EV road trip review: the 340-mile Cupra Born is the electric VW Golf GTi
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- EV road trip review: the 340-mile Cupra Born is the electric VW Golf GTi. The Cupra Born costs more than the VW ID.3 - the car it is based on - and it is available in two battery sizes, the larger of which (77kWh) promises 340 miles WLTP. So Jonny Smith embarked on a UK road trip from North Wales, across to Dublin (Ireland), up to Northern Ireland via the scenic route, then across to Scotland, finishing up in The Lake District (Northern England). There was fun to be had, and roads to be enjoyed, but what did he think of the Cupra Born?
Thanks for stopping by The Late Brake Show.
We apologise in advance for Jonny's singing in this episode. Even if you aren't interested in electric cars, hopefully the route he drove could serve as inspiration for one of your own British isles road trips in future. It can be done within a day, but Jonny wanted to stop for A) sleep and B) and naughty little Car Cave visit (coming soon on the channel - become a Patreon to find out more!).
To get early access to videos such as this, plus blogs from Jonny, why not join our Patreon gang from as little as £1 per month? / thelatebrakeshow
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Filmed and edited by: Phil Vaughan Pritchard www.philvfilms...
Thumbnail by: Matt Tarrant www.matttarant...
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Jonny Smith
Creative content maker, car presenter & car pervert for hire since '98
Website: www.carpervert.com
Instagram: / jonnycarpervert
Twitter: / carpervert
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:50 One charge?
2:35 Dublin
3:00 Bad singing
3:23 Cupra brand history
4:50 Battery & power specs
5:17 Real world range
6:10 Prices
7:00 Consumption figures
8:12 Coastal route to Clogherhead
8:46 Design walkaround
11:00 Wheel & tyre specs
11:15 Suspension
12:50 North to Mourne Mountains
15:07 Driving modes
15:55 Overnight stop
16:50 Charging overnight at hotel
17:36 Belfast ferry
18:45 HEARSE!
19:42 Scotland
20:15 Forest driving roads
20:32 Regen braking
24:10 Motorway to Lake District
25:00 Rapid charge stats
25:55 Cabin and interior tech
26:55 Awful infotainment
30:13 Boot space
30:43 VERDICT
#cupraborn #evroadtrip #bestfamilyev #thelatebrakeshow
As always, if you want an in-depth review with top notch production this is the channel to head to first. Brilliant review and a very interesting car, wold definitely give it a try if I was in the market for a new car. Interesting re the infotainment touchscreen. Just watched another channel (ssh, dont tell anyone) that covered this very topic. Recent studies have shown that it can just be as dangerous as using a mobile phone. Keep up the excellent work Jonny.
Nah go to carwow and doug first mate
Yeah, that iPad on a stick thing is horrid, aesthetically and it seems functionally too.
Just a tip for anyone watching. The Irish ferries Holyhead to Dublin has EV charging on it that you can book online 👍🏻
No way? How did we miss that? Thanks for the fantastic info.
Wow, I didn't expect that. However, unless you really need to charge, it makes no much eco sense to use electricity from diesel source. Using the national grid will provide a much cleaner electricity.
@@Robcomesana The ships generator would be running anyway.
@@Robcomesana If its free and it means that you can get that extra range without hanging around, its a question for an individuals' conscience. The majority of ESB chargers in the republic are fed from hydro electric so have slightly less guilt. Jonny points out, most chargers are getting very expensive in the UK
@@robertallardice8119 Yes, I agree. However, the fuel flow is kind of proportional to power. The same as in a ICE car. A diesel burns around 0,5 l/h at idle or 30 l/h with high load. In the boat generator, the electrical demand commands the power. So, if you add 7 kW per car, that energy comes from burning around 2 to 3 times that power in fuel, since average efficiency can be around 40%. Energy is not created or destroyed, but transformed :)
Excellent review and wonderful cinematography. I have a 77kw Born on order as a replacement for my Golf. Current Danish tax breaks mean that buying an EV makes MUCH more sense from an economic standpoint than anything ICE. Our Born is (to me) expensive at roughly £42.500… but a Golf GTI STARTS at £72.800 over here!!! My wife and I test drove the ID.3, ID.4, Ioniq 5, Polestar 2 and Model 3… all great cars! Frankly, our least favourite was the Tesla - amazing power, but horrible ride and lifeless steering. When all was said and done, we vastly prefered the smaller footprint of the ID.3 and Born over the frankly massive alternatives (remember, we’re coming from a Golf). Moreover, of all the EVs we tried, we prefered the ride and steering of the Cupra. In Denmark a comparably speced ID.3 is actually more expensive than a Born and it feels significantly cheaper and has 30 hp less. Thus, in the end we went with the made in Germany Cupra.
Hi Eske, i will also replace my golf with a cupra e boost 58kwh. I will get the car within the next week. Here in Greece we have an extra bonus (8 k euros) if we buy an ev car. I also considered renault megane e tech and kia ev 6, but we finally ended up with cupra. What are your impressions so far?
@@spiroskom8018 Hi Spiros! Our Born hasn’t arrived yet - we are expecting delivery late January/early February.
Golf gti starts at 72k?! 😮 we can get into something like an m3 for that money in the uk
@@samthoma2719 Indeed - the Danish registration fee is BRUTAL, toping out at 150%… on top of the 25% VAT, obviously! An M3 starts at £150.000 over here!!!
@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 that’s savage, I’d move 😂
No unnecessary music, no over hyping from @jonnysmith and excellent production value. Great car review channel! 👌
I sell Cupra’s for a living and I was yearning to know your opinion on the Born. Just a year ago I was visiting Dublin right after the first internal presentation for the Born, wondering how it would catch on. I’m glad to see that it’s being met with praise by both the press and its customers, on that side of things.
How is the ordinary working man going to afford these cars?
@@robertallardice8119 I believe cheaper and more realistic variants will see the light soon. It's a matter of economies of scale, and production numbers. But I agree, they're still out of reach for many (take into account I sell them in Spain, where they're considerably more expensive and the average income is substantially lower, too).
That’s always the hope but you get such poor base level in the entry versions that you have to pay circa 40k to get a half decent one. Not sure we are eve going to see anything under 30k except for MG 4.
I've had a V2 Born since July and love it - apart from Infotainment & haptic buttons 😂
Cupra's what?
Hi Johnny, I watched your video about a year ago when you released it and I thought the video and the car was absolutely fantastic so good that I actually went out and bought a V2 in grey like yours but the 58 kW as I thought the 77 kw for me was unnecessary..
I’m sending this because I came across your video again and watched it and always thought to myself. I never did Thank you for pointing me in the right direction with the EV journey and a year down the line with the Cupra I absolutely love it and so does the wife and we actually think that it’s better than our previous car which is Mercedes GLC with all the bells and whistles… so once again, thanks so much Johnny have a nice day..
Chris.
Have they made any improvements to the infotainment system ?
Such beautiful scenery, I'm very jealous! I'm glad you didn't try to hypermile it as some pointless range test. Enjoy the drive, top up when you need to, and just have a great time!
Not that efficient though, is it. The Kona Electric would easily do its WLTP of over 290 miles on that kind of trip from a 64kWh (usable) battery! (I ran one for 18 months and it was spot-on WLTP for the whole Spring, Summer and Autumn, and still easily 250 miles in Winter. Range beast...) Forgot you ran one for a while too!
I had a ID3 on order that was delayed. When the Born came out my local dealership had some in stock so I cancelled and picked up a 58kwh V2 Born. It's a great car. In the summer I was getting an average of 4.5m per kwh. Now it's a bit colder its closer to 3.5kwh. Great car and I'm so glad I gave up waiting for the ID3 order.
I’m in exactly the same boat.
Cancelled my ID3 order of 54 weeks and get my v2 Born delivered on Tuesday 👍🏻
How do you find the infotainment system? Some reviews have complained that the interface is very sluggish and not very user-friendly.
Absolutely some of the best content available, and that's not just on TH-cam. Absolutely superb stuff 👍👍👍👍
Cheers Jon
You’re absolutely smashing it with your reviews, especially the EV stuff. If only we got half those cars here in the states….
Many thanks for watching Scott. Hopefully Jonny will get to the US soon..
Agreed , I live in Canada and am interested in a I.D.3 and went to VW Canada website and can't even get a price on one , they show like 1 or 2 pages of stuff, thats it and talk about the I.d. Buzz coming to Canada in 2024 ,I know already that all the I.D.3/4 models will be built in the USA and are available there yet Canada as usual has no info period really and the sales maybe province specific was in Ontario, Quebec or British Columbia which sucks to TBH , I just want a base model with the 77KWh battery, nice review Jonny 👍
Australia is also falling behind with ev's, really like the look of these, Rj in Oz
Can't wait for you to buy an electric vehicle so your balls are sterile by all the EMF radiation too lol
It’s fairly transparent marking ploy though isn’t it? VW/SEAT Cupra are in competition with themselves to try to distract us from the likes of the MG4 at 2/3 of the price, and is just as capable in real world. Badge snobbery will only get them so far until people see through them.
Great travel log video, I loved it, as I do all of your films.
PS Surely the best place for a heated steering wheel button is somewhere on the steering wheel?
The production value of these reviews are absolutely fantastic. Of all the EVs you’ve reviewed I really fancy the Cupra.
The production quality of this is through the roof. Absolutely love the quality of your videos now, top notch.
Many thanks. Glad you enjoy it.
Great review and great road trip! One aspect not mentioned in any reviews is the 77kwh option is only a 4 seater (no middle rear seat). I have just ordered a v2 and the larger battery (on my first experience living with an EV) would have been my preference. The flexibility of that extra passenger flipped it and I stuck with the 58kwh.
Honest question: was the change worth it? I have the same dilema but I lean to think that 3 people cannot really sit in the back anyway, or just very cramped, so would be used for 3 very rarely. On the other hand, the extra battery is very useful all the time.
Infotainment is not that bad, just need to get use to it and lets be honest if you want to heat the steering weel why making all this scene when you have a button called "clima" always visible? Besides you can place short cuts for this. To whoever reading and considering buying a cupra born, don't get friven by these comments about infotainment. These guys only touch the car for 1 or 2 days, with time you get used to it and is not that difficult. It even plays movies. There are also shortcuts for heat seats. It doesn't make the infotainment dangerous, when you read the manual and learn the features...
The Late Brake Show - come for the cars, stick around for the Chris De Burgh covers.
Great 34 minutes of viewing! Love the road trip review format.
The SEAT dealer i work for has just become what they call a 'satellite' dealer for the brand, which means we can sell them but we don't have the fancy showroom experience to go with it. I've learnt more about Born in the last 30 mins than i have in the showroom!! Bravo Jonny, excellent as usual, Oh and the infotainment system is a right pain in the balloon knot when it works!!! There is a lot to be said for a dash mounted twiddly knob!!
Loved seeing Ireland and can’t believe I’ve been there more than you’ve been to Japan. The Borne puns were just pure cheek and served perfectly. Loved every second!
Wonderful road trip/review, really enjoyed it. And worth watching for the Bourne/Born punning at the end. Some incredible filming too, in spite of the weather. Fantastic as usual Jonny & Co!
If you’re in Dublin you should’ve driven down Westland Row. “Why?” You ask, well it’s the birthplace of Oscar Wilde and then this episode could’ve been “Born to be Wilde” - I’m here all week!
Great video. This Cork-man misses his home land. 17yrs in the US.
I get all your cultural references BTW, so it great to watch your show for the great cars and hear some familiar things.
It's nice to see an ev that stands out from the other ev's with its looks, it actually looks like a proper hatch
With drum brakes 🤯 41grand with drum brakes 🤯
@@stepheng8779 Engineering. Discs on the rear provide no advantage.
Thanks
Very enjoyable review, thanks Jonny. The cinematics were excellent, combined with candid real-life interludes.
As ever, a great 'script', and languid, relaxing yet very informative delivery.
Great work all, and good to see the subscriber count going up. 👍
Fantastic video and excellent road trip. One of the best EV reviews ever! Really enjoyed it, brilliant balance between Born info and road trip info. Loved it. My city here in Oz has just opened a Cupra showroom, so I'm off to arrange a test drive. Thanks Jonny, absolutely love your work!
Excellent real-world review. Possibly the first EV I would actually consider buying.
Hands down the very best car reviews on the internet, really top notch. Thank you for the effort and care.
Thank you for doing a decent length journey in an EV without stopping to charge 60 miles after charging...as I saw in another video featuring the Cupra recently. Actual real world behaviour is a god send
I watched this about 6 weeks ago. Yiu introduced me to this car, and on Monday i placed sn order for the V3 58kwh e-boost 230 in matt gray. I wanted the matalic blue, but the wife wasnt having that.
I watched a ton of videos, then finslly went for a testdrive, and it does drive really well, and i have to agree eith a lot of other reviwes, its definitely wuicker thsn its stated time of 6.6 to 60, and its somewhere beween 5.5 and 5.8.
I even think the 5.something hiding how nippy it is to 40. I think to 40 not much is beating it off the lights, and it will be a blast ony local b roads.
My dealer was saying they are stopping the born soonish, and i dont think its been a seller tbh, so there could be some good overstock deals coming up in a few months time.
One of the reasons i decided to oull the trigger on one is because ive only ever seen one in the wild, so it will ne nice to have somthing different.
I replaced my e208 GT Premium with a Born and received one of the first cars in the UK 5 months ago. It’s way better than the Peugeot considering my V2 was around the same price. I get a genuine 200 miles from my 58kw car (vs 130 for the e208) and using octopus go only costs £4.35 to fully charge. Performance mode does give another level of regen (without activating the brake lights) and feels a lot like a normal cars engine braking so is my preferred choice in D mode rather than B mode. Surprisingly Performance mode doesn’t make the car faster like it did in the e208. However there are a few things I don’t like and I haven’t enjoyed my after sales experience. The wipers work better for the passenger as they were designed for Europe, the gear selector also has been directly swapped over from the euro spec and should really be on the left. It really annoys me you can’t turn the info screen completely off and in the shut down screen it also turns the stereo off. I’d like to turn it off at night whilst still being able to listen to music. Also the amount of errors in the software is ridiculous for a VW vehicle! For example preconditioning the car with the drivers heated seat activated actually turns the passenger seat on (because that’s the seat the driver uses in Europe)! The infotainment system regularly bricks itself and locks up with only climate controls working. The car is currently back at the dealership having the rear camera replaced and this is its fourth visit back since purchase. I wouldn’t say I regret buying it as it’s a nice car to drive but I do regret giving Cupra my money by the way they’ve treated me since collection, if that makes sense. As the price has increased since I purchased it I did consider exchanging it for the MG but after looking at one I didn’t think it’s build quality was as good, admittedly I didn’t drive it though. This is probably the best car in this price bracket, in my opinion.
In VW's We Connect app user can select the side ("Zone") that's preheated. Also the rear camera is different (better) in ID.3 as it hides behind the VW badge.
@@JuzzlinOSS In the Cupra app you can also select the side. The problem is what you select is then reversed in the car. The heated steering wheel also is paired with the drivers side, which then heats the passenger seat!
@@bbarnes4852 Sounds like a UK problem 😁 One workaround is to use the automatic heated seat (and wheel) feature that turns on only when the cars starts to move and someone actually sits on the seat. It won't heat the passenger seat if there's no passenger. This can be set via the climate control menu (at least in ID.3 with 2.4 SW). Actually I don't usually precondition my ID.3 at all anymore as it heats up so quickly anyway no matter how cold the outside temp is.
can you please make a video about all of this this 😂 bloody German engineering
How about a repeat with the 240 kW (324 ps) Born VZ, with slightly bigger battery, significantly better range, and new screen software
Love the opening landscape!
All thanks to Phil for the filming.
Great review. Ordered mine and can't wait to finally be driving it. I used the Octopus Energy deal through work, which means I also get a charger installed free at my home, and work also offers free charging, so it felt like the right time to jump to an EV. I was tempted by the ID3 and also the MG4, but this just looks and feels far better, and you dont see many in the wild, so a little more unique.
Great video Jonny, I have a V1 as a ‘temporary’ company car while waiting for an EV6 (12 months and counting) and I have been very pleasantly surprised, it has everything you really need from a car. 2,500 miles in a month (in a 58kWh car) has, I think, proved to me that anyone who thinks an EV doesn’t work for them, hasn’t actually tried one.
I think I’ll be a bit sad when handing back the keys when (if?) the Kia arrives.
EMF radiation nuking your balls hahaha
Especially since the EV6 doesn’t handle even close as well.
@@hxhxbcch7350 You do realise that light is EMF radiation, Right? if you can see you're being exposed to EMF radiation. but it's OK, because that's low energy EMF radiation... Just like the EMF radiation from an electric car, or your washing machine, or your television is low energy EMF and isn't a danger to you
High energy EMF radiation is the dangerous one, such as gamma rays and x-rays or UV light, these are Ionizing EMF radiations, nothing in an electric car produces these.
If you're worried about dangerous outputs from a vehicle, go stick your mouth around an exhaust pipe on a petrol(gas) car for five minutes..... See how well you do then.
@@hxhxbcch7350 better than monoxide and NOx.
I'm thinking of the EV6 as well for my company car, mines for a change in 11 months , it seems to have a decent range.
Loved your comment about fake TV jeopardy. There's a similar road trip with two presenters who do the Scottish 500 mile trip and the whole trip is almost literally full of "will we run out of charge" comments whereas had they simply charged overnight >on the hotel stops they made anyway
Great, balanced video about a decent EV. Love the roads and the Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum jokes! Keep them coming…
Loving all the Bourne links… very clever! Beautiful work!
Wonderful episode, it’s amazing that VW allow their other marques take the ID cars and make them better. Both this and the Enyaq really show up the 3 and 4 as half baked.
Jonny, have you thought about doing a hearse special, they seem the perfect car for EV conversation considering the speed the travel at and distance they cover in any given day. Plus the EV silence would add to the reverence factor of your undertakering
@@julianevans9548 And charging at home benefits from 5% VAT, vs at public chargepoints where it's now 20%.
In Paris they now have a hearse e-bike, even better. EV hearses exist too
@@julianevans9548 Backstreet Facilities are offering Bio-Diesel Conversions for when Petrol & Diesel are taken away for this new imposition of electric motors comes into full fruition. A lot of people aren't actually going for them...and are sticking with aftermarket conversions to keep their cars going....
@@SPIKE-0000 Biodiesel is not a large scale solution. Also it still relies on internal combustion engines so it is not a way to bypass bans.
Like all new tech it starts out expensive until the economics of mass production kick in, by which time there will be an affordable second hand market and cheaper newer alternatives, for example the MG4.
As for time to charge the vast majority sit parked for most of the day/night which gives ample opportunity for charging. Admittedly we need better charging infrastructure and again it's until demand is there companies struggle to justify investment, which is where the government should step in! But that will also catch up.
Best overall look at the born on TH-cam in my opinion.
We have a 77kw v3 coming in May through my wife's salary sacrifice.
The monthly payments are crazy low compared to similar petrol equivalents.
We've gone for the big battery as we live in Wales but head up to the North of England a lot for family and wanted the ability to do it on 1 charge if needs be.
would you be willing to say what the effective cost would be? I’m expecting you to say around £450/ month inc insurance.
Agree Jonny, it's like a honey pot for yoofs.
I love the way it drives...feels very rear wheel biased and solid and handles very well on b roads around Herts and Beds.
Little fun fact - the wider V3 wheels (not the fancy ones you have) with better rubber mean that Cupra have had to fit little black 4 inch wheel arch extensions!
Brilliant and informative as always, trustworthy opinion. CUPRA Born just launched in Australia this week with pre-orders on 20th Dec, I've ordered mine. Thanks Jonny, great work.
The lack of buttons is a show stopper for me.
Agreed and also the entertainment system not being very good from buying as I will have the car for long period. Something that is usable.
Brilliant review I’m in the fence with Evs
Been a deisel guzzler all my life
But very tempted with cupra born
This is the first electric car that i would actually own. Great review as always. On that side of things.
Interesting car and a great review with some real world driving. Nice Jason Bourne links in the summary...well done!
If you come to Ireland again drive the wild Atlantic way 👌
Very clever integration of the Borne movie titles. Nice little detail. Great video
I have a 77kWh V3 in vapour grey, but with DCC, so you get 'Cupra' throttle response AND a really supple ride (just like Nurburgring settings in a GTI or R) and that makes a huge difference on your average B road. The big thing it lacks in comparison with the ID3 is Matrix headlights, and if you don't specify the 'Beats' audio upgrade you don't get rear speakers!!! there are a few other idiosyncrasies which you could put down to character, or thoughtless oversight, depending on how annoyed you are at the time.
You need to order the Beats HiFi for rear speakers.
My dealer said the newest ones come with rear speakers as standard, but ymmv
Fabulous review. Thank you for doing this. It helped me in my decision to buy a Born. I have owned it since 14/11 and it is absolutely fabulous. High
Y recommended. and, by golly, you’re right about the unlit controls… who on Earth passed those for commercial sale….
I love Jonny… “so here’s the ultimatum with the Born…” not as tortured as the Supremacy one.
But will it leave a legacy? Will Jason enjoy the car?
I saw this in Scotland and I love it!!!!!! We need this in the USA!
After 5 months of ownership of the V2 Born in the same colour, the car is brilliant although the infotainment needs rethinking
Love the dad-joke like Jason Bourne references, I enjoyed that 😊
I bought a Born V2 E-Boost in June, I came from and ID3. I agree the chassis is much better than the ID3 and it looks better. There are things I prefered about the ID3 - ID light and rear view camera.
Sounds good then... and the big question Scott...how much in GBP?
@@rjmacf0015 Well I paid £34,400 in July 2021 for my ID3 and straight swapped it in June 2022 for my Born. I think the list price was about £38k.
@@scottwills4698 thats very helpful added practical information. You can be pleased with your shift. It is very odd how the same group can produce two ostensibly similar products that are on the face of it are built to quite such different quality standards.
Just received my Aurora Blue 77kwh v2 after 6 months of waiting. Traded in my 2020 ID.3 58kwh. Super happy with it and a HUGE improvement on the ID.3 in almost every respect. Very Happy!
Bring back high quality buttons! There’s something really nice about a good knob 😮 think of those expensive home audio volume controls that have a great response. When the hipsters become the designers they will bring them back ! Whilst listening to their record players and scratchy atmospheric vinyl.
I believe the new VW boss has said that buttons are coming back.
@@stephenholland5930 thats great news! Some things just need buttons.👍
What a great review, and great scenery (if perhaps not the weather for it). I wish we got this car here in Canada, as I would have bought one. But, no Cupra, no ID3, every manufacturer is set on selling us oversized SUVs. I do have the closest thing I could get (Chevrolet Bolt) and to be honest, it's not the equal of a GTI, but it also isn't far off. For what I use the car for, it has worked out very well.
Brilliant, another great TLBS episode there Mr. Smith...🎩
Certainly looks like Cupra have done their homework on the Born, much like yourself on the Jason Bourne film's, did make me chortle...🤭
Hope the NEC goes well this weekend...🚗🚙🛻👍🏻
Really enjoyed the review Jonny and pleased you mentioned the issue of the screen. I don’t like bright light facing me when I drive all night and I can’t imagine navigating options whist driving.
FORTY GRAND for a car with drum brakes at the back, oooof... That said, it's a Bonny looking thing overall - reminds me of the MG... 4?
Why the comment about drum brakes? Discs aren't necessary with regen, that provides most of the rear braking load and if it were discs then with such little use you will soon have rust and residue build up.
Fab review! Looks like a super cool car. Love your attention to detail. I also hate the tramp stamp logo surprised you didn’t take the p*as out of that! 😂 I’m from Penrith and was fortunate in my early 20s that my second car was a Z4M coupe and did about 20k in the time I owned it smashing those very lake roads! Glad you enjoyed it!
I bought a 4 year old, 30KW/hr, LEAF in May. Yes it's boring but it sold me on EVs. It has a real world range of 170km (110miles). It does 90% of all our driving BUT I need a petrol car for those 10% of journeys.
This looks amazing. The rate of improvement of EVs mean that, in 3 years, when my LEAF is paid off, EVs will totally have replaced petrol convenience.
Great review.
PS. It's "Fewer buttons", not "Less buttons".
You finally got to Ireland Jonny!! Welcome! Don’t be a stranger. 👍😉
Great video.
"Doesn't break the bank". I think I'm on another planet... I think spending over £40k+ (Johnny recommends the bigger battery) for a mainstream family hatch is indeed 'breaking the bank'.
Glad you said what you did about the touchscreen use (and the daft touch buttons) - that would stop me buying the car. Hope the update fixes this. The exterior is exactly the same .... its just some painted bits of plastic and a set of wheels thats different! I personally think it looks virtualy identical.
From the side yes but the front and back are totally different
Yeah I'm the same - you can go out today and buy a Ford Focus for under £25k (probably close to 20 with some haggling). I really want to buy into EV but they are stinging us heavily to buy one. The benefits of 'cheaper' running are massively shadowed by the initial costs that I'd never get back, especially as VED for EV's will be coming in soon. Any affordable EVs on the second hand market are older generation with poor range that's not worth the investment IMO. The car looks nice though, not knocking it apart from cost.
40K is average price for a car today.
@@kraenk12 average price of a hatchback is only around £22k. No point in using overall average as it's skewed by ridiculously expensive luxury/sports cars that aren't applicable to the average person.
@@noggintube 25k for a Ford focus that is worth under 50% of its value within 3 years, 2015 Tesla’s are still 38k 7 years on 🤷🏻♂️ EV’s retain value more that an ICE cars. Also no tax on EV’s until 2025 which will help retain value also. Simply supply and demand at the moment, they can’t make these 40k EV’s quick enough
Well balanced review 👍🏻. Totally agree about touchscreens…..not allowed to use your phone whilst driving but it’s OK to try and navigate an ipad sized screen 🙄🙄🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Another brilliant video. Jonny is fast becoming my favourite presenter on TH-cam. Love his delivery style and humour. Lovely looking car, definitely one of the best looking EV's.
Still not sold on these EVs. I often travel 340 miles in a day, a normal working day is 200+. How is that going to be possible with charging times etc? They are also very expensive. That extra cost for the vehicle, extra charging, overnight stays. Who pays for that? There must be a better, more cost effective alternative.
Another fine review though Jonny. Keep up the good work 👍
26:00 I just don't understand people who think anything other than a monotonous heatwave is terrible weather. That weather was beautiful. Look how atmospheric it is man! Rain is beautiful. I feel sorry for people who only appreciate hot weather.
Excellent review/travel blog. Pity about the weather. Great way of learning about the car for you and us both. Like the annotated info boxes also. Definitely better than the ID3. Head of VW admitted recently they have made a mistake with the infotainment and haptic buttons and has said they will re-introduce normal BUTTONS on future models. Great all round model. But no frunk! And efficiency needs to be better for a 77 kWh normal sized car.
I really, and I mean really, like the look of the Cupra Born. In my opinion the best looking car in its class, it's aggressive and young ... without overdoing it. Saw an older lady driving one yesterday, kinda looked a bit wrong 😂
Hoping for more small "city oriented" purebread EVs at some point though, I'm more in the market for that sort of thing 😅
dark metallic blue sets off the copper accents even better.
You can't keep up with her.
@@jamesengland7461 Nope, mostly because i'm driving a 44kW VW Up! :P
Still tempted, infotainment is putting me off. Also worth noting the bigger battery car only has 2 rear seats.
Great review, amazing scenery, nice name check of 3 Bourne/born films at the end. Completely agree with the touch screen thing.. bad enough with a few functions on it let alone nearly all of them. Is that why a tesla has so many safety features, to help you not crash while you mess around trying to do something on the screen. And yes I know they have voice control.... but that's not 100% reliable is it.. Anyway, great looking car ,seen a few about, definitely more eye catching than the id3 .
lovely roads, seems like a perfect car to hug the corners of those winding segments with.
As always, Jonny, I'm saddened that we in the U.S. aren't getting more of these smaller, less-expensive but still excellent EVs. Thanks!
Great show Jonny! Can't believe you haven't been to Ireland/Northern Ireland before! You should come back! I live in Northern Ireland myself, have done all my life and can recommend many sights to see. It's interesting to see how an EV manages big miles.
Great video. I haven't driven a Born but have an ID3 (58kwh 204ps) which I would say is brilliant to drive - I really enjoy taking it across the peak district and rate it higher to drive now than my other car, a slightly aging Octavia vRS. The Born is obviously a good car though. Front end maybe a bit marmite? But I prefer the rear end to that on the ID3. Would be interested how much difference the extra 30bhp make.
Thanks for a great show. I’m considering the Cupra. Agree with you regarding the sustainable energy.
31:24 "the born does have some supremacy" 31:53 "the ultimatum on the born" LOL I wonder how many people got the references.
I think just about everyone!
Love the extended 'real world' trip and review - this is the EV that I have been considering as we enter my wifes 8th year of ownership on her Polo that we bought new. I like the V2 as an allrounder and it seems silly really not getting the bigger battery whether you use it or not. In reality she does 5k max per year but uses the car everyday. I have looked at the Niro EV which i really like but she prefers the styling on this. (she has had 5 new VW's in her career) which i think influences that personally!! It all then comes down to justification of spending £late 300's / £400 per month on a new motor or keep her polo with 40k on that nothing ever goes wrong on! the other alternative is the idea of a last hurrah (in an ICE car) and flog the polo and buy a good used Golf Gti DSG and go down the bangernomics route for smiles for miles without the £4500 per year cost? Ooooh decisions decisions....
Cupra has just arrived here in Australia looking forward to see one on the road 👍🇦🇺
Estimated drive-away price of AU$65+ plus options for the Born. No thanks!! Besides which, I despise VAG as a company and want nothing to do with them.
Great Review Jonny , Each time i drive the Cupra Born I begin to love every moment . What I discovered was Resetting all the Journey Data 👍👍👌👌That sometimes works well
Cannot stress how much of advantage charging whilst on your travels is with EV over ICE. Whenever I’m away from home and staying in a hotel etc, I always seek out places with charging and as you say Johnny even a 3 pin plug will do. If you’re not planning on heading out for another 12-14 hours that’s a heck of a lot of charging that can be done.
Alternatively get a Tesla and dodge these worries
Not really when I can fill an ICE tank in 3 minutes.
@@plugsocket9432 It is truly incredible how a 30 min session of charging on limited points is deemed to be advantageous over filling a tank of fuel in 2 min. Brain lobotomy on a grand scale.
Who said it was advantageous?
A great review I really like the longer format and hope to see more trips.
At last! Someone has actually acknowledged that having an over sized Ipad bolted to your dash board is ugly and potentially dangerous!
And looks pretty crap with the inevitable greasy finger prints all over it.
Nice one Jonny.
It isn't the answer though, is it?
I’ve got a born and it’s a great car but would be so much better with some actual buttons for things like climate control.
Some of the things are far too difficult to do whilst driving and in my view it’s dangerous. Selecting things like what vent you want air to come out of are almost impossible.
I just can’t understand why it it’s illegal to do things on your phone screen but perfect okay to plonk almost all the controls on the cars touchscreen!
I've been saying it since they've come out. They continually warn of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving (and quite right too) yet they allow manufacturers to place a bloody ipad in front of the driver. It's a recipe for disaster.
I think it's a cost cutting exercise. One team designs the interior, then Bob from IT can stick the VW group standard iPad wherever it will fit as an afterthought.
The ipad approach made sense for Tesla - partly because their cars are 'computers on wheels', and partly because they're building with one eye on the robo-taxis in the future (when being able to control *everything* through software, without needing manual inputs, is a benefit). I don't like it myself - but it makes sense for Tesla, given their long-term plans.
However, nearly every other automaker is copying them without those long term plans, and just using it as a cost-cutting exercise, without giving thought to the driving experience or road safety aspects, and that annoys me. Putting rarely-used settings on the touchscreen (rather than cluttering the dash with a multitude of tiny single-use buttons, as was common in the '00s etc) makes sense - to me, the 'ideal' dash would be e.g. a mid-90's dash, with an integrated display. Early/mid 90's cars had a good balance of easy-to-use controls for essential functions - adding a tablet for the multitude of modern safety assists and other stuff you set once then ignore gives you the modern convenience without compromising the rest of the physical controls.
Hey Johnny, always been a huge fan of your work, esp since we share similar sensibilities and observations! when you speak miles of range I'm guessing/asuming you are speaking your odd British miles? Range is sooo variable, my new f150 lightning varies hugely based on ground speed and colder temps, and charging in middle of nowhere south dakota is crap currently! thanks again for your work Johnny~ roger
I delivered one to Ireland a few months ago. Quite impressive apart from the 3 charges and non functioning charging points in Ireland. A great looking and comfortable car.
HATE the whole touchscreen vibe....everyone follows Tesla cos its CHEAP....yep, let's reduce road safety for our profit margin.
If its illegal to use a phone, it must be illegal to use a touchscreen.
It definitely should be, it takes attention away from the road for long periods of time.
Very good review jonny,I agree car makers are going down the route of Electric buttons which takes your eyes of the rd definetly not ok.
I’ve done a similar journey in my 77kWh ID.3, which I’ve run for 40k miles in 12 months.
At a constant 70mph at night in midwinter with subzero temps my ID.3 will do 230 miles; at 60mph during the day in the summer it will do over 290 miles. Pootling around at town speeds, 340 miles is a struggle, but possible if you drive like an elderly nun.
The Cupra Born is a better car than the ID.3, no question about that. But in terms of interior build quality, a T-Cross is better than both.
Lol no it isn’t.
Fantastic “Partridge” face after “the Scotland I’ll be in you” bit 😂👏
Mg 4 all day
That car badge is from a generic gaming pc peripheral. Enjoyed the video. Thankyou.
Ha!
90ies tribal tattoo.
Claim 340 miles but get 270 in real life, hmm. Isn't it about time that the testing figures weren't so inaccurate? Have to say though if I could afford an EV, this would be the one I'd get, it's gorgeous. Just need to do an ST version.
The mileage depends on where it is driven & the weather, my V2 will do 250miles via country roads or 200miles via motorway at higher speeds.
Is it any different to an ice that claims 70mpg and delivers 55? The point of the WLTP test is to give a benchmark which you can use compare cars. It's not an absolute figure and will of course vary depending on how the car is actually used. And that applies for ev and ice.
WLTP standard = Way Less Than, Probably. Best to check the American EPA range for the same car - it's usually closer to real world driving. (NEDC stands for Not Even Damn Close).
Seems like a really lovely car. Great review - informative and entertaining at once. Oh, and welcome to Ireland, Jonny.
So VW really is becoming the base brand of the VW group
Just ordered a Born literally this day. Pretty excited, to be honest, and I've test-driven A LOT of EVs in the rough price range... MG4, Kia EV6, Hyunday Ioniq 5&6, Volvo CX30, Nio ET5... the Nio was the best by far, but it's just too expensive for going to the office 3 days a week. That would have cost me 70k€, where the Born with the big battery and EVERY piece of extra costs me 50ish now. I'm kinda a Nissan guy and was hoping for the new Leaf to be good, but it's a crossover like the Juke, and I can't stand SUVs and Crossovers and the like. Give me a decent, normal car, thank you very much. Just like the EV6 and Ioniq are too large, plain and simple.
Really looking forward to this baby!
For me, it beggars belief how such a terrible infotainment system can even see the light of day. So many people were presumably involved it creating it, yet none of them seems to have noticed just how clunky, over-complicated and lacking in ergonomics it is when it comes to real world use. It doesn't even look nice - it looks like something from an early 2000s Windows XP program.
There must have been designers, programmers and testers who created this thing. Management must have reviewed it and signed it off, probably at a high level. What were they all thinking? Did they bother to try it out on the road?
As good as the rest of the car seems, I'd rule out buying one purely on the basis of the infotainment system. That also rules out many VW, Skoda, Audi and Seat/Cupra cars. Mercedes are just as bad, as are BMW.
It's a ridiculous state of affairs. What will it take for the manufacturers to see sense?
This is true of the latest VW ICE cars as well such as the mk8 Golf. I think they're tryng to emulate Tesla thinking its cool when its the least desirable part of a Tesla IMHO. Tesla are good for performance and range but give me "normal" controls anyday it's much less of a distraction especially if you're trying to make a more driver focused car rather than a city runabout.
I believe things have improved a lot with V3.1
3rd time ive been back to this video, snd will be doing a similar trip in feb or march now in my own Cupra born V3 eboost.
I wasnt interested in an ev or even knew the Born existed when i first saw this. Abiut 3 weeks later id ordered one, and a few weeks ago i took ownership of one.
Not been the best weather, but a really nice car. I had a 2019 leon cupra estate and even thiugh this is about 60hp down, is definitely hase a fadter change of pace, and is a fun drive. The Dinamica seats are brilliant. Thiugh the basic ones are vert good too.
I went for thr 60kwh (they tweeked the battery outputs for the 2025 model year car).
Ive only varged my car twice so far, at the local tesla chargers, as im jet to get my charger installed. But for £19 it gets me 220-30miles, which is still cheaper than any car ive ever owned. Sub 10 pence.
Once i get thr home charger in that eill drop to about 2.5p. in comparison my leon cupra cist me abiut 22p per mile, same eith my GTC vrx.
And anther good comparison is the Hyundai ioniq hybtid i had got me 65mpg compined all day. Which i was vey happy with after the VRX and leon cupra, that is about 10p per mile.
So the born even charging out the home delivers leon cupra/GTC VRX perfomance at ioniq/pryis costs. Which im very happy with.
19:20 “Southern Ireland” is outdated at best and extremely offensive at worst. I’m sure it was innocent because you seem like a great guy. You should’ve said “the Republic of Ireland” or “we started in Ireland and made our way to Northern Ireland.”
Beautifully shot and edited video. Keep up the great work! More EV content, please!
I'd love to see more reviews like this, with a bit more focus on the journey and the road trip as well as the car. 🤘
Fabulous review. Couldn't help being more than a little distracted by those mountains. Imagine if they were at least partly reforested.