Cupra Born Hot Hatch EV or Not?

We drive the new Cupra Born 58kwh in V1 iteration and give it a full shakedown and give our verdict as to what we think.
Is it a hot hatch? We give our thoughts on this and many more things as well as testing the cars 0-60mph, can we get better than 7.3 second 0-60? Watch on to find out.
To get your own or spec one up please go here -
www.cupraofficial.co.uk/new-c...
@cupraofficial
#cuprabornhothatch #cupraborn #peakperformancereviews
Running Order of this video:
00:00 Intro
01:01 On-the-road driving, intro to models and general options
03:20 E-Boost good or a gimmik
05:00 Drive modes
08:25 Specs and is a V1 with Tech packs a sweet spot?
08:55 Range across the models and real-world tested ranges
11:25 Interior and exturior
17:32 Brakes and performance and general drive
24:49 Performance 0-60mph test
26:08 Infotainment and tech
28:08 Final thoughts and peak performance reviews rating
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All about the CUPRA Born 58 kWh
Pricing
The CUPRA Born 58 kWh has a Recommend Retail Price (RRP) of £36,420 and an On The Road Price (OTR) of £36,475. The OTR Price includes VAT, first year of VED, vehicle first registration fee, number plates and delivery.
Drivetrain and Performance
The CUPRA Born 58 kWh is a full electric vehicle (BEV). The maximum power of the CUPRA Born 58 kWh is 150 kW (201 hp). The maximum torque is 229 lb-ft. The CUPRA Born 58 kWh is rear wheel drive and can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 7.3 seconds. The top speed is 99 mph.
Battery and Charging
The battery of the CUPRA Born 58 kWh has a total capacity of 62 kWh. The usable capacity is 58 kWh. An estimated range of about 215 miles is achievable on a fully charged battery. The actual range will however depend on several factors including climate, terrain, use of climate control systems and driving style.
For example: sustaining high speeds in cold weather could result in a range of around 155 mi. However, driving at low speeds in mild weather will increase the range to around 320 mi.
Charging is done using a Type 2 connector and the on-board charger has a maximum power of 11 kW. This charges a fully depleted battery back to full in around 6 hours 15 minutes. However, a 3-phase grid connection is needed to achieve this. The majority of homes and charge points currently do not have this connection. In most cases the maximum charging power will be 7.4 kW, allowing for a charge time of 9 hours 15 minutes and a charge rate of 23 mph. Charging the car using a regular wall plug will take around 29 hours 45 minutes.
Rapid charging is possible through a CCS connection. The maximum rapid charge power is 124 kW. The battery can't be charged continuously at this power. In an average rapid charge session the average charge power will be around 82 kW. This charges the battery from 10% to 80% in around 35 minutes. A rapid charge like this will add about 150 miles of range.
Energy Consumption
The estimated combined (motorway and city) energy consumption of the CUPRA Born 58 kWh is about 270 Wh per mile. By comparison, this energy consumption is the equivalent of a fuel consumption of 150 mpg in a traditional petrol car.
The actual energy consumption will depend on several factors including climate, terrain, use of climate control systems and driving style. For example: sustaining high speeds in cold weather could result in an energy use of around 374 Wh per mile. However, driving at low speeds in mild weather will increase the efficiency to about 181 Wh per mile.
CO2 Emission
The CUPRA Born 58 kWh emits no CO2 during driving.
The above tech spec is from Ev-Database please check them out -
ev-database.org/uk/car/1516/C....
DISCLAIMER:
*Some footage from this video may be edited and or sped up for cinematic effect.
*Some footage was also filmed on private land.
*instrument cluster reads kph also

[@danielhockin6705]

Thanks for review. Love it. Just one thing- it’s 58kWh battery, not “58kW an hr”.. pedantic I know , but details can let good review down.

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Tbh I know that haha I work with electric motors daily haha I suppose when I talk about it I almost abbreviate it as such haha 😂 and that’s not me being funny either haha. Thanks Daniel I appreciate the love 🙌♥️ please stick around as we need more good people like you on here with us 👌😎

[@tonywilliams8112]

Great honest review keep up the good work

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Thank you Tony, appreciate the kind words 🙌 please stick around and subscribe as we need more good people like you on here with us 👌👏👍

[@charliedm902]

Woah gotta say the 0-60 surprised me, nice car love the look and seems good…. Needs sound though haha 😆

[@jamesruddock9596]

Nah Tyre Squeal is enough

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Yeah all EV lack the sounds and vibrations of an ICE car but a good step in the right direction for EV’s

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Like EnduroKa 😆

[@taylorthrall7321]

Hi mate, what's the standard suspension like on the V1? What's it like over bumps?

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

It’s decent, I find most EV’s seem to have harsh recoil over bumps if taken a speed because of the weight but if taken gentle it’s fine. I would say it’s sprung fairly hard so it’s not a soft ride all round. As a driver you don’t notice it too much unless you have super bumpy roads but as a passenger you seem to feel it more.

[@taylorthrall7321]

​@@PeakPerformanceReviewswould you recommend the DCC option for £830 then

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Having lived with the car without DCC I honestly would I’ve only heard one publication have a press car that used it but I’ve heard really good things so yes I’d go for it

[@vajaj461]

Been waiting for a review of this for a while. Really good monthly price under electric car scheme. But suspicious of where it sits against the known comps

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Where in the world are you? Here in the UK they are offering an Ohme home charger or £700 Easy Charging credit. For the price point for what you get I don’t think there is a better EV and I’ve pretty much driven them all. Feel free to ask me anything else about anything on this and some others and I’ll try and answer. Maybe check out some of my other reviews too as there are a lot of recent EV car test/drives. Thanks for watching Vajaj.

[@vajaj461]

I’m in the Uk London based. Sure I sure it as a monthly price of £340 under 3 year lease with 10k miles per annum (excluding an at home charging gear)

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

There are some damn good deals and options fella that’s for sure, sounds like a great deal.

[@rickmoz]

I don’t understand range anxiety, if you’re running low on a long journey say you get to around 20% call at the next rapid changer. That’s what I do

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

I don’t know I’ve experienced it myself but yeah I agree it’s just the odd occasion you then go to one that doesn’t work and then it becomes worse. This being said overall I’ve not had or experienced anything too bad personally. Thanks for watching Rick and thanks for the comment also.

[@tonymaxwell303]

I agree. It’s the same with ICE vehicles, you see how much fuel you have and then plan accordingly

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Yeah I largely agree 🙌

[@mjh00124o]

Any wheels over 18 I find a bit unnecessary sometimes most cars with bigger wheels neave seem to be able to utilize the bigger wheel I find all Ev's have body roll it just seems to be how heavy they are don't think it can be engineered out on normal road cars the super/hyper cars probably have less cos of the stiffer carbon fibre Seat/cupra have always made great looking cars 👍

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

I think for handling normally yes I agree, I visually because it’s a fairly modern new car with big ass arch gap I’d say the bigger 19/20” alloys look better. It’s largely the side walls of the eco tyres and ride height I think as tbh the weight is low down, it’s not too bad but I think a sporty tyre would help….. that being said you’d then increase friction/grip and lower electric range so I feel it’s a double edge sword if you did. Yeah they have largely done well I agree, thanks for watching fella 🙌

[@philmorbey1827]

I have just got mine. I have the heat pump and and the blue colour and I love it. This is my third ev, I would advise the heat pump option, not bothered about anything else. Everyone really likes the look. I have a model 3 too and somethings on this are easier. One issue is that the car forgets your preference settings but not a deal breaker

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

That’s awesome thank you for letting us know, it’s always great to hear from actual owners too. I’ve been mighty impressed with the car and I get to drive all manner of EV’s. Thanks for watching, please stick around as we need more good people like you on here 🙌👍

[@taylorthrall7321]

Is the heat pump worth jt

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

It does make a good bit of difference to the range I’m told, typically 20-30miles extra range on the already efficient battery life 🙌 Thanks for watching, feel free to ask me anything else.

[@iain8837]

Since important points, Hot Hatch is only a term used by journalists, Cupra never advertise it as such. IMO the main factor stopping it being a hot hatch is the weight. 22:55 This statement is completely wrong. There is no D mode with regen switched off and Born mode with it on! D mode means the brake pedal activates regen and B mode is brake regen mode where lifting off the accelerator activated regen. In B mode pressing the brake pedal then produces more regen, when you reach max regen and press harder, the mechanical brakes start to work. Same in D, press the brake until max regen then press harder for the mechanical brakes to start working. Considering the regen and lower bars are clear to see on the dash, this isn’t hard to visually watch. The transition between regen and mechanical brakes can not be felt by the driver as it’s very well setup. So your “braking” in D mode on the back roads when pushing it a bit was actually regen, unless you were pressing the brake pedal hard enough. The benefit of this setup is the consumption for B and D is the same, just the feeling is different. Cheers

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

You are very right fella, on the day of drives sometimes the media press teams are awful on what they brief us with, I’ve since understood and noticed with more time in one you are correct 👍 thanks Iain I appreciate the comment 👌 have you got one yourself?

[@iain8837]

@@PeakPerformanceReviews cheers

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Welcome bud thanks again 🙌🙌

[@taylorthrall7321]

Okay so a lot of reviews out there moan a lot about the buttons on the steering wheel... How bad really are they? Another thing, I'm 6"3 and struggle for room in an Audi A3, what would the cupra born be like

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

There fine tbh, I’ve had software updates even that have appeared to make them function better. I mean there not great but other than the volume for the stereo you don’t need to use them too often anyway other than the odd press for cruise control. Honestly it’s not enough to bother me much at all. The Born is a Fantastic car and a great EV. I know someone who is about 6”5 and he’s tried one and it seemed fine, at 6”3 I’d say you’d be totally fine. Thanks for watching, feel free to ask us anything else 🙌👍

[@taylorthrall7321]

@@PeakPerformanceReviews thanks so much for replying. I'm sort of stuck on a decision to be honest, as it'd be a company car. So for my company car I currently pay £135 a month and £28 on fuel. If I went electric it'd cost me around £137 a month but I'd then need to install a home ev point that's £1000 and Id want the heat pump options that's also £1000 So what am I best off doing?

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

How much do you pay at your property per kWh? How many miles do you do? Where would you need to charge most of the time?

[@taylorthrall7321]

@@PeakPerformanceReviews so we're with EDF who offer the overnight tarriff with Pod Point EV chargers. So it's be 8p for 5 hours at night. Our base rate for kwh is around 36p I can also have 3 hours at work to charge where it'd cost 20p A week, I'd say I do around 200 miles with 120 of that being motorway at 70mph

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

It’ll definitely worth going EV, at 8p just make sure you charge at those times and it’ll be like having a car that is doing 200-250mpg

[@bshah4831]

Please note the 77kw V3 also can have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 EV performance tyres and also you can add DCC which both make the Born a better handling car. Also the 77kw variant has higher bhp.

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

I didn’t know that about the tyres thanks that’s good to know for sure. Yep DCC was mentioned in my video and can be added to any model I would love to try a car with it added to see how it affects things. All 77kwh cars have the E-boost function with 230bhp you are right but you can still get a 58kwh version with the E-boost and 230bhp also. Thanks for watching I hope you enjoyed 👍🙌

[@iain8837]

Depends on the options for each country, in the UK the 58kw can also have 231ps, but in other countries only the 77kw. The extra ps is only available when SOC is about 80% and higher and the battery temp is “in spec” ie. warm enough. So makes it pretty pointless tbh. I would have been happier with 201ps and 77kw battery but that combo wasn’t possible.

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Totally agree also Ian 👍🙌

[@kulwantdhaliwal1445]

But you lose the middle rear seat

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

Yeah I did hear that

[@jamesruddock9596]

It's one of the best looking EV's you can currently get, by far

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

I’m with you on that, great little car all round inside and out! Thanks for watching fella 🙌🙌👍

[@gesp5151]

The stated charging performance is 5-80% in 35 minutes on a 58(62) battery. So 75% of 58 is 43.5 so in 35 minutes it needs to average 75kwh over that range. The best I’ve ever achieved was 72 on ionity once - all this has been scheduled out to Listers and VWs solicitors in detail and none of my figures have ever been challenged at all! Not anything. Not one charge, one number: nothing. It simply doesn’t perform ever at that stated level. In contrast my BMW i4 just hits the numbers ever single time

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

The i4 definitely seems to be one of the best out there but I’ve also found the Born to be one of the most efficient EV’s I’ve tested personally. Charging station speeds have made having an EV a nightmare imo

[@gesp5151]

@@PeakPerformanceReviews I’ve had no problems with the charging stations with the i4 at all in UK or Europe. All my problems have been with the VW Cupra not charging as per statements made.

[@PeakPerformanceReviews]

That’s fair enough, I’ve not had a problem, the control and speed lays normally with the charging points but if you’ve had issues otherwise yes you definitely should progress this further and I’m sorry to hear that Gesp.