6 Months With A Cupra Born

I used to be ambushed by the good looks of the Cupra Born after I went to Indooroopilly Auto Mall to take a look at the newly arrived Dolphin. I used to be impressed, to say the least. Though the Cupra is unlikely to promote in huge numbers in Australia, it’s a welcome addition to the electrical lineup. Over 500 had bought by the center of the 12 months.

The Fb Cupra Born neighborhood is filled with positives, so I reached out to ask members who had owned the Born for six months or extra for his or her tales. These are the solutions from two of them. Thanks, Rolf Niklaus and Mike McLaurie, for sharing your tales. My first query to them was, why a Born?

Rolf tells me: “Why a Born? This query comes up typically when folks speak to us concerning the automotive. We had a Prado and a VW Golf GTI ‘runabout’ and needed to vary the Golf for an EV. Completely love all features of the Golf, and an EV substitute wanted to be comparable measurement, type, and driving traits. While I preferred the know-how within the Tesla and the entire Tesla ecosystem, we struggled to come back to phrases with the one large display, the made in China issue, and as my spouse stated, ‘the tasteless look.’”

I queried the “bland look” remark — does he imply the minimalist inside? Rolf explains: “I get why Tesla have chosen that type, nevertheless it’s not fairly our type. In my spouse’s phrases, the Mannequin 3 simply seems to be boring, monochrome, and lacks any ‘pleasure each inside and out of doors,’ whereas the Cupra seems to be extra ‘sporty.’ Our opinion after all!”

“I used to be eager on something from the VW steady and hoped the ID.3 can be launched right here, however then the Born appeared — we each instantly preferred the styling and put a deposit down as quickly as we may, sight unseen.”

Mike provides: “The rationale for a Born? I used to be ready for the ID.3 to reach in Australia and it simply saved slipping again on account of Covid and different causes. Sitting in a lodge room in Seoul in the midst of winter (January), I began studying concerning the Born — mainly it’s an ID.3 dressed up. Supply was scheduled for November this 2023, therefore I paid a $AU1000 greenback deposit and down the trail I went. As time handed, the deliveries sped up and I lastly obtained the automotive in July.”

Mike thought that the Tesla was a bit too mainstream. “Nothing unsuitable with the automotive, I simply had my thoughts set on a VW as I’d owned two Golfs during the last 10 years and liked them. The Born as is owned by VW and made in Germany. The automotive is basically an all-purpose runaround.”

“Oh wow, it doesn’t seem like an EV” is the commonest remark that Rolf’s associates make. They ceaselessly touch upon the Aurora Blue color lengthy earlier than they realise it’s an EV. The Born has a grille which makes it seem like a “regular hatchback.” The sooner EVs, just like the i-MiEV, the Nissan Leaf, and the Teslas have regarded very completely different as a result of they don’t have a grille.

All of Mike’s associates consider the Cupra as a sizzling trying little automotive.

Rolf bought his Born outright from Cupra Richmond, Victoria, in Could. It was one of many first deliveries in that state. “It’s primarily used for my every day 80 km spherical journey commute on a mixture of semi-rural roads and outer Melbourne suburbs. We haven’t bothered to put in a devoted house charger nor use DC quick chargers, reasonably merely use a conveyable 15A unit and cost from our PV photo voltaic system each time we will. That is proving to be greater than enough. Throughout winter we primarily charged in a single day from a 15 amp energy level because of the shorter daytime.”

Mike purchased his on a novated lease and gained the Fringe Advantages Tax discount benefit. His Cupra is plugged in as soon as every week to a 10-amp energy socket. He lives in an house constructing and is assured that seven 11 kW chargers shall be put in. The automotive battery recharges 30% in a single day, so he has to plan forward — “no drawback,” he assures me.

“The Cupra is proving to be fairly environment friendly, displaying a median energy consumption of 14.3 kWh/100 km over the 12,000 km we’ve pushed it. Finest I’ve seen on the 40 km to work is 10.8 and worst is about 38 kWh/100 km when ‘Cupra Mode’ is engaged and pushed spiritedly as much as Mt Dandenong on an alternate route house. The regen taking place the opposite facet means I see a median for the 45 km journey of round 15.5 kWh/100 km.” Rolf may be very proud of its effectivity.

“The longest journey we’ve finished is 350 km from Healesville to Ballarat and return on a mixture of primarily 80 km/h roads and 110 km/h freeway. The freeway from Melbourne to Ballarat ascends about 400 meters over the 100 km or so. The Born returned about 15.8 kWh/100 km and used 68% of the battery capability. It has very comparable driving traits to the Golf, we love the scale, and most significantly, how simple it’s to dwell with on a day after day foundation. The bigger battery capability/lengthy vary means I can commute many of the week with out charging after which cost from our photo voltaic on weekends.”

Mike has finished one lengthy journey in his Born and can do extra in time. “This was my largest query mark round EVs — the lengthy drive. However with loads of analysis and the assistance of quite a few apps, we set off for a Sydney-Mudgee-Melbourne tour (about 1200 km). We have been pleasantly shocked about how nicely it really works with a little bit of forethought. We principally did stage lengths of 250 km or thereabouts. This gave us a break each 2.5 hours or so, and with accomplice and a couple of puppies on board, that made for a nice journey. There are at the moment greater than sufficient high-speed chargers on that path to do 20–25 minute costs to get again as much as 80–100% battery. Tesla opening a few of their costs simply gave extra choices.”

Rolf explains: “On my commute, the automotive is persistently displaying about 540 km if charged to 100%. Nevertheless, we comply with the beneficial suggestion of 80% max cost for day after day use, which provides a real-world vary of roughly 430 km. Our long-term common of 14.3 kWh/100 km equates to 538 km if one makes use of the total 100% capability of its 77 kWh battery.”

“More often than not, I exploit the Born’s consolation mode whereas commuting,” says Rolf, “however on events, I’ll choose ‘Cupra Mode’ if I’m driving by the hills the place it gives a extra sporty drive. Sharper steering, improved throttle and brake response. I’m unsure I’d name it a sizzling hatch, although, as its weight is noticeable on windy roads — possibly a hatch that provides a sporty drive choice is extra correct. I’ll admit I acquired a much bigger smile driving the Golf GTI though it was a guide.”

Rolf continues: “A lot has been stated concerning the infotainment and so forth. contained in the Born. We haven’t observed any annoying points with it ourselves. Nevertheless, I might have most well-liked if VW stayed with correct switches on the steering wheel reasonably than the haptic ones. It’s solely the amount up/down and cruise management pace up/down which can be the issue ones. I’m not fussed about no connectivity or telephone apps, and so forth. Nevertheless, I might have preferred if a timing schedule might be set within the automotive to utilize off-peak energy, and so forth. The automotive helps this however solely when connectivity is offered, which it at the moment isn’t in Australia. A wiser charger would do the identical factor although.”

Rolf has determined to maintain his Prado for lengthy journeys to the Australian outback towing his caravan, and to make use of as a workhorse on his acreage block.

“I believe VW/Cupra have finished a implausible job of designing an EV that the common ICE proprietor can get into and never realise the distinction, it drives and behaves just about like an computerized Golf. A good friend drove it not too long ago and commented that it’s a ‘nicer’ drive than the Mannequin 3,” Rolf concludes.

Mike agrees, stating that he’s: “General thrilled with the automotive it’s so simple to drive and such a superb journey I can’t make any adverse feedback. There have been no disagreeable surprises or points.”