CUPRA Born: spontaneous electric road trip to Brighton

They say that sometimes the best plan is to have no plan at all; to embrace the unexpected. That’s where the all-electric CUPRA Born hatchback excels. Boasting up to 372 miles of range* (official test WLTP figures), plenty of family-friendly space, bags of tech and impressive rapid charging that keeps you moving, it lets you enjoy those off-the-cuff ad-hoc free-spirited spontaneous adventures.

To prove it, we decided to take the award-winning all-electric CUPRA Born on an unplanned day trip from Autocar’s Twickenham-based HQ to Brighton seafront to see just how well it copes with the unexpected.

Just before we dive into that… If you are, in fact, thinking about making the switch to an electric vehicle, CUPRA’s new Love Me or Leave Me offer**could be your perfect introduction to the world of plug-in power.

Love Me or Leave Me gives you 100 days to fall in love with the all-electric CUPRA Born and see how well it fits into your daily life. CUPRA are so convinced you’ll fall head over heels for the Born that if you’re not totally smitten after 100 days, you can simply hand it back. Who said break-ups have to be nasty? To learn more, click on the link below.

Learn more about CUPRA’s 100-day Love Me or Leave Me offer

Meeting the CUPRA Born & setting our course

It’s 9:18am on a crisp, crunchy autumn morning as we arrive at Autocar’s HQ. Our car for the day – a brand-new CUPRA Born V3 finished in spellbinding Aurora Blue and emblazoned with CUPRA’s trademark copper detailing – lies in wait in the car park.

As we approach it, we’re abruptly reminded of exactly why this eye-catching electric hatchback garnered so much attention when it was launched in 2021, and why it still remains one of the best-looking electric cars on sale today.

With its pin-sharp bodywork creases, sleek LED headlights, shark-like nose, and broad, hunkered-down stance, the Born has kerb appeal by the bucketload.

Now, in reality, most people who own an electric car, and have enough driveway space to charge it at home, plug their car in every evening to make the most of ultra-cheap overnight energy costs in order to wake up to a brimmed battery every single morning.

But today, to ensure our journey is as truly unplanned as possible and reflective of a real-life spontaneous day out – where someone may not have charged their car – we made sure the Born had been left unplugged overnight after it returned from its excursion to the rolling hills of Oxfordshire the day before.

As such, as we slide into the sumptuous and supportive Granite Grey Dinamica front seats (featuring 12-way electrical adjustability, no less) and hit the start button, the crisp 5.3-inch digital driver’s display tells us we have 92 miles of range remaining. No stress.

With just a few effortless swipes, we’ve got our destination – Meridia Drive, Brighton – plumbed into the CUPRA Born’s large 12.9-inch touchscreen display. Again, we didn’t plan this route yesterday and get our red pens out to circle which chargers we could stop at. This is all real-time.

Speaking of real-time, the CUPRA Born’s smart always-online Gen 4 navigation system immediately starts feeding us live traffic information, telling us there’s a patch of heavy congestion on the M25 and that our journey should take around 1hr 52mins. With everything set, we select Drive and get underway.

Effortless motorway cruising

As soon as we leave the car park we’re spat straight into the hustle and bustle of Twickenham’s slightly-post-school-run traffic. Immediately, the CUPRA Born’s light, direct steering and compact exterior dimensions shine as we begin to effortlessly carve our way through the congestion.

Up ahead, a set of traffic lights flick to red. As I lift my foot off the accelerator, the CUPRA Born’s regenerative braking kicks in. Without touching the brake pedal, we reassuringly glide down to a walking pace, the digital cockpit screen telling me exactly how much energy is being pumped back into the battery for later use. The light goes green, and we’re away.

Before long, we break free of the slow-moving stuff and filter onto the A316, which, in turn, opens up into the M3. As we pass a national speed limit sign, we get our first tantalising taste of the CUPRA Born’s all-electric performance. With no more than a flex of my big toe, we surge forward, and within a matter of near-silent moments we’re up to 70mph.

Almost all versions of the CUPRA Born boast 231PS and 310Nm of instant electric torque, giving it enough top-end poke and low-down grunt to get from 0-62mph in just 6.6 seconds. If that isn’t quite enough to get your juices flowing, the recently launched piping-hot CUPRA Born VZ amps things up even further, delivering an ultra-zesty 326PS and 545Nm of torque. That’s enough for a 0-62mph dash of 5.6 seconds. In short, no matter which version of the CUPRA Born you go for, you’ll be eating motorway sliproads for breakfast.

Before long, we merge onto the M25 and with a gentle press of the haptic steering wheel controls I activate the adaptive cruise control. For regular motorway dwellers like myself, adaptive cruise systems like this are a gift from the gods, really helping to take the sting out of long-haul motorway trips. Add in lane assist, which occasionally gives the steering wheel a gentle nudge to keep us on the straight and narrow, and journeys like this quickly switch from tedious and tiring to effortless and ultra-relaxing.

As the miles quickly roll by, two things become abundantly clear: despite the M25’s notoriously lousy road surface, not only is the CUPRA Born’s supple suspension soaking up every crack, crevice and divot with ease, but the cabin itself is incredibly hushed – we can barely hear any wind or road noise. This is the sort of comfort you’d expect from a car from several classes above – very impressive.

Speaking of the cabin, the CUPRA Born’s is an absolute cracker. The dashboard is sleek and minimalist in design, while the copper detailing, ambient lighting and sustainable soft-touch materials throughout give it a truly premium look and feel. It’s also packed with tech, with smartphone mirroring, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, dynamic road-sign display, lane assist, forward collision warning with automatic braking, and a driver alert system that recognises when you might be tired, all coming as standard.

A quick on-the-go top-up

Having dispatched the M25 with ease, and with around 50 miles of range left, the CUPRA Born’s smart sat-nav highlights a nearby rapid charging station at Pease Pottage Services and asks if we want to stop for a quick top-up before continuing our journey. Considering we haven’t had breakfast, it seems like the perfect excuse to grab a coffee and a bacon sarnie.

As a top-spec V3 model, our CUPRA Born is fitted with the optional, larger 77kWh lithium-ion battery. That means, when fully charged, it offers an all-electric range of up to 348 miles** (official test WLTP figures). It also boasts ultra-rapid charging speeds of up to 175kW which, when hooked up to a compatible DC charger, can get us from 10% to 80% in as little as 28 minutes*** (150kWh+ rapid charger, limited in the UK, typically found on motorways/major arterial routes, limited in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and rural areas).

After a quick loo break, and with both coffee and sarnie now just a distant memory, we head back to the CUPRA Born to find that after just 15 minutes (ish) we’re back up to about 50% charge – more than enough to get us down to Brighton and back to Twickenham.

For the last section of the journey, we decide to hook our iPhone up to the CUPRA Born via Apple CarPlay and get some tunes pumping through its high-fidelity seven-speaker sound system.

Arriving in Brighton

As we rise and fall with the contours of the A23, Brighton finally hoves into view (get it?). The CUPRA Born’s clever traffic sign recognition system tells me the speed limit has dropped to 40mph. Once again, I let the clever regenerative braking gently bring us down to the right speed. To ensure we stay well within this new limit, I take this opportunity to activate the CUPRA Born’s speed limiter – particularly useful when the limit drops again to 20mph. 

Weaving our way through the tight town-centre streets, we take a moment to admire the rich, vibrant colours of the buildings around us. Even here, the CUPRA Born still turns heads. Speaking of which, as we pass a busker on the high street, I use the intelligent voice control system to reduce the volume of our music and crack the window for a little listen – another benefit of the CUPRA Born’s whisper-quiet electric motors. Wonderwall. Maybe a bit of engine noise wouldn’t go amiss, actually…

After 10 mins of stop-start traffic (annoying but oh so effortless in the CUPRA Born), we can finally see the blue of the sea in the distance. With the aquarium on our left and the sprawling mini metropolis of Brighton Pier to our right, the heads-up display on the windscreen tells me to take a left down Meridia Drive. We’ve arrived.

Using the CUPRA Born’s handy rear-view camera and parking sensors, we swiftly park up along the seafront and get out. Despite the 70-mile drive, we feel as fresh as the moment we left the office.

With the wind gently ruffling our hair, the tranquil sound of the sea lapping at the shore filling our ears, and the pebbles of Brighton Beach desperately trying to twist our ankles, we look back and admire the CUPRA Born. Bathed in golden sunlight, the metallic flecks in the deep blue paintwork wink at us; the copper CUPRA emblem on the bonnet gleams against the backdrop of the rusty iron arches behind. 

So, there you have it – one effortlessly spontaneous trip to the beach in the all-electric CUPRA Born. No stress about range. No worries about charging. Now, is it too early for chips?

Has our city to coast road trip sparked your interest? Fancy getting behind the wheel of the CUPRA Born yourself? Well, remember to check our CUPRA’s new 100-day Love Me or Leave Me offer; you might just find your perfect match.

Learn more about CUPRA’s 100-day Love Me or Leave Me offer

* Official (WLTP) test data obtained under standardised conditions after the battery had been fully charged (to 100%). The accurate range for your vehicle will vary according to a number of different factors which include the route, weather conditions, vehicle load (occupants + luggage), battery age and condition, optional equipment (alloys, tyres, etc.), the use of peripheral energy consumption systems such as heating, air conditioning and heated seats, as well as your driving style. The indicated range has been calculated in compliance with the WLTP regulation which sets out standard test conditions applicable to all car manufacturers. This ensures that the values calculated in accordance with this regulation are comparable for all vehicles.

** Offer valid on Born stock orders placed after 17/10/24, not available on Retail Contract Hire purchases. Customer notification to CUPRA of intention to return vehicle under offer required 80 – 100 days from delivery. Available to selected retail customers, 18+ only. Offer subject to availability, usage, condition, mileage and other deductions. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, visit cupra.co.uk

***150kWh+ rapid charger, limited in the UK, typically found on motorways/major arterial routes, limited in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and rural areas. Estimated charging times for the standard specification Born VZ 79kWh battery. Test data obtained under standardised conditions for comparison purposes. Actual charging times will vary depending on various factors, including the selected trimline (and battery option, if available),, the options you choose, the type of charger used, the level of charge in the battery, the age, type, condition and temperature of the charger and the battery, the power supply to and usage of the charger, ambient temperature at the point of use and other environmental factors. Charging time will be longer in cold weather. Charging times will also be affected by the charging curve (for example, once charging passes 80%, charging will slow to protect the battery’s longevity) and will be longer if battery temperature activates safeguarding technology. Please consult your retailer for further information. Data correct as at November 2024.