Cupra Born VZ – the Cupra take on the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX – costs from £44,625

The Cupra Born VZ – Cupra’s Spanish take on the VW ID.3 GTX – goes on sale in the UK with prices from £44,625.

VW’s rollout of the ID.3 hasn’t delivered the sales they wistfully hoped for, not even when you lump in other VW brands that are essentially the same car, like the Cupra Born.

Despite its success in becoming the high-profile sporty arm of Spain’s SEAT, Cupra has had to cut prices of the Born EV to try and bump up sales, and now it’s trying to add a bit of a halo glow with its new Cupra Born VZ, which now goes on sale in the UK.

Coming with a slightly bigger battery – 79kWh – than the rest of the Born range, the Born VZ gest a single 322bhp motor at the back and a big jump in torque to 402lb/ft, enough to get the VZ to 62mph in 5.6 seconds. Not exactly Hot Hatch time, but on the high side of warm.

To make the most of the additional power, the VZ comes with improved chassis dynamics thanks to DCC Sport Suspension, the interior gets treated to Enceladus Grey CUP bucket seats and posh Sennheiser Sound and there’s a set of 20″ Thunderstorm alloys too.

Marcus Gossen, SEAT and CUPRA Director UK, said:

The CUPRA Born is an incredibly popular model, and we’re thrilled with the impact it has made as our first all-electric offering. At CUPRA, we continuously strive to exceed expectations, and the Born VZ does exactly that. More power, enhanced refinement, and builds upon the strengths of an already exceptional car.

Now on sale in the UK, the Cupra Born VZ costs from £44,625.