2022 Cupra Born EV 'could cost the same as a Golf GTI' when it arrives in Australia

The Cupra Born will be the first VW Group electric car to reach Australia, set to arrive in late 2022 with a Tesla-beating price tag.

The Born electric hatchback wasn’t expected to be released locally until 2023, along with the twin ID.3 from parent company Volkswagen.

European demand, combined with the Australian Government’s dearth of EV incentives, continues to delay the introduction of the ID.3 to this market, giving the young marque a helpful internal coup.

Volkswagen’s Spanish Cupra brand is being launched in Australia in the second quarter of 2022, four years after being switched from a Seat performance sub-division to a standalone entity.

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An initial line-up will include plug-in hybrid variants for its Leon hatchback and Formentor SUV, along with petrol engines and a petrol-only Ateca SUV – though Cupra is the first VW Group brand to commit to what will eventually be an electric-only line-up.

Cupra Australia is also aiming for the Born to make its mark with competitive pricing that undercuts other European EVs.

“Cupra wants to be the first European brand with an affordable EV,” said VW Group Australia spokesperson Paul Pottinger.

“There’s potential for it to start at the price of the current Golf GTI. It will certainly be considerably less than the cheapest Tesla.

“We will then look to introduce our VW ID range from 2023.”

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The Golf GTI currently costs $53,300 before on-road costs. A similar price point would ensure the Born is well within the cost threshold for the best EV purchase incentives offered in Australia.

These are currently led by New South Wales, which offers up to $5540 in rebates and stamp duty savings on electric cars costing less than $68,750.

It would also undercut the most affordable Tesla, the Model 3, which starts from $59,900.

Cupra’s Born is a hatchback similar in size to a Golf, whereas the Model 3 is a mid-sized sedan.

Cupra Australia isn’t yet confirming which Born variant will be imported.

The smallest, 45kWh battery version is less likely considering Cupra has been spun off from Seat with a performance focus.

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A 58kWh Born equipped with an e-Boost performance pack for 170kW and 350Nm promises to be the fastest version, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.6 seconds.

The regular 58kWh Born, Cupra’s most popular version in Europe, has 150kW and 350Nm and completes the same sprint in 7.3 seconds.

A 77kWh version offers the longest WLTP-rated driving range, at about 540 kilometres.

Volkswagen’s ID.4 SUV is among other ID models on the target list for Australia and might be deemed a greater priority than the ID.3 considering it offers a vastly more popular body style.

Neither ID model is expected here before 2023 at this stage, while the Enyag EV from VW’s Czech brand Skoda is also not anticipated to arrive until either 2023 or 2024.

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