Targeting subs not sales is Cupra’s (Seat’s) ingenious all-electric Born
With UK pricing not available until late-2021, Iain Robertson believes that Cupra can afford to be bullish about its first EV, although you can reckon that the four-powertrain line-up will be closer to its VW Golf ‘below-skin-twin’ than anticipated.
When I reflect on my life as a motoring scribe, I am quite grateful that motor manufacturers have slipped new technology into their products like billet-doux below an illicit lover’s bedroom door. The transition has been mostly gentle, unlike BMW’s 7-Series’ ‘I-Drive’ touchscreen of 2001 that set Starfleet phasers to stun and bamboozle, with its confusing blend of buttons and over 200 screen pages. Much like its brand, it was overwrought.
Look, I am not going to pretend, while a 12-year-old can tap away on an i-Phone, despatching ‘txt’ messages and questionable pictures to all and sundry, I cannot. In fact, I gave up on mobile communications altogether around four years ago. While attempting to unravel the complexities of on-line grocery shopping, I gave up in total exasperation. Therefore, it surprises even me that the relative unconventionality of the Born’s two-pedal, gearlever-less and AI-assisted and virtual head-up-display is not simply easy to become accustomed to but generates a schoolboy intrigue within that is impossible to suppress.
Seat, well, Cupra, its EV and performance arm, has launched its Born with a soupcon of accompanying GTi character. Some reviewers even refer to it as the first ‘hot hatch’ EV, a descript that I find especially specious, when its quickest battery pack dependent derivative can only manage the 0-60mph sprint in around 6.3s, an increment that a ludicrously set Tesla can despatch in half the time. It does seem as if G&S’s Victorian comic operas live on in today’s car marketing departments.
Yet, a brief scramble around the Born’s lower bumper areas reveals judicious airflow channelling fore and aft, in a style largely familiar to the hot hatch aficionado of the past couple of decades. Perhaps the GTi association is not so far from the truth after all? Of course, ‘GTi’ tagging also assumes the greater relevance of VW’s latest forays into electrification that create even larger parts bins into which the Group’s sub-brands can dip with controlled glee.
Apart from the orchestrated application of recycled plastics and other dumped materials into upholstery and other interior details of Born, all supporting a net-zero CO2 aspiration, Cupra is keen to highlight the sustainability of its products. It might as well do so, until the halo-polishing electricity produced by fossil fuels is replaced by wind, sun, or nuclear means.
An already VW-familiar dashboard layout, with digi-screen ahead of the driver (and the aforementioned HUD projecting non-distractingly into the windscreen) and slimline touchscreen at the top of the centre stack, becomes Cupra-centred with cupric highlights. Look, it is neat, driver adjustable, uncontentious and mixes buttons with virtual controls in a most user-friendly manner.
Capacitive touch technology improves levels of interaction and feedback, which makes the use of the system more responsive and precise…hopefully. Having stated that, the touch sliders, of which I am not so keen, are intended to add greater convenience and are used to control both climate and volume levels. Born’s infotainment system can display a range of data and information from 3D navigation, music, contact details and vehicle settings to driving data, as well as a host of additional functional aspects that are designed to keep occupants constantly connected.
The car’s wireless ‘Full Link’ system means that both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, while personal music selections are enjoyed through the optional nine-speaker Beats audio system, which reads more impressively than it sounds. The Born also integrates voice assistant technology that can be used for a wide number of functions, including sat-nav searches (a constant headache!), or controlling the cabin temperature effortlessly. It can be accessed by pressing the button located on the steering wheel cross-spoke, or saying the wake-up words, “Hola, Hola”. While hardly a comprehensive Berlitz guide to Spanish, for the German-built Born, it is a start.
At the centre of all the technology is Cupra Connect and a newly developed ‘My Cupra’ app. When activated its online services are unlocked and remote access is provided to the car. Users can view battery status, schedule and manage charging from the app, to set the desired state of charge of the battery ready for departure whenever. Incidentally, when hooked up to a 125kW charger, the 77kWh battery pack version can glean around 60mls of range in around seven minutes. The car’s climate control can also be activated remotely, setting the target temperature in advance of departure, or after unlocking doors automatically, as well as turning on the front driver and passenger heated seats.
Realising that you are keen to comprehend the four-power model line-up, allow me to guide you through the battery packs, with ‘bhp’ equivalent ratings in brackets. The base version is 45kWh (147bhp) possessing a projected range of 211mls and a 0-60mph potential of 8.6s. Next up is the 58kWh (201bhp) version capable of 260mls and 7.0s, which can also be obtained with ‘e-boost’ that enables the same range but 60mph can be breached in the zestiest 6.3s. Finally, the 77kWh (228bhp) pack, also with ‘e-boost’, provides a most acceptable 335mls, although its 0-60mph dash is achieved in 6.7s. Naturally, dipping into the performance pool will slash range expectations, which should only be regarded as rough guides. You will note that all of the packs develop an identical 228lbs ft of torque.
While I reject vehemently all suggestions about autonomous (driverless) motoring, I have to accept that much of the ADAS equipment installed on the Born arises from its technology, such as the predictive/adaptive cruise control function and lane-keeping features. Fortunately, they and some of the other related services can still be switched off to avoid annoying interruptions. Cupra is keen to state that, while safety is enhanced, the feeling of control is not removed from the driver.
Cupra is keen to inject enough sporting character into the Born as it can, a factor borne out by good chassis balance and taut handling. While engaging enough, the lack of engine noise is the missing link to ultimate sportiness, which will be a barrier impossible to remove. Finally, a subscription ‘ownership’ model is being promoted, the details of which will be provided soon.
