Dial up Performance or Cupra driving modes and, while things do stiffen up a bit, the Born’s ride quality never teeters over into harsh. The interior is also impressively comfortable. The VZ gets upgraded ‘CupBucket’ front seats, but even a lowly entry-level model comes with high-backed, softly-upholstered bucket seats. Either way, the Cupra is a very comfortable thing in which to sit.

As well as styling changes to the outside the Cupra Born has been significantly updated inside, including two new digital screens. The first is new a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel, which is far more impressive to look at than the old, small, 5.3-inch screen. It works well, with multiple layouts and displays available. The bigger 12.9-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard looks more familiar — and alas, the Born sticks with the awkward ‘slider’ touch sensitive controls for cabin heat and stereo volume — but within its electronics there’s new software, based on Google Android tech and which should help to address the complaints with the previous Cupra on-screen experience. Certainly, it feels much quicker to respond and simpler to use. The steering wheel has also been updated with proper physical buttons instead of the annoying haptic pads of the previous version. Meanwhile, audiophiles will love the optional upgrade to the Sennheiser ‘Contrabass’ stereo. There has also been a general uplift in the Born’s interior quality, which has gone from feeling slightly cheap in places to convincingly premium in look and feel. Other tech additions include 90-watt USB-C sockets and a chilled wireless phone charger, while there’s also a new bike-rack bracket which hides behind the rear numberplate when not needed.

You can now buy a basic Cupra Born with 190 horsepower, or a mid-level model with the bigger battery and 231 horsepower, but we drove the range-topping VZ model with its 326 horsepower and GTI-like character. A 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds may not sound all that ground-breaking anymore, but when you’re driving in Cupra mode, the electric motor’s initial response is rapid enough to almost count as savage. It tails off quite quickly if you keep your foot down, but there’s loads of performance always on tap as you drive along. The steering feels good — well-weighted and fast to respond — although there’s not massive amounts of feedback. The adaptive suspension helps to keep the Cupra composed on tricky tarmac too, absorbing the bumps you inevitably find on smaller roads, but without sacrificing a sense of control and precision. Only the brakes — which suffer from a soggy pedal feel — let the side down a bit, and at least there is now for the first time a one-pedal driving option which will bring the Born to a complete halt in traffic. You can change the regenerative braking strength with paddles behind the steering wheel. The Cupra Born VZ isn’t, quite, a laugh-a-minute riot of a hot-hatch, but instead is a well-rounded, rapid, composed and impressive machine.