Cupra Born VZ review

[@realjohnboxall]

Brilliant review, thank you. Your smile in the first fifteen seconds really gave away the conclusion. Travel safely.

[@therightcar]

Thank you!

[@AuntySooSoo394]

Great car. Can't wait to find out the price in Australia.

[@therightcar]

Me too. Hoping it comes in at the same price as the previous base model!

[@android01978]

I wonder how much more than the standard this would be. With the current discount to $49,690, perhaps around $60k could be achievable which would be a winner for me.

[@paulsciacca6126]

When is Cupra launching connected services in Australia?

[@therightcar]

I’ve asked, and there is no announcement on timing for connected services yet for Cupra in Australia.

[@danielhockin6705]

@@therightcar this concerning.. How they are missing that an EV needs this is beyond me.. and before you say , just use the cars charging timing internally - it doesnt have that either! (even my 2016 leaf had that..)

[@Mexxx65]

HNY Matt!! Looking forward to all your new car reviews in 2025! Are all Cupra Ev's? Made in China?

[@therightcar]

Thanks very much! Cupra Born isn’t made in China. It’s built in Germany alongside the ID3. The hybrid / electrified models are built in Europe too. The Tavascan is built in China.

[@DarrenMansell]

I've had mine for.4 months now (UK) and done 10,000km. It's still a brilliant car. Just a point - the drop-down shortcuts on the infotainment system don't save if you're adding speed warning or lane avoidance. I know because I have to turn them off every time I drive.

[@therightcar]

Yeah, the “turn it off each time you drive” thing is mandated by Euro regulations. It’s a f**king pain.

[@sturogers2964]

I’m seriously considering buying one. I can’t wait to test drive it

[@therightcar]

I think it’ll be a compelling choice. Hope the price is right!

[@Steve-jx3mh]

We love ours

[@DarrenMansell]

I bought one without test driving it. You won't regret it. The only bad point is the steering wheel buttons which doesn't bother me. It's almost perfect.

[@premacy2003]

Thanks for another awesome review. From an ex pat everything is better in Barcelona. Head down to Sitges and enjoy a paella with sangria. Just don’t drive back. 😂

[@therightcar]

Hahahaha we stayed in Sitges, and it is a terrific spot. Love Spain!

[@danielhockin6705]

Agree Matt- car it always should have been. Got an MG4 in 23 instead, but the VZ may get me trading it.. Some issues remain for tho i think? Connectivity ( a must once you've experienced it ) V2X details, and regen (I found the regen severely lacking on my test drive.. no OPD either.)

[@therightcar]

Thanks mate. Hope a test drive answers your questions! 😃

[@01Damian]

Awesome! Love the idea of a fast small rear wheel drive electric hatch. Though what's also awesome is the standard Born now at $49k. Don't worry about the Megane now. For those of us stuck in the real world I reckon the standard Born at that price is the go. Just wish it had rear vents!

[@therightcar]

Yeah, rear vents would be good.

[@SamBlack-g6m]

It does have vents under the seats in back. Not directional, but at least they do get air.

[@YZJB]

@SamBlack-g6mheating only

[@DukeBen316663]

Great review Matt, how was the head up display?

[@therightcar]

Thanks! It seemed good to me!

[@spiro5327]

How does it compare to the IONIC 5N in terms of handling,steering ? Thanks

[@therightcar]

It’s very different. The Ioniq is a manic dual motor thing. This is more a purist drive, and not nearly as fast.

[@Neojhun]

5N is Dual Motor AWD, I don't think that is better interms of handling fun.

[@ronaldov09]

Why doesnt the Renault hatch ev ever get brung up in comparisons...is it terrible?

[@wleng]

This is the spiritual successor of the M140i!

[@therightcar]

Hmmm. I dunno about that.

[@SandViper94Gaming]

Great car but i don't understand why manufacturers keep releasing cars with slow DC charging speeds. 170KW is by no means slow slow but for the price of the car i would expect it to at least be over 200. We have a decent range of 350kw fast chargers around Australia so really want to see cars take advantage of this. I max out around 240-250kw in my Ioniq6, at the fast chargers I mentioned I barely have enough time to go to the bathroom, it's genuinely that quick. Another thing is the yearly servicing everyone seems to be selling. It's really really not required. Just check your tyres and other consumables. What realistically will the dealer do every 12 months? 24 month intervals is more than enough for en EV. I think Tesla doesn't have any scheduled services from memory. Love the Born but really want manufacturers to up the tech in these brand new cars. Looking forward to seeing some on our roads this year

[@peoplelikeus3684]

When's it coming to Australia?

[@therightcar]

In the next 5-6 months, at this stage.

[@peoplelikeus3684]

@therightcar is there a deal for the $15k discount?

[@StephenButlerOne]

I have 60kW v3 e boost and i find thats fast enough, its a almost second quicker thsn thry quote to 60moh 5 6-5.8s instead of thr 6.6 thry say and its turn of pace is excellent. Quicker is always better but the e boost version isnt lacking. Ev HP and torque hite different to ice HP/tor. My 240hp born jas a far grater turn of pace thsn ether of my 19 leon cupra or 15 GTC vxr that have north of 300bjp. The vz will feel insane but i dont think its needed on the road. Sayong that in the uk our roads B and C roads are narrow and triwsty, so this vz is defo over kill, the V3 is tbh, but if your in a larger contry with wider and longer flowing roads, maybe the extra oower pays off. Saying that, if i start thrashing my Born, that 240 miles range, can drop like a stone. I csn imagine this may be even worse. I can get my born to be low 1.5 m/ kw if in having lots of fun, down the rural B roads, but driving normally 4m can be achieved. Im usally arond 3m/kW, thats sort of behaving.

[@therightcar]

Thanks for your thoughts! I feel like the standard versions are fun enough too, but this is a more enthusiastic thing.

[@AlaricsFather-in-Law-em8kz]

It looks great. It's a shame that there's no petrol option.

[@therightcar]

A petrol would be good!!

[@Steve-jx3mh]

We love our born. We have had it for about 4 months and its the best car ive owned for driving experience. Bearing in mind ive never had a hot hatch before but we traded in a 2019 cerato gt for this There are some tech gremlins, the phone charger is useless and constantly disconnects and the infotainment is lacking. But for zipping around brisbane it is brilliant, and it turns heads. My wife and i constantly want to be the one to drive it. Oh and whilst this version tested is fantastic the older versions have had a huge price drop and are now under 50k. I think i paid about 53k 4 months ago.

[@therightcar]

That’s great to hear. The gremlins sound annoying, but the overall experience overrides it!

[@Steve-jx3mh]

@@therightcar it really is a great car. Its just the gremlins are so avoidable, and that there are no over the air updates in australia is regrettable. VW surely can do better.

[@Greg-k4j]

So everyone in the Volkswagen Group bar Volkswagen can make a decent car...

[@StephenButlerOne]

I think the face lift id3 is now a decent looking car. It looks like it could have been named the new golf. It's very golf looking. I actually think I read the id3 was meant to be the new golf, but the original didn't rank well with consumer groups, and for good reason. It's still not as good as what Cupra did with the platform. But they wanted a more mainstream look. Shame the interior of the first gen id3 was so bad. Unlike the first gen born. The second gen (MY25) which I went for, hardly changed the interior from the first, just some tweaks, and instrument rearranging. Oh and they sorted the software out. Which is all fine, and much easier to navigate over the last version of the software UI. It's totally different. Also the chassis tweaks Cupra did over the id3 really make the cars feel very different even though they are ultimately the same. The Born is more dynamic yet at the same time more compliant. Seat did the same thing with the Leon ST FR Vs the Octavia vRS too, and both of those are better than a gold gti. (Just no one thinks to remember they are the same MQB car, so never compare them). So I think your assumption is correct. Everyone makes a better VW than VW, and you pay the most for the VW, usually, the Born is a little more expensive. But it looks 10k more expensive. I'm conflicted when it comes to the price of my Born, the RRP was £39 950, (GBP) which is mental for a car in this segment, just too much. there is a market re evaluation shift coming to the market this year. But when I walk around the car it looks like it should be more. Especially if you look from the rear and down the side. It looks expensive. My car mates agree too, as they are shocked in a good way when I tell them the price. But it's still a B/C segment car. 30k max, In my head 28k I think is a fair price for a hot version of an everyday/everyman's car. After all it's a golf/focus type car, so it's like the astra/escort/golf of today. A working person's car, just a bit spiced up. Think astra gte/escort xr3i/golf gti I just had to look this up just to make sure I wasn't going mad, or looked silly. Before I posted- An escort mk3 xr3i in 1986 was £6300 that is the equivalent of £21,000 today. So my gut feeling for 28k was giving it a lot of slack. So a spicy version of a normal car is twice the price as they was in the mid 1980s. That's interesting. No wonder my mum could afford the xr3i and my dad a siarra 2l. When both cars would be cheaper than my one! Sorry to go on. I got side tracked

[@therightcar]

The ID3 is good. But it’s not likely for Australia due to pricing issues. Can’t wait to see where ID4 and ID5 sit when they FINALLY arrive here soon.

[@kajak012]

copper colour high lights imho

[@therightcar]

You like them?

[@kajak012]

@@therightcar no, i like carbon fibre look imho

[@roadblock2792]

Saw it just got a huge price cut

[@therightcar]

If you can find one at that price of $47k d/a you’ll be a happy buyer. It’s a bargain.

[@kuanliyeh]

I dont think those are matrix LED...

[@therightcar]

I didn’t drive it at night but the VZ gets matrix.

[@Air-ic279]

@@therightcarThank you for your review. The lights are full LED but no Matrix. Have my VZ for 6 weeks now. Put already 5k km on it. It is so much fun to drive - always looking forward to it and enjoying every minute.

[@ronaldov09]

Yes you need to service your EV, but seriously, its a check over, especially at the beginning....and they're charging as if they're changing the oil and filters! ridiculous.

[@damianotoole8770]

pricing is not correct

[@therightcar]

For the existing ones? The OFFICIAL pricing is still $59,990.

[@fred3527]

Car enthusiasts tend to favour saloons and hatch backs. Making the car look like an MPV seems risky.

[@therightcar]

It’s a peculiar body design dictated by a desire to be different to the donor (ID3).

[@hrt6669]

2000kg for a small Hatch. No thanks I will stick to petrol driven vehicles all day any day...

[@lucassitanggang5154]

Not zed but zee

[@therightcar]

I’m Aussie. I say zed.

[@tolrem]

British English says zed. That's Australia,New Zealand etc.

[@Richard-sl8we]

This is an Australian YT channel, it is Zed. British English.

[@Hayden120]

The whole English-speaking world outside the US says "zed". Even Canadians say zed.

[@tolrem]

@@Hayden120 Interesting that.