CUPRA Born VZ: a taste of what’s to come
As Autocar has pointed out, the CUPRA Born is just the first taste of the potential that performance electric hatchbacks have for the future. And that’s why the imminent arrival of the even-more potent CUPRA Born VZ is eagerly awaited.
VZ stands for ‘veloz’ meaning ‘fast’ in Spanish, and the CUPRA Born VZ boosts the CUPRA Born’s performance significantly – delivering 326PS of power (40% more than any other CUPRA Born) and up to 545Nm of torque (a staggering 75% over its sister models). That means 0-62mph in as little as 5.6 seconds.
Under its skin, the CUPRA Born VZ’s handling has been sharpened even further with upgraded DCC Sport suspension, more responsive steering and an improved brake pedal feel, while the 20in alloy wheels use wider performance tyres. You also get a 79kWh battery that offers up to 372 miles of range and can be topped up from 10% to 80% in as little as 26 minutes on a compatible 185kW DC charger.
“The dynamic changes to the CUPRA Born VZ are extensive,” Autocar said. “There are new springs and dampers for the rear suspension and tuning changes at the front. Adaptive DCC dampers are standard and tuned to transmit more from the road to the car’. The steering has been given a new map to translate faster to the driver what the front wheels are doing.
“The CUPRA Born VZ can take its power hike well, and the extra acceleration is useful and usable when attacking a series of corners. There’s a lot of grip at the front, and the car’s front-end inspires a lot of confidence to really attack corners, while the rear remains stable. The CUPRA Born VZ reminded me of a Volkswagen Golf GTI: rewarding and composed without being razor-sharp. That comparison extends to the steering, too, which is communicative enough while remaining light. Very little unsettles the car and the tuning is commendable.”
Inside the CUPRA Born VZ, you can appreciate all of that – and the vastly upgraded tech – from the enhanced cup bucket seats, which offer a more sport driving position and are trimmed in a rich-feeling Dinamica trim. “There’s huge visual appeal to the CUPRA Born VZ, inside and out,” Autocar said. “It certainly looks the part as a serious hot-hatch: powerful and purposeful. There’s also a special paint called ‘Dark Forest’, offered alongside Midnight Black. All very dark and moody, yet set off nicely with CUPRA’s now familiar copper trim.”