Cupra has unveiled a refreshed version of its Born electric hatchback, introducing a new exterior design and updated interior features while largely retaining the existing drivetrain configurations.
The updated Born, produced at Volkswagen Group’s Zwickau plant in Germany, adopts the brand’s latest design language. The facelift includes a redesigned front end featuring a “shark nose,” new bumpers and triangular matrix LED headlights, a motif that also appears in the rear lighting design. The Cupra logo on the tailgate is now illuminated and integrated into the rear light strip.
With the redesigned bumpers, the vehicle’s length has increased slightly by 12 millimetres to 4.34 metres, while the width, height and wheelbase remain unchanged at 1.81 metres, 1.54 metres and 2.77 metres respectively.
Cupra’s announcement focuses mainly on styling and cabin updates rather than major mechanical changes. The model continues to be offered with three motor and battery combinations: a base version with a 58 kWh battery and two variants equipped with a 79 kWh battery, paired with either a 170 kW rear-wheel-drive system or a higher-performance 240 kW powertrain in the Born VZ.
According to the company, the larger battery version now delivers a driving range of “around 600 kilometres,” slightly higher than the previous maximum range of 594 kilometres under the WLTP standard, likely due to aerodynamic improvements introduced with the facelift.
Cupra also introduced a new version called the Born Plus, which features a 58 kWh battery and a power output of 140 kW. The previous version with a similar battery capacity delivered 150 kW. The company did not disclose maximum DC fast-charging power for this variant, stating only that charging from low to higher levels can take between 20 and 30 minutes.
The specifications suggest the model may incorporate a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery associated with the Volkswagen Group’s updated MEB+ platform, although the company did not confirm this in its announcement.
Instead, the brand highlighted features such as one-pedal driving and a new launch control function available on models equipped with the 79 kWh battery. Wider 235 mm tyres are now offered across the five available 19-inch and 20-inch wheel designs, intended to improve handling performance. The vehicle also includes five driving profiles and up to 15 adjustable levels of dynamic chassis control through the DCC Sport system.
Inside the cabin, the facelift introduces redesigned door panels, new recycled materials used in the dashboard and an updated steering wheel with physical buttons replacing the previously criticised touch-sensitive controls. The driver display has been enlarged to 10.25 inches, while a new 12.9-inch central touchscreen runs an updated Android-based operating system.
Cupra said the revised interior also includes a new “interior sound signature” designed to create “a more direct, confident connection” between driver and vehicle in Performance and Cupra driving modes.
Pricing for the updated Born has not yet been announced. Before the facelift, the model started at €36,450 in Germany for the 150 kW version.
