The HEAVY hot hatch? | Cupra Born review

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The HEAVY hot hatch? | Cupra Born review

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Күн бұрын

The Cupra Born provides a taste of future electric hot hatches, but is it any good?
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There was a time when SEAT was known as the sporty spin-off marque of the Volkswagen Group, offering buyers a taste of VW build quality, onboard tech and engine performance at a more affordable price. But, with the Spanish manufacturer now focusing on a more mainstream lineup that includes a raft of family SUVs, its Cupra sub-brand (now a standalone concern) has taken up the mantle of producing cars that deliver a sense of sportiness and driving fun.
After sprinkling its engineering knowhow on rebranded versions of the Leon hatchback and Ateca SUV, Cupra launched its first all-new model, the Formentor coupe-SUV, in 2020. Featuring strong petrol and plug-in hybrid engines (some with more than 300bhp), it was an impressive debut, and Cupra is now underway with expanding its lineup.
The all-electric Born hatchback is the first of a number of electrified models that Cupra will launch over the next few years; the Terramar plug-in hybrid SUV, all-electric Tavascan SUV and Urban Rebel electric city car are all due by 2025.
The Born’s sporty character will rival everything from the mechanically similar Volkswagen ID.3 to the Tesla Model 3, while its practical five-door hatchback body style gives it an advantage over smaller EV hatches such as the MINI Electric and Renault Zoe which offer less space and are not that much cheaper to buy. But can the Cupra live up to its sporty badge, despite weighing 1,735kg? Nicola Hume finds out.
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Пікірлер: 95

@mooferoo 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola is the best car reviewer on youtube. Just the perfect balance of entertainment and information.

@Astron0mical_ 2 жыл бұрын

Lol no where near the best 😂

@StefanP742 Жыл бұрын

If you don’t know who Matt Watson is😂😂

@mooferoo Жыл бұрын

@@StefanP742 I know him, and dislike him to put it mildly. He's annoying.

@Ajd83. 2 жыл бұрын

Another review ticked off nicola. You deliver the driving, humour and information very well combined. 👌 top notch delivery.

@anielloliguori6312 2 жыл бұрын

I got a white one a few weeks ago, love it! I had the glass sunroof & heat pump added, got the V2 version. No it not a hot hatch! However its fine! It handles fine, & to be honest in this day & age where there are camera's every where! Comfort and space is more important to me it has as well as being practical!

@itechtalk03 2 жыл бұрын

Would choose this Cupra Born over the ID.3 mainly because I personally much prefer the look especially the front.

@shorey66 Жыл бұрын

The interior is waaaaay better than the ID3.

@ivorverybigone2211 2 жыл бұрын

Essentially a warm dragster, okay on the straights and dull in the bends. I’ll wait until they can knock 500kg off an EV - guess I’ll be keeping my ST for a while yet!

@bshah4831 2 жыл бұрын

Megane Electric is much lighter about 1600kg but not engineered for performance

@3v1Bunny 2 жыл бұрын

I will keeping my FXT ;)

@TrickyWoo109 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola could review fresh air for me and I'd still watch! I only watch for Nicola! ☺️❤️

@anthonystevens8683 2 жыл бұрын

If it doesn't make your tum tum twizzle then it not a hot hatch, perfect description. With rear wheel drive (and a heavy car) I'd be more concerned about colder slippery corners where we'd be more concerned about the car's bum bum direction. Terrific review Nicola! Oh, I'm also not a fan of the hand (finger?) brake position or the touchy temperature controls either. Haptic feedback on the steering wheel sliders is better but I want the twidly doos.

@ebbaddar 2 жыл бұрын

Cupra is making interesting things, better than the ID3 for sure.

@mooferoo 2 жыл бұрын

Agree. VW seem intent on making all their electric cars look like moon buggies.

@robhallam8047 Жыл бұрын

By far the best Cupra Born review I've seen....and I've seen a lot!! My V3 arrives next week.....it's been a 16 mth wait, hope it's worth it!

@garryhayden8328 Жыл бұрын

Well? Was it worth it? Mine is coming in January!

@davidjack3 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Nicola ,the Bmw i3 is the ONLY lightweight electric hot hatch ,agree?Good review nonetheless you gave

@dashcam2417 2 жыл бұрын

At last , someone calling out an EV for being heavy.

@dt8101 2 жыл бұрын

The hot hatch from MG4 is coming soon (next year). Dual motor MG4 has 0-62mph under 4 seconds.

@rg6982 2 жыл бұрын

Another fantastic review 👍 Loveee the car

@colinrenfrew48 2 жыл бұрын

Like all EVs, this car needs developed battery technology, and a lower price.

@martinling3605 2 жыл бұрын

I agree 100% it's nice that EV is starting to pick up steam, it's still at a relatively early stage. I reckon give it another 5 years, things will be very different.

@schuck1990 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola is the best, love her reviews

@peterproctor-noone382 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola, from the expression on your face, I want a surprise massage too. It’s interesting to see EVs are developing quite rapidly. In a few years, I think that they will be rather exciting. Traveling further on a charge, better pricing, the future is looking better than I previously thought. 😋 As always I enjoyed the review.

@pauladams5673 Жыл бұрын

A very good review, overall. You criticised the visibility but other reviewers said the visibility is one of the best in class. The VW ID.3 gets misunderstood for interior quality - VW ID.3 was designed with a Circular Economy in mind, so fabrics are made from recycled plastic, hard plastics use less emissions than soft, foam based plastics and also end of life considerations. I applaud VW for it. If you were measuring the Cupra with this in mind, as we should be, the Cupra would lose a lot of points to the VW.

@thomasbonnenberger1365 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola, It is better than a ID3 because the plateform is the same like the motor So, it is hotter?

@bshah4831 2 жыл бұрын

The 77KW V3 can include 20 inch Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres, which will help with that handling.

@justinjameson89 2 жыл бұрын

Great review!!

@blessedvillain 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola is the best. Oh.. the car review is a bonus to watch

@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 2 жыл бұрын

I guess it would have been more fun with the 231 hp version… But even the 204 hp seems a lot nicer than th ID.3.

@Pembrey33 2 жыл бұрын

Nice review and I’ll buy the RYA reg👍

@daverouth 2 жыл бұрын

Why do these presenters keep going on about hot hatches when talking about this car it’s just an electric car made by Cupra

@Ben.Royals 2 жыл бұрын

Lightweight fun electric hot hatch, try the Mini Cooper SE

@dtvfan24 2 жыл бұрын

Great review Nicola , I would so go EV if we had cars around £30K or £25K. from auto car to gadget show.

@CastleKnight7 Жыл бұрын

Check out the new MG4. It’s in your price range.

@chrisgrindrod2993 Жыл бұрын

I have had one of these for just over a month. Very comfortable and practice. The lady delivering the review talks about fun. Driving isn’t that fun when you spend most of your time in traffic. Set the auto cruise on and the car drives itself. Regarding turn of speed, I can leave any car on the road standing from a dead start and continue up to a 100 without anything catching up. It’s cracking drive.

@JustMeTalking Жыл бұрын

Yeah... that fun part... I drive a Tesla Model 3 Performance which gives that Tum Tum feeling... especially when the NIP arrives in the post. So far 3 points and a speed awareness course... ironic really as I was the slowest car on the motorway that day.

@Ellieaissbitt 2 жыл бұрын

Entertaining style of review, but if you're going to pose the question whether the Cupra Born can be considered a hot hatch, it would be worthwhile using the most powerful version in your review, the 231ps E-Boost version, not the 204ps version shared with the ID3 "Pro Performance" spec. Might also be worth reassessing your consideration of a hot hatch - there are a lot of hot hatches well above the arbitrary 1200kg limit set by the reviewer - even a current Polo GTI is above 1300kg. As it is, the Cupra (and the ID3) are extremely well composed, given their great handling and low down, well distributed weight, but that also makes them a little dull - no one makes hot hatches that were as entertaining to drive as the likes of the old Peugeot 205GTI anymore, unless you're prepared to drive it at 120mph+ and lose your license instantly - the price of much better composure and safety. I had a 204ps ID3, and swapped it for a Born 231ps E-Boost V2. In a lot of ways it reminds me a lot of my 2015 Golf R - quick off the line, quick to react to a throttle prod (no selection of gears), but drama-free to the point of being a bit dull - the price you pay for modern rock-solid composure (yes I said it, my Golf R was a bit dull to drive). Any fears of RWD anyone has, from experiences of tail happy RWD BMWs in the Winter while on Summer tyres are unfounded. The sheer weight, perfrectly distributed across the floor pan makes this car drive like it's on a 4WD Haldex system as per the Golf R. In that review video, the reviewer had to treat the Born very harshly to get the back end to do anything at all. The Born is a great car (so is the ID3, if a bit dull inside and out), and if you can charge at home on a cheap overnight rate, it can cost you pennies to run.

@JMLE1949 2 жыл бұрын

evidently its a bit slow on the uptake, and not so good in the snow being a rear wheel drive e.g. like a BMW

@jamesmccormack3229 2 жыл бұрын

Much nicer that the ID3 inside and out, great looking thing and with some awesome paint specs too. I would say although it might be a little faster in some ways, the Peugeot 208e has a better handling chassis for the bends and it looks pretty hot hatch in GT spec. I think the 208e gets looked over alot for cause its not a purpose build ev, even though the range and charge etc is enough to rival all these purpose built ev's in its sector.

@tylersanders6703 2 жыл бұрын

I'm more interested in the MG4 EV than this or the ID.3.

@chrismlarge1 2 жыл бұрын

Chinese Rubbish

@SusieSmart 2 жыл бұрын

@@chrismlarge1 have you helped with the development?

@DirtyCorn69 Жыл бұрын

Going into a corner at 30mph... and coming out of it at 19mph... What type of driving is this? How can you ask if the car excites like a Cupra Leon or Fiesta ST when you drive like this? Credibility out of the window.

@interceptor-ss8kb 2 жыл бұрын

It's going to get through tyres very quickly with that sort of weight in a hatchback you are going to throw about. it literally weights more then my wife's Ford Galaxy

@MiniEggs1999 2 жыл бұрын

Caterham antidote required for full recovery 😁

@athollmcnicoll1028 Жыл бұрын

No thanks Nicola I'll stick to my Fiesta for the time being , maybe see me out who knows?

@BigGsRandoms 11 ай бұрын

I got the v2, no glass roof and smaller battery which reduces the 0 to 60 plus the eboost cupra button and you are talking 238bhp. Noice 😂

@Bullrunnerrr Жыл бұрын

By far the best looking EV after the Audi e tron imo

@justynabrzuchalska19 2 жыл бұрын

I didn’t buy this car because I thought it was a hot hatch. I bought it because it’s an ev and it was a logical choice to replace my ice car, plus it’s not overly pricey for an EV

@Yorkshiremadmick 2 жыл бұрын

I love ice ( in car entertainment) Crazy how millenniums have manipulated things. LoL was lots of love. But apparently you’re referring to a car that has a mechanical heart. That can be worked on and kept running by your average mechanic. Environmentally friendly too. Not the heavily polluting ev

@10aDowningStreet 2 жыл бұрын

Price is a joke tbh, not a chance I'd drop that much on that car instead of a huge queue of others.

@marklawrence855 Жыл бұрын

This or a Tesla model 3 ?

@igorko69 Ай бұрын

Picked the Born, bc less overall lenght and looks😎🫶

@TheGheddon 2 жыл бұрын

I really wanted to love this car but a test drive left me feeling flat, it was really dull.

@philipwookey599 2 жыл бұрын

Are you sure it's not just you?

@TheGheddon 2 жыл бұрын

@@philipwookey599 it might be, do you feel as though my personal feelings toward a test drive should offend you as much as it obviously has? Everyone is different, I personally thought it lacked any feedback through the wheel, this coupled with the fact that electrics are automatic means that I felt a bit divorced from the drive. I drove a Nissan Ariya later the same day (also an electric) and even though it is definitely not sold as a fun car, it was far more engaging.

@diogo266 2 жыл бұрын

It's a VAG, of course it'll be dull.

@yudhabagaskara98 2 жыл бұрын

Skoda and Seat made better cars than VW recently

@fredsucksatminecraft2753 2 жыл бұрын

That's because they are better value for money rather than a plain volkswagen. Skoda and seat are much better in my opinion

@pmrribeiro 2 жыл бұрын

Hot hatch? With the ridiculous speed limit?!

@nigelmitchell5726 2 жыл бұрын

Lovely Nicola 💗

@julieli6313 2 жыл бұрын

looks sporty😃

@matthewomalley5321 2 жыл бұрын

Nicola, I think the girl racer in you was coming through in this review! 😂 Great review, as usual! 👌

@tonyb3629 2 жыл бұрын

Another EV problem (mostly down to today's battery tech) - weight. Stupidly, crazy heavy wreight. A 75kWh battery can weigh nearly 500kg! That's a lot of mass the car has to carry around, which affects range. If you had the same energy density in something weighing half that, it benefits everyone. That's a lot more kinetic energy too, which can do a LOT more damage in an accident. I standy by the fact that while EV's (in one form or another) are the future, current tech is far, far from the answer. Try over £40k for the mid-spec model with a couple of options too - stupid.

@rasherbasher8203 2 жыл бұрын

Hot hatch ev which isn't really a hot hatch.. more warmish....

@richycoles 2 жыл бұрын

Cant get away from the lack of noise. Also what they going to be like with a bit of snowy stuff on the road. Lots of Borns facing the wrong way on round a bouts I’m thinking.

@philipwookey599 2 жыл бұрын

Its weighed down with batteries, it will be excellent in the snow, which we never get.

@Ironic1950 2 жыл бұрын

It's an Appliance, like a washimg machine; automatic, should only come in refrigerator white...you don't drive it, you select a wash programme...will soon be autonomous, self-driving...zero involvement?

@TrickyWoo109 2 жыл бұрын

I only watch for Nicola! ☺️

@anton3682 2 жыл бұрын

Lovely

@rjhandley556 2 жыл бұрын

I don’t understand who would buy an id3 over this

@Ellieaissbitt 2 жыл бұрын

Someone who ordered an ID3 over a year ago and is just about to receive it at the end of a long wait! 😄

@Alesh86 2 жыл бұрын

Too heavy, tall, with lack of excitement to be hot hatch. Other Cupra's are better.

@davidkinsella 2 жыл бұрын

All EVs are heavy. This isn't a talking point for the Born? You don't feel the weight when driving as most reviews point out. Such a strange thing to start a review on.

@alanjenkins1508 2 жыл бұрын

Hot hatches need to be good round corners, and that means low weight.

@davidkinsella 2 жыл бұрын

@@alanjenkins1508 EVs have a low centre of gravity as the batteries are in the floor. You can definitely throw this around corners.

@dancooper2072 2 жыл бұрын

VW are struggling recently. I had a Seat Leon and it wasn't "fun" to drive at all

@dodgywheelsandropeywiring5697 2 жыл бұрын

I can put my finger on what is wrong with this, 700 kilos.

@Unchartedgaming672 2 жыл бұрын

Nice looking car

@NafaratMiyaMiya 2 жыл бұрын

Nooooo no tum tum feel!!

@toninocars 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, looks cool and I have seen it I person 👍

@adamjjay 2 жыл бұрын

No brrrum brrrum noise. THATS what’s missing.

@philmoffett366 2 жыл бұрын

All very nice but the few elephants in the room? Absolutely stupid unaffordable prices and can I fill it up with electricity as quick as I can fill up my internal combustion engined car?

@lapamful 2 жыл бұрын

Err yeah. No.

@pdrawmer 2 жыл бұрын

Dear Auto Express, please send Nicola on a driving course. Her presentation is bright and cheerful, but her driving is rubbish. It detracts from the presentation and shows the product in poor light.

@10aDowningStreet 2 жыл бұрын

It has THE most pretentious, nonsense advert on TV 😅

@arunasenanayaka1247 2 жыл бұрын

Wow super car 😍🤗

@i.m.Q.2 2 жыл бұрын

Why does it everyone makes a big deal over RWD? I'll take that over FWD anytime, anyday. AWD? It gets interesting in the turns too! It's called torque evenly distributed into traction, traction into thrust! Then we consult with ye old gearbox...voila! Back windy twisty roads? Wet? Dry? Between? I'll show up anything of the same name and model with another configuration. Last but not least, AWD and a little skill is a literal life saver. Wet conditions? Slalom around to avert instant cremation like a rally race? AWD. If given the choice? Screw RWD.

@Eric76 2 жыл бұрын

A very underwhelming review. Can we trust the driving experience of this reviewer? Lots of borderline sarcasm about the weight, drivability, and tum tum feelings she thinks you ought to get.

@niceboy60 2 жыл бұрын

Top speed is low for a Cupra I have a Friend which takes his Cupra to the Track you are paying close to £43,000 sport car which tops at 98 mph 😳🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♂️ to put things in Perspective in past 15 years all Prius had Faster top speeds 😲