Cupra Born review (inc. 0-100): Better than a Model 3?

[@-TJ-]

I'm sorry, but this 'Help me CarExpert' popup is really distracting and repetitive.

[@joelcarterramadge183]

Was just going to the comments to say the same thing, please CarExpert, don’t feel like you need to become CarWow…

[@X22GJP]

If you want free content, deal with it.

[@Staff7A]

Test drove one, absolutely loved it.

[@MatthewBayard]

Thanks for letting people know about the type of battery and if it likes being kept at 100% state of charge.

[@jerrymyahzcat]

He said you Don’t want to be charging it to 100% constantly.

[@FutureSystem738]

NO LITHIUM Battery “likes” to be at 100%, and that actually includes LFP! (LiFePO4)

[@einfelder8262]

Styling and interior is stunning. I don't understand why so many EVs are an eyesore styling and interior wise.

[@Udamishara89]

Suggestion: when giving the vehicle price/cost for the one in review it would be nice to know the breakdown of the cost including the additional packaging which will give the viewers a much better understanding about the value for money.. Keep up the good work.. cheers 🎉

[@Roadrunnerz45]

that additional detail would be on their website review but perhaps should be added to the videos yes.

[@RobG001]

Paul knocking it out of the park as usual, Bravo Sir, no wonder he is (as far as I'm concerned) The best car reviewer in the business. :) Hell is has me watching and I live in West Wales in the Uk. :) (and I more likely too bang a super model, then I am of buying a new car, i.e, no chance at all. :)

[@peoplelikeus3684]

We do things well across the pond.

[@SamBlack-g6m]

Just report back, the power use is around 16-17 in standard city driving over 1000kms. Not fabulous, but better than your report. Also it does have rear air vents, they are under the front seats.

[@gtbr24]

Great review as always. Just some feedback: I found the “help me carexpert” pop-outs really distracting (and also a bit tacky). Maybe once or twice would be enough. Cheers

[@rohbrown]

Is it just me, but watching this it is like a modern electric Ford Fiesta in design.

[@radissimo1]

price x3 though

[@indetailcarcaresolutions3770]

Cuprum is Latin for copper. Hence the COPPER trim colour for Cupra.

[@damianotoole8770]

I drove one. Its comfortable and refined. Punchy too

[@Spruce_Goose]

Pretty much every EV drivers like that. This car is a huge let down on technology and features for the price. But hey, it looks good.

[@paulpavlou9294]

I own a fully spect Born and love it. I like the drive dynamics of the vehicle even thought it’s a bit heavy, I also like the styling and look of the car. I didn’t want a Tesla that’s a dime a dozen. What I don’t like is that we didn’t get the European or American specification with more tech and built in satellite navigation an app and heads up display with the additional safety features that comes with that. I was also disappointed with the purchasing and dealership experience which was the worst I have experienced with purchasing a new car. It might seem expensive and it might look similar to an iD3 VW which I’m ok with - but it is also there first attempt at an EV and I’m sure it cost more than the asking price to get it to market. But for what it costs me to run, I will make up in money saved on my petrol guzzling 3.0R Premium flat six Subaru Outback which cost a fortune in maintenance and upkeep.

[@peterellemor2915]

Cupra have nailed the styling of their cars and I love the metallic copper toned accents! Different in a good way. Shame about the lack of connectivity tech and rear drum brakes - really?? The sooner the VW group ditch the capacitive touch controls and revert to actual physical buttons, the better the user experience will be. Excellent review Paul. One question: what is the acceleration app you used?

[@markoshark4697]

See, I don't get the hate for the drum brakes. At 20:30ish, Oh yeah, the brakes are really good, no fade etc. Followed up shortly after, drum brakes bad!. But.. you literally just said that the brakes are good? Who cares what the tech involved is if the end product is good? The capacitive touch controls are a bit of a dick, yes, one handing the wheel in carparks etc I do find that I turn the volume down. Connectivity wise - I'll let you know how much I hate it in summer with not being able to set aircon 15 minutes before jumping into the car, but currently the things I need to do I can do without the app. (Source - I picked mine up tuesday last week)

[@entity_dragons2013]

Drum brakes on the rear is a good idea, as they are hardly used, which would cause severe rust and cost more in repairs

[@royalgm]

@@entity_dragons2013 precisely. Because the motor is in the rear, the rear brakes are only used at full pedal to the metal braking. If you put normal brakes there they would be rusty and messed up very soon, because under normal braking all the braking at the rear axle is done by the electric motor. I've had my Cupra Born since February, and mostly it's alright. The touch controls aren't great, and also there is a problem with the steering wheel heating getting too hot. Other than that the car has been great. Make sure to spec the electric dampers, they make a giant difference to ride quality, as well as the Beats Audio system as otherwise you don't even get speakers in the rear doors, and it's only 250$ extra.

[@leasaunce]

Peter, Paul mentioned somewhere on KZbin he’s using Racelogic Vbox Sport

[@teslabot6517]

U get 4 seats as the weight of the option packs put u over the weight limit on the rear axle with the biggest battery 77kwh.

[@smaldo19]

Perfect option for someone who just has to be different and loves to compromise.

[@SmithLord117]

Great review - I've been interested in Cupra's products but the lack of tech in this car is pretty disappointing. Regarding the video itself, i don't think the typing sound effect is necessary every time "Help me Car Expert" comes up on the screen. It's very distracting.

[@martingifford5415]

I love how it looks, both inside and out. It seems to drive well. But bad connectivity tech is lame. Electricity usage seems high. I worry that those headrests might push too far forward for some people.

[@geoffreyjones6019]

Do you know why there is no connectivity in Australian models? The U.K. models have it, I’d really miss it in mine and it seems a strange omission. I don’t think you’d have an issue with the headrests, it’s honestly not something I’ve heard anyone have a problem with. I get about 15 kWh/100 km but that’s with the 58 kWh battery version.

[@Amsterlager]

Way too expensive for what it is. When I first saw these released in Europe, I was thinking they’d come in between 45-50k. 60k… tell ‘em they’re dreamin’!

[@geoffreyjones6019]

The cheapest version in the U.K. is about 68,000 AUD, but the cheapest Tesla M3 is approx. 82,000 AUD, so it seems a bit more reasonable over here.

[@StephenButlerOne]

The average UK price is £40k that converts to £77k at time of writing.

[@marcellakilgarriff]

I'm so confused, i have a Cupra Born in Ireland and we do have app connectivity. I can check the battery, set it to charge, turn on air con, heating etc from the app. Is this just not available in Australia?

[@Thj_42]

He explains this at 1:30

[@timvinall4802]

Same as mine

[@sbrookman2086]

Great video Paul & Team! That "Stop Start Engine" button tho hahaha wtf

[@teinspringz]

Awaiting keenly to see your review of the MG4, Paul!

[@therealjeffg]

Great review thanks Paul? So not better than a model 3?

[@toobasaurus23]

Get some after-market bronze rims on this ad it would look great.

[@ggegeRGr]

Looks great! The lack of GPS for that price point is a joke though.

[@einfelder8262]

Why? Use your phone which has real time traffic and daily updates. You would rather wait 12 months for your annual dealer visit to maybe get a map update?

[@tuppawareAU]

Dealer mentioned that they’ve waiting on regulatory approval for improvements to software lane travel assist, and will be upgradable by the dealer at some point. Who knows about navigation onboard ( who cares when you can just use CarPlay tbh) There isn’t much else in size or range without going a Tesla and I’m not fan. I actually wanted a hatch but the MG seemed a bit too cheap in terms of quality. Only 4 seats cause the rear wheel axis weight would be too much Haha I have one coming in 3 months 😅

[@geoffreyjones6019]

I don’t think you’ll regret it, honestly the best car I’ve owned and great fun to drive. It has connectivity in the U.K. so hopefully you’ll get that in Australia soon (maybe before it’s delivered!)

[@TheAlbaniaGaming]

How did it go? Looking for one

[@MattyThomas86]

why is the spec so different , we get wireless apple car play and andriod auto in the UK and sat nav inbuilt and the remote connection via the app

[@ianthomas7863]

Sorry I'am late, another brilliant review, of a car I have NO interest in. Just enjoy watching your car reviews. I guess I just lo e watching your channel. Thanks Paul, and team.👍👍👍

[@CarExpertAus]

Much appreciated!

[@tezza_61]

Will connectivity even be delivered OTA once Cupra work out how in Australia?

[@codaroma]

No mention of the RHD model having LHD windscreen wiper orientation? It was a rainy day.

[@matthewomeara5757]

Paul you never mentioned the road and wind noise so I think it must be not that noticeable even maybe very good/low, What was your verdict on this please Paul

[@wrigzzx]

Out of curiosity. If vw/cupra were to introduce the option of connected services, will you be able to get system updates over wifi, or does it have to have cellular from the factory?

[@pinocleen]

App on your phone most likely, then USB followed by all the other options you mentioned?

[@espaudio]

Anyone else yelling "copper!!!' at the screen? I've heard gold, rose gold, bronze... triggering my OCD fkn.... hahaha

[@_CasualJan]

I think Cupra would like to refer to the highlight colour as copper (cuprum) - and not gold, rose gold or bronze. :) Also wanted to reference your comment about the drum brakes on the back wheels - apparently the reason is that EVs use regenerative braking so much that rear discs are susceptible to rust - so they install drums to help keep rust away. Curious here though with the Born not coming to a complete stop by itself, so you'll be using the brakes every time anyway. My wife and I had a look at a Born a month or two ago. For her, she was (very) disappointed that for a $60k car, if you spec the massage seats, you lose the middle seat in the back. Otherwise, she liked the screen on the steering column, as she definitely did not like the Tesla's single central screen. She liked the Born more than the Polestar 2 though - she felt the high centre console made the interior feel cramped. For me, I can't quite get past the similarities with the Volkswagen ID3 - the capacitive controls on the steering wheel, only getting 2 electric window switches in the front doors, and the way every other control is in the central screen. Plus the temperature controls are not backlit, so you can't see it at night. I don't like the human interface enough that I will be giving the current generation VW (and related) EVs until the buttons come back.

[@ravingmad765]

VAG have apologised for the capacitive buttons. I'd be waiting for them to fix these.

[@abu_ghaleb]

13.43 Charing or Charging 🤔

[@andrejristevski3858]

Great review as always Paul.Can you do the GWM cannon XSR in the future. No.2

[@MikeJones-mz5ig]

Er...copper actually. Gold?

[@daveacbickford]

Fear not Mike, I work CUPRA in the Sydney CBD Garage, I've heard our colour described in many ways, Copper, Bronze, Gold, Brown, Orange, Red 😂😂 we've learnt to accept it haha

[@CelinsChauhan-lf6xq]

Hey Paul! Just a suggestion, please review the new Honda Z-RV. It has been a while since you had a honda product on your channel🙂

[@Mark-jz5ye]

They did the civic type R not long ago.....what do you mean

[@buttoot]

It does have gps navigation ?

[@hejhapiran5177]

Can we get a review of the Leon VZx please!!

[@arnkbb4656]

That's a shame it doesn't have app connectivity and also sunroof. Rest sounds like a good package!

[@vtv8man]

Drum brakes? My 1986 VL Commodore wasn’t such a dinosaur back in its day …

[@Gdsamplify]

"Kind of reminds me of a Kia Carnival" Ah yes very high praise for a brand with racing heritage 😂 The Born does look like a great package though

[@RamosRev]

Paul does this car have any voice control capability to mitigate usability issues of capacitive feedback buttons? Perhaps Cupra will back pedal on these like VW? RWD electric...does it do 'nuts?

[@einfelder8262]

I reckon they will backpedal. Maybe there will be an aftermarket button kit or steering wheel for all these stupid touch buttons.

[@SamBlack-g6m]

Yes it has full voice control but you have say Hola Hola to get it going. Hilarious.

[@RamosRev]

@@SamBlack-g6m 😆

[@einfelder8262]

@@SamBlack-g6m You aren't being a pajero, are you ????

[@dingbatt]

Test drove the Born about a month ago in NZ. I agree it is nice to drive but lacking in the packaging and technology for a 2023 EV (in Australia and NZ). I guess on-roads are different depending what state of Australia you are in. In NZ the same car is about $NZ78K ($AUD71K) and they charge $800 for the blue paint. Not sure what the deal is with VWAG and it’s connectivity in this part of the world. Arrogance maybe, in that they can’t be bothered putting in the resources?

[@RacingAnt]

Tesla model Y is under NZ$70k now. VWAG having a laugh.

[@Audios81]

The accent colour is Copper, not bronze nor rose gold.

[@jehanirani2966]

Hey Paul which watch are you wearing ?

[@matthewmuffett9028]

Love the look of this car paul where can i buy car expert water bottles i love them when u advertise them

[@duke_of_oz]

I think you will find that a few ev manufacturers are returning to drum brakes on the rear axle nowadays, since regen breaking means the mechanical brakes aren't used that much anymore. Also, I think the born is pricier due to the larger battery offered in Australia; kinda' on par with the 'long range' teslas without the dual motor. I think it's not fair to compare the born with cars that have 40-60kWh batteries.

[@dxbmick]

00:30. Charing?

[@KOBBSdiesel]

Why it got drum brakes in rear

[@coreyw427]

Because the electric motor provides the majority of braking on the rear axle through regen

[@coreyw427]

And because the weight transfers forward under braking rear brakes are not used that much on most cars

[@dobromirbardarov4429]

Price is still a massive turn off.. here in Switzerland it's about 40k CHF so about 43-44k USD. I rented the "uglier" brother of it , the ID3, and the infotainment itself and the controls are really bad. Range also waaaay less then advertised (I know, I know, depends on how you drive).. EVs are still too overpriced in my opinion to become the mass choice, electricity isn't that cheap either.. Such small hatch EVs will make sense and have real value if price won't exceed 25k, period.

[@bluemoon3525]

40k usd is aroung 60k Australian dollars

[@shiyuanlu9740]

Wtf, people in swiss drive this shit? You guys should drive at least Porche, are u fake Swiss?

[@seanelias6478]

@@bluemoon3525 The price of the car in CHF is similar to Australia

[@ratsac]

Mate I’d love it if you could talk a bit about the origin of cars, especially with new brands like Cupra. I.e who owns them, where are they made, are they made in multiple places like Tesla, Toyota, etc. it was one of your vids where I found out that Aus Teslas were made in Shanghai and that took me down a rabbit hole which Instill haven’t found my way out of 😅

[@firbane9703]

Can you please view the Tank 300?

[@fleachamberlain1905]

Is not having led lights an option?

[@stevenm1054]

Who got to drum brakes then turned off?

[@Bacender]

Am i crazy for thinking drum brakes are a deal breaker?

[@brownhairydog6472]

Why does it matter? Brake performance is what you judge, not the method of delivery. With so much regen drums are cheap, proven and long lasting. Unless you're going to track the car you won't ever notice.

[@SS-yw7vo]

You hardly use the brakes in an EV let alone the rear brakes

[@entity_dragons2013]

Rear brakes will rust it's a good idea drum brakes on the rear

[@FutureSystem738]

Drum rear brakes are a deal breaker. HOWEVER… No connectivity is an even bigger deal breaker.

[@IsabellCrafts]

Will you be testing the MG4 soon?

[@Pdougie2]

Drum Brakes. Apparently this increases the range for the vehicle. As it is a REAR wheel drive EV, the majority of the braking is done by the motor, so the rear brakes are really just a parking brake. That makes sense to me, even though, on first glance, it does appear to be a step back in time.

[@hughdevaux2994]

Nice review ! Yes it's missing tech but not a dealbreaker if you're coming from an old car and some will like having less tech. I'm not sure the comparison is warranted with a Model 3 (sedan vs hatch) even if the price is close. And yes you can get a MG4/BYD Dolphin for less but not convinced you get the same feel in the interior. Great city car (size + turning ratio) that you can take on a road trip, fun to drive and a great look. Missing tech is disappointing, the biggest one is the lack of HUD (especially considering it's the one thing that got great reviews on the ID/Born in EU models) ... Still ordered one

[@gilliganzyland577]

Can I sell you a bridge?

[@hughdevaux2994]

@@gilliganzyland577 was there anyone to compare a Golf with a Camry before? or comparing a base BYD dolphin with the MG4 LR? That's why I don't get the comparison of a hatch with a sedan (and similarly comparison between a BYD atto 3 and a Model 3). If the missing tech is important to you then don't buy it, but plenty of people don't value it as much and just want a nice EV hatch to drive without having to be called idiots

[@abcdef-qk6jf]

At first glance - I thought the title were incorrect - presenting a Peugeot 209gte or something like that... RWD with a Duramax could be fun.... but what do I know about cars... I'm an electrician....

[@eDENTECHNOCYBERHUB]

YOUR BIGGEST KENYAN FAN RIGHT HERE, 29/06/2023

[@BadDriversOfTheIllawarra]

It looks like a great little offering but its just way too expensive for what it is.

[@whatsbestnow]

Too many things are missing. I'm sure that if you buy the car in UK you get an app and digital radio

[@SamBlack-g6m]

It has DAB+ is aus.

[@campbellseith6380]

How does it go with OTA updates?

[@FutureSystem738]

LOL :-) It doesn’t.

[@mesp673]

…manual car seat adjustment without the interior package is wild at this price point.

[@d.j.z.j]

Does it come in suv

[@glennO-e9r]

It is gorgeous though.😍

[@TrevorLongAU]

I bought this exact config Paul :)

[@steveedmond9362]

'Charing' at 13:43, what is charing?

[@gilliganzyland577]

It's what happens when the battery catches fire?

[@mathewannear1206]

13.43….what’s Charing…lol

[@mdrasheduzzaman5139]

Think that colour is copper not gold

[@englishmaninturkey8165]

with all the videos ive watched about this car. Still, no one has been able to answer the question if this car has a heat pump. This question is one of the main things about electric cars. Does this car have a heatpump?

[@dw1508]

Can you comment on country of manufacture in future review's?

[@VroomBroomZoom]

Sounds like it should be about $35k 😂😂😂

[@Roccorocco892]

Yep the quality doesn’t looks great.. They can call it whatever they want but it’s SEAT

[@spartanjack175]

Maybe it improves clickthroughs or something, but playing a typing sound and popping up the "help me car expert" graphic every three minutes is very annoying. You did it 9 times in this 25 minute video.

[@CarExpertAus]

Sorry - we have removed that for future videos.

[@dmangsmile]

Just FYI, Cupra comes from the Latin word for copper - Cuprum - where the english word originated, and you keep calling bronze/gold/rose gold which it really isn't mate...it's copper...

[@Agmhd]

Mahindra xuv 700 or BE electric car review?

[@pauld6556]

Paul, it’s copper. Not gold, bronze, rose gold. With so many omissions this car is worth 40-50k if that. It’s basically a base model ICE vehicle that’s turned EV.

[@steveedmond9362]

💯

[@coreyw427]

Base model…

[@pauld6556]

@@coreyw427what we call in Australia cars that come in the lowest trim.

[@coreyw427]

@@pauld6556 I understand that but I don’t think many base model ICE cars come with massaging seats or LED headlights, for example. Not seeing in which way it is like a base model or why ICE specifically either.

[@peakproofuk]

Gold? Bronze?… it’s copper! 😊

[@1m1r0z]

Paul, it’s not gold, it’s copper

[@gilliganzyland577]

Correct. A polished turd is copper, not gold.

[@malsmith2012]

Great review Paul.. I personally hate the fact in 2023 car makers are using drum brakes in cars/utes. Can it really be that much more expensive installing a solid disc and calliper? And with drums your pedal feel is constantly changing as they're not self adjusting..

[@mikaeljrgensen5703]

Great review, but come on… “Sort of Gold/bronze accents”??? It’s COPPER = CUPRA 🤷🏼‍♂️😂

[@tonyspiegel6771]

Great review and I agree. You wouldn't buy this EV it is over valued and doesn't keep up with cars selling for less. Not to mention the poor customers service and support you will experience when owning any product from VW Group.

[@psychoshelby2.0]

Please do the review of mahindra xuv 700

[@jamesc2810]

Don’t really get much for 60k

[@ennael81]

I’ve been waiting for you to review this car and confirmed all my thoughts on this. I was going to order one after taking it for a spin. It is a very fun car to drive. I decided not to get one after all for all the reasons people have listed. The price is not worth what you get in comparison to the base model 3, especially Tesla has dropped prices as of today, making this Cupra over priced for the lack of connectivity and the tech you get (in comparison to the base model 3).

[@iatsd]

Things like build quality and engineering standards aren't important to you? Anyone choosing a Tesla at this point in time is someone that is declaring they don't care about what they drive. You may as well take a bus for all the interest you show in automotive excellence.

[@RacingAnt]

​@@iatsdtell me you've not driven a 2023 Tesla without telling me you've not driven a 2023 Tesla. Lol

[@iatsd]

@@RacingAnt Munro tells it like it is, as do the various government bodies around the world that deal with recalls and QA on consumer purchases: Tesla is still terrible at QA, build quality, and not good at engineering. I'm sorry if reality upsets you.

[@geoffreyjones6019]

I’ve owned one for a couple of months and it’s a great car, but in the U.K. it’s almost £10,000 less than a Tesla M3 (+ it’s a hatchback which I need) and it does have connectivity, not sure I’d have got one if it hadn’t.

[@murraysampson2501]

Great review. I won’t be considering this car. Too many compromises and seems underdone with some poor design features. Too expensive as a result. Seems typical of VW owned brands these days.

[@ozzierockets1163]

Model 3 is 51k drieaway atm. Will get cheaper before Highland release

[@AP-hs9dv]

Cupra is Latin for copper, that's the accent colour

[@eddyhsu1978]

With the release of new BYD dolphin and MG4 for under 40k... this has to be one of the worst value for money. Lack of most standard features, tech and driving feature provided by cheaper chinese EVs. If you are going to spend that kind money just go for a tesla. Or get yourself a top of the range mg4 to get more features for less money.

[@matmc3221]

Look I've taken a Born for a couple of long test drives and I can say that those complaining about the lack of tech are completely missing the point. I drove the model with the performance pack and there is no EV in this price range that has as much drive mode control as the Cupra Born. Tesla model 3 has no adjustment on the regen braking, you just have to drive the way Elon likes. The Cupra has D and B mode but the rate of regen is also dependant on drive mode. In comfort mode you barely notice it but switch to performance mode and it starts pulling you up. Drove down a section of road in comfort mode and it was as smooth butter. Switched the DCC to sport and the same bit of road suddenly bumped the car around. It may be heavy, and not as quick as some of the turbo ICE hatches out there but name me a car that goes from a comfy suburban run around hatch to a low riding bumpy into the corners full drift car with the touch of a button. And oh yes with the performance pack you can fully disable the ESC, in a rear wheel drive hatch, the Polstar lets you do it but the current model is front wheel drive. Look it's not a sub 1500kg, 250+ KW turbo ICE hot hatch, but it isn't a driving lounge like a lot of the current EV's out there are. Who's only claim to fame is quick off the lights.

[@ea3928]

The car looks nice, the features the car offers in 2023 is laughable. Even the cheapest EV's in australia has got more features comparing to this. This cannot be compared to a Tesla model 3, I think they are two different categories. I would have thought being a hatchback and a smallish build the 0-100 would be quicker than 7 secs. 7 secs in an ev is not that quick.

[@rodbrown8306]

Over taxed for Oz as per usual, damn the reserve.

[@rubeusvombatus]

I see these all the time in Germany, they're basically tarted up VW ID.3s

[@_allthegoodonesaretaken_]

Wow we actually reached a point where cars are priced according to a hypothetical.... range.

[@tobychow]

drum brakes on a 60000+ car???

[@ramanrana9189]

Where is XUV 700 review?

[@TheNotedHero]

"bronze", "gold" *twitch twitch* It's copper! :P

[@RamosRev]

What about 'bronze rose gold' on wheels?

[@TheCaesarChris]

help me car wow .. f**k I mean car expert

[@RamosRev]

😂