Electric 2023 Cupra Born lands on Australian soil

The all-electric 2023 Cupra Born has arrived in Australia for local evaluation.

An eagle-eyed worker at spotted the Born at Sydney Airport after being flown in by Volkswagen Australia, ahead of the launch of the Cupra brand in 2022, with these images posted to Facebook group All Electric Vehicle Parts Australia.

The Born will be one of four models within the Cupra line-up – and the first fully-electric Volkswagen Group vehicle to be offered locally – using a 58kWh battery to feed a 150kW/310Nm electric motor powering the rear axle.

UPDATE, December 2022: Australian Born pricing announced

Cupra has confirmed Australian pricing and features for its Born electric hatch. Get all the details at the link below.

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Above: Cupra Born lands in Australia. Credit: Facebook/All Electric Vehicle Parts Australia.

While the Cupra Australia website outlines the Born’s performance figures, along with a claimed 0-100km/h of 7.3 seconds, its driving range of 424km (WLTP cycle) has yet to be confirmed.

Additional battery options will be added to the range in the future – with promises of up to 548km of driving range on a single charge – along with an e-Boost pack which bumps the hatchback’s power figures up, with performance on par with Volkswagen Golf GTI models of recent years.

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

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“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.”

With the Tesla Model 3 priced from $59,900 before on-road costs, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI costing just over $53,000 plus on-road costs, it suggests the Cupra Born could come in under $55,000 when it arrives late next year.

The Born will join the Formentor, Leon, and Ateca when the Spanish brand makes its Australian debut in 2022, with the electric hatch slated for arrival in the fourth quarter.