Cupra begins series production of Born EV hatchback

Performance brand Cupra has started production of its Born hatchback, the marque's first electric vehicle.

Built in Zwickau, Germany, under the same roof as other Volkswagen Group products such as the VW ID.3, ID.4 and Audi's Q4 E-Tron, the Born will be based on the MEB electric platform – but will be tuned more towards driver engagement, with the company's performance roots hoping to shine through its model range.

While Cupra is relatively new as a standalone brand, the Born will be at the genesis of its electric strategy – as the manufacturer aims to go all-electric by 2030 and shift over half a million cars per year.

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Cupra's CEO Wayne Griffiths said the Born is set to ignite a new direction for the company as it invests in its EV future, as well as the combustion-powered present.

"With its emotional design and electric sportiness, the Cupra Born is the impulse of the company's transformation and the start of Cupra's electric offensive," said Griffiths.

"Producing our first 100 per cent electric model in Europe's largest electric vehicle factory will provide valuable learnings as we look to build EVs in Martorell (Barcelona) from 2025 onwards.

"Our ambition is to produce more than 500,000 urban electric vehicles per year in Spain for different Group brands."

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Cupra Australia Director Ben Wilks reiterated the importance of bringing Born to the local market, providing Australian consumers with a true performance EV.

"Cupra is doing all that's possible to ensure the Born is the first EV of its sort in the Australian market," said Wilks.

"By that we mean the first full battery car from the broader Group, but also the first electric sports car at an approachable price point, just as Cupra will also bring the first affordable European plug-in hybrid electric vehicles when it launches in Australia next year. These too are designed to be drivers' cars.

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"We see Born as our halo car, one that embodies Cupra's progressive technology, design and sheer attitude."

Launching in Australia next year, the Cupra line-up will consist of three models, two of which will feature plug-in hybrid technology, with Wilks hoping to introduce the Born to local dealers as soon as 2023.