The Cupra Born VZ – a more potent version of the electric Born hatchback – is now on sale in the UK with pricing and trim specifications now confirmed.
Called the ‘VZ’ – which stands for ‘veloz’, Spanish for ‘fast’ – this high performance version of the electric Born hatch comes with a 40% horsepower boost over the former range-topper, the 230hp Born ‘e-boost’ powertrain, as well as some improvements to the driving dynamics and some minor cosmetic alterations.
The hot hatch can reportedly muster 322hp – slightly more power than the petrol Volkswagen Golf R – and complete a 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds – one second faster than the Born e-Boost. The electric hatch’s top speed has been increased too, from 99mph to 124mph.
Other areas of mechanical improvement include the steering and suspension, which Cupra says are now ‘sportier’, and the braking which is reportedly more robust in the rear to handle the higher performance. The car sits on 20-inch alloy wheels as standard and is available with a unique ‘Dark Forest’ exterior colour scheme.
Inside, the model comes with grey bucket seats and a Sennheiser Premium sound system. Keyless entry is also included, as is a wireless smartphone charging pad.
This added performance and equipment increases up-front purchase costs by a significant amount. Pricing for the new VZ starts at a few hundred under £45k – £10k more than the standard Born and around the same price as the latest batch of high-performance Toyota GR Yaris petrol models that have now sold out in the UK.
The Cupra Born currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 81% in our Expert Rating Index. It has excellent results in every category, with the only caveat being that we don’t yet have enough data to issue a reliability rating.
