Cupra has certainly managed to make the Born, a model closely related to the Volkswagen ID.3, quite different to look at, at least on the outside. But is it really considerably better to drive, especially given that the ID.3 is already one of the most fun-to-drive EVs on the market right now.
Autogefuhl’s AJ tries to answer this question by reviewing the Born with an enthusiast’s mindset. The version that he’s reviewing, the Born with a 58 kWh battery pack and the power boost to 231 horsepower is the best to drive and most agile, which we can also confirm after driving the ID.3 with the same battery pack - it’s not the last word in handling feel and precision, but it’s better than most.
Opting for the smaller 58 kWh battery over the large 77 kWh pack makes the vehicle around 122 kg (268 pounds) lighter (1,749 kg vs 1,871 kg / 3,855 lbs vs 4,124 lbs). Interestingly, it looks like the Born is actually slightly heavier than the ID.3, by around 10 to 20 kg (22 to 44 pounds) depending on version.
However, as AJ discovers in this video, even with the sportier tuning and calibration of the suspension and steering, the Born is not especially rewarding to drive. He says the steering is devoid of feel, as are all the important controls, like the brake and go-pedal, and this detaches the driver from the experience.
Towards the end of the video, he jumps into a Born with the larger battery pack, although it also features the adaptive suspension setup, and that alters how the vehicle feels through the corners. It also has a Cupra mode that he says has a big impact on how the vehicle responds to acceleration, although it is not actually faster due to the aforementioned extra weight.
Maybe the new KW V3 (adjustable) lowering suspension kit for the Born will make it feel more engaging. It apparently helps marginally improve the range too.
