Western News: February 29, 2024

8
Thursday February 29 2024
Incorporating
best motorbuys
www.drivesouth.co.nz
Cupra Born the wild child of the EV world
VIBRANCY, FLAIR, and
passion are deeply embedded into
the DNA of the Spanish, and its
only automotive manufacturer,
Volkswagen owned Seat, have
created an electric car, that is an
automotive expression of those
qualities.
It’s the small to mid-size Cupra
Born, the performance division
of Seat and sits on Volkswagen’s
impressive MEB platform
designed exclusively for EVs.
This compact Spanish dynamo
shares this platform with the
Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen
ID.4 and soon to be launched
here smaller ID.3, that’s similar
in size to the Cupra Born.
The Cupra Born is the wild
child of the Seat family and
putting brand on the map here,
Motoring with Bob Nettleton
after years of living in the shadow
of its higher profile Volkswagen
and Skoda siblings.
A fun, affordable, quality
European performance hatch
brimming with personality,
the $74,990 Cupra Born EV is a
genuine x-factor vehicle, without
the usual mega price tag.
It looks the part with LED
Daytime Running Lights
with unique signature Full
LED headlights, and 19-inch
Copper Typhoon alloy wheels.
Completing the picture are
aerodynamic side sills, floating
C-pillar and Copper CUPRA
badging. All this made the
test vehicle a bit of a people
magnet when it was parked up,
most knowingly nodding their
approval.
Ratings out of 10: Performance 9 Handling 8; Build Quality
8; Comfort 7; Passenger and Load Space 7; Value for money
7; Safety – Five Star ANCAP crash rating.
Overall points out of 10: 8.5
The test car had heaps of heft
from a beefy 77kWh battery
and an electric motor producing
150 kW of power and 310 Nm
of torque. However, the Cupra
has a performance trick up its
sleeve with E-Boost that its ID.4
and Enyaq siblings miss out on.
This maximises acceleration and
enhances all round performance.
The vehicles standard battery
is good for a healthy 150kW, but
with e-Boost standard on Born
models sold here, that figure
surges to 170kW, enough to
propel the car from 0-100 km/h
in a snappy 6.6 seconds. This
is activated via a Drive Profile
button. E-Boost works its magic
for a maximum of 30 seconds to
protect the battery, but accessible
at any time, depending on the
charge state of the battery and its
temperature.
There’s a genuine performance
edge to the Born with its rapid
acceleration both off the mark,
and once on the move, and boy
does it move!
With an undeniable energy and
urgency about this electric power
train it’s one that performance
car enthusiast driver are Born to
love.
The cabin is smaller than both
the ID.4 and Enyaq, with this
pair a better choice if load and
people carrying capacity are
important. However, it is well
appointed with a floating 12-
inch touchscreen, multi-colour
ambient lighting, dual-zone
climate control air conditioning
and split folding rear seats
with ski hatch. Keeping you
connected is a 12-inch colour
touchscreen including Bluetooth,
2 USB-C ports and integrated
voice control wireless phone
charger.
Having the high-voltage
battery located in the floor
between the axles provides the
almost perfect low centre of
gravity, for optimum agility and
balance that under pins this cars
next level road holding. Grip
and stability through even the
tightest corners is masterfully
tenacious and among the best I
have experienced in an EV.
The trade-off is low speed
ride comfort that isn’t that well
cushioned, and suspension
noise, while not over bearing
it still makes it presence heard.
Annoying at times in town
driving, but a concession I
would happily make for this car’s
sublime handling.
Finance
available
(conditions apply)
CARS WANTED
– CASH PAID
We buy small
Japanese vehicles
- Must be tidy
REDUCED
2011 mazda aXeLa
$7,995
1500cc, auto, 184,500kms.
2010 miTsubishi rVr
$10,995
1800cc, auto, 2WD, 128,000kms.
2009 ToyoTa ipsum 7 seaTer
$8,995
2.4, auto, alloys, 81,000kms.
2014 ToyoTa coroLLa GX haTch 1.8
was $11,995 Now $10,995
Auto, NZ new, 176,000kms.
2 AvAIlAblE
SOlD
2012 NissaN Tiida LaTio 4 door
$5,995
1.5 auto, 131,000kms, new WOF, drives well.
2009 suzuki sX4
$8,995
5Dr Hatch, 2.0L auto, NZ new, 114,000kms.
2006 suzuki swifT GLXha
$7,995
NZ new, 1500cc, auto, low 56,000kms.
2012 NissaN Tiida 5/haTch
$6,995
1.5 auto, 111,000kms.
REDUCED
4 IN STOCK
2012 hyuNdai i30 s/w
$8,995
NZ new, 1600cc, auto, 133,000kms, alloys.
2015 ToyoTa yaris 5/haTch
was $12,495 Now $10,995
1.3L, auto, NZ new, low 56,000kms.
2012 hyuNdai i30 5/haTch
$7,995
1.6L, auto, 173,000kms, alloys.
2012 NissaN Tiida 5/haTch
$6,995
1.5 auto, new WOF, 127,000kms.
2003 ToyoTa coroLLa GL
$4,695
4 door sedan, 1.8 auto, NZ new, 214,000kms.
- 281 Ferry Road - 03 389 1121 - dougdrake@xtra.co.nz www.dougdrake.co.nz