Cupra el-Born — Sporty & Hip Variant Of Volkswagen ID.3
I recently reported that 116 years after its birth, the Zwickau car factory that is now owned by Volkswagen Group produced its last fossil fuel vehicle, number 9,512,001. The exciting news was that the factory will now only produce electric vehicles — 6 fully electric models. We knew that included the Volkswagen ID.3, Volkswagen ID.4, and some Audi and SEAT models, but we didn’t have the full list yet. A commenter, Mika Kiiski, noted that the SEAT el-Born was expected to be produced there as well.
Indeed, the el-Born will be produced in Zwickau, but it is now the Cupra el-Born. While it looks quite a bit different, the el-Born is a variant of the Volkswagen ID.3 — a much sportier looking variant. Specs just released by SEAT with the announcement of the vehicle include:
- Up to 500 km (310 mile) range on a full charge (WLTP rating system)
- 77 kWh battery (82 kWh gross capacity)
- 260 km (161 miles) added in a 30 minute fast charge
- 0-to-50 km/h (0-to-31 mph) in only 2.9 seconds
Driving a minimalist, high-tech Tesla Model 3, I have developed an aversion to old-school buttons, knobs, and auto interiors. However, I find something about the interior of the el-Born — or several things about it — surprisingly appealing. The matte-looking seats, the center console, the color combo, the shapes of the door armrests and dash — it all adds up to a super attractive interior for my eyes.
Even better, the outside matches the appeal of the inside but adds an extra sportiness, an extra spark, and a clever look. I think you can’t drive that car and not feel cool.
Disclaimer: beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, as always. That said, SEAT claims I’m not the only one to feel so attracted to the el-Born. “Since its appearance at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the el-Born Concept Car has drawn praise for its sleek looks and personality. Since then, the design team has continued to evolve the vehicle’s styling, giving it a sportier character and an even more striking visual appeal.”
The Cupra el-Born also comes with an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display. Who doesn’t want that?
“CUPRA el-Born displays all the genes of the CUPRA brand and we have taken the original concept to the next level creating a new sporty and dynamic design and reengineering the technological content,” SEAT Vice-President for Sales and Marketing and CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths stated. “CUPRA el-Born is the living proof that performance and electrification are a great match.”
It looks like SEAT/Cupra has a winner on its hands with this one. We’ll see what kind of production capacity is allocated for this electric model and how popular it is with the kids once it rolls off the production line.
All Cupra el-Born photos courtesy SEAT.
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