‘It’s nice that the performance is there when you need it’
The Cupra Born may be young, but it already has a turbulent history. Originally announced as Seat el-Born, clearly based on the Volkswagen ID3, it later came onto the market in virtually unchanged form as a sporty Cupra. Opinions are also divided about its basis, the ID3. Can the Cupra Born sufficiently compensate for its genetically determined deficiencies with visits to the gym?
We previously looked at the Volkswagen ID3 through the eyes of users in this section. This created the image of a car with mediocre software, but which improved with every update. Or does it mean that the Born, which only came onto the market after the big ID3 wave, has scored better from the start? More about that later.
Why a Born?
Owners are quite clear about their reason for choosing a Cupra Born and not a Volkswagen ID3. “Very nice car with a much nicer appearance than the ID3 in my opinion. Already received a lot of nice comments along the way,” writes the owner of a 2021 Born 58 kWh Business. Another rider had already fallen for the driving characteristics of an ID3, but had to swerve for another reason. “Unfortunately, the version I wanted was just too expensive and I had to look further. Then I came across an advertisement for Cupra Born. I immediately thought it looked a lot nicer (sportier) than the ID3 and I was actually immediately sold.” Done with that hymn? No way. “I have to say that I don’t particularly like the Volkswagen ID3, the Cupra’s brother,” writes a third Born driver. “In my opinion, that car looks too boring. The Cupra, on the other hand, looks sporty!”
Well, the looks of the Born seem to be more appealing than those of the Volkswagen. Or is there more to that? The latter rider continues his story. “The Cupra also exceeds my expectations on the inside. The bucket seats look beautiful and the copper theme has also been carried through to the interior.” Just like the ID3, the Born also turns out to be quite practical. “The space inside the Cupra is excellent. I am almost 2 meters tall but can find a great sitting position.” This rider also likes the decoration. “The interior is brightened up considerably by the Alcantara fabric and the LED interior lighting. There is enough room in the back to take adults along. The trunk may be a bit small, but that is not a problem for me.”
Another driver also confirms that the seats do more than look good. “During the various short and long bends, I was well held by the sports seats. The extendable seat of the seat prevents cramps, which is unfortunately insurmountable in most cars with a length of 1.97 meters.”
Infotainment and controls
The operating concept of the Volkswagen ID3 has received quite a bit of criticism. Although the Cupra may be slightly more elegant on the inside, the technology behind it is exactly the same. That appears to be the case. “If we talk about the software, the Cupra falls short,” complains the driver of a 2022 Born 170 kW Performance. “The infotainment system is rather illogically laid out and you have to get used to the design. But what you really don’t get used to is that the seat and steering wheel heating are hidden deep in the system.” In the comment below this review follows a valuable comment from a reader. “Tip for the seat heating: tapping the temperature slider with two fingers at the same time ensures ensures that the heating comes on. With each new tap you lower the temperature.” Handy for anyone who drives around with the latest generation of VW infotainment.
Another driver, with a 2021 car, is also not very satisfied with the controls. This is not limited to the seat heating. “You can’t write anything about this car without mentioning the lousy touch buttons. They are literally everywhere and they don’t work anywhere! Temperature up a degree while you drive? Impossible! Panoramic roof open? Swipe 3 times and then turn off your interior lighting, because you accidentally touched it.”
On the steering wheel you will only find touch-sensitive surfaces that serve as buttons. These are also meeting resistance from users, although it appears that Cupra has adjusted the sensitivity of the buttons. For example, the owner of a 2022 car says: “Since the first models, Cupra has adjusted the sensitivity of the touch switches, so that a light touch does nothing and you really have to apply some pressure. In seven months it has never happened to me that I unintentionally pressed a button, also because your hands are not on it when you hold the steering wheel normally.” He is not completely without criticism. “My only complaint is that the audio volume scroll bar is very responsive and it is difficult to turn the volume up or down one touch.”
How many ‘cup racers’ are there in the Born?
Is it still possible to drive normally with the Cupra Born, whose brand name ‘Cupra’ is a contraction of ‘Cup’ and ‘Racer’? “After seven months, the Born has confirmed to be exactly the combination of performance and comfort I was looking for,” writes a satisfied Born driver. “I would describe myself as a quiet driver, but it is very nice that the performance is there when you need it.” And further? “At all other times the Born drives extremely comfortably: the road holding is very solid, it is not too hard-sprung for a sporty car, the seats are comfortable and you hear little wind and tire noise, even at higher speeds. At the same time, the steering wheel and pedals feel more direct than some other electric cars I test drove.”
Another rider also mentions the comfort. “The Cupra is a wonderful car to drive. It has less stiff suspension than the Tesla Model Y that I regularly drive and feels smooth enough with its 6.6 seconds from 0 to 100.” So sprinter? “The car feels fast up to about 80 km/h, but above that you don’t notice it much anymore.” For those who initially find the Cupra a bit firm, the driver of a 58 kWh Business Plus has good news: “The suspension has become somewhat worn after more than 20,000 km and the car is therefore less hard and stiff. Nice extra, because it was hard when it was new!”
Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations
Now the topic that a number of readers have undoubtedly been looking forward to: the sensitivity to interference, which turned out to be a bit on the high side with the Volkswagen ID3. The good news for Cupra is that this sporty variant seems to score better, although it is certainly not flawless. Most malfunction reports concern the infotainment system and the digital instruments. “Update after more than eight thousand km of trouble-free driving: today a first failure. Both displays are black after start-up. Only a yellow alarm triangle lights up on the left of the small display. The row of icons on the right of the small display is lit. The car drives normally, you just don’t know how fast you are driving,” writes an otherwise largely satisfied driver. He also has a tip for riders who are experiencing the same problem: “The dealer’s service employee resolved the problem in two minutes. He pressed the start button on the steering column and then pressed the button on the large screen for 15 seconds. This seems to reset the system. I couldn’t find it in the instruction booklet, but it’s useful to know.”
Definitely useful, as another rider knows. “The system regularly has blackouts, so the screens suddenly no longer work. To solve this you have to perform a reset, but after that you can no longer connect the car to your phone.” The handy solution therefore also has a downside.
Software is still not the strongest point, fortunately the Cupra seems quite successful in terms of hardware. Yet there is a rider who reports problems in that area. It has to deal with noise from the chassis, a creaking suspension and a ticking drive shaft. Both problems were resolved after some insistence so as not to return. This does not apply to the vibrating door panels also reported. There are also completely problem-free cars, as the next driver likes to point out. “A year later now. Still like it, 0 garage visits.” And wear and tear? “Replace the first set of rear tires at 55,000 km, I drive on winter tires in the winter months.”
Bottom line, it seems that the Cupra Born has had more satisfied drivers from day one than its VW brother. This is mainly due to more mature software, but the more refined Cupra interior is also getting work done sooner. As for driving, the Cupra certainly doesn’t appear to be too sporty and it is just as practical as the Volkswagen. Perhaps we should cautiously conclude that the best ID3 is hidden under a Spanish tracksuit.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl