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Cupra Born 2023: Australian release date CONFIRMED for early next year

 

The Born will come to Australia in early 2023, likely in high-specification form – as local evaluation and testing wraps up


The Cupra Born is officially coming for Australia, months after Chasing Cars confirmed the arrival of a prototype in the country and Cupra’s subsequent announcement that 30,000km of local testing would occur before a final decision to bring the product would be made.

An electric hot hatch based on the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB electric car architecture, the Cupra Born uses a single-motor rear-wheel drive layout available in a variety of power outputs in Europe.

It is likely that Australia will receive only the current Born flagship, which produces 170kW of power and 310Nm of torque. The Born is built in the VW Group’s Zwickau plant in Germany.

Cupra Born 2023 spotted in Australia-1
The Cupra Born spotted on Australian shores

It is also likely that Australian customers will receive the largest possible Born battery, which measures 77kWh and provides WLTP range of between 492-548km.

Production for Australian-specification Born examples will commence in late 2022 ahead of the first customer deliveries in the first quarter of 2023.

The Born shares many of its components with the Volkswagen ID3 electric hatch, but the Cupra-badged vehicle has unique front and rear-end styling, a totally different suspension tune, a unique stability control tune and a higher-end interior.

Cupra Born 2022 front end
The Cupra Born is due early in 2023

Chasing Cars understands that the Volkswagen ID3 and ID4 electric SUV remain under consideration for Australian release in 2023, but the Born will be the first EV to be launched in Australia among the Cupra, Skoda and Volkswagen brands.

Luxury cousin Audi has already launched an electric vehicle in Australia in the form of the E-tron large SUV, while it will also launch a flagship E-tron GT sedan later in 2022.