Electric CUPRA Born – SEAT’s ‘Performance’ take on the VW ID.3 – winter testing ahead of debut

The CUPRA Born, a VW ID.3-based electric car from SEAT’s CUPRA brand, is winter testing ahead of a debut in the coming weeks.

With Volkswagen rolling out the electric ID.3 and ID.4 models, ‘lesser’ VW brands are following with their own take on the ID underpinnings, and SEAT’s CUPRA brand take on the ID.3 – the CUPRA Born – is close to its debut.

Seen first as the SEAT El-Born Concept more than two years ago, that turned in to the CUPRA el-Born Concept last summer and it in turn will become the production CUPRA Born and be revealed early next month.

Ahead of that debut we get a photo of the CUPRA Born (above), suitably camouflaged, as CUPRA take the Born in to the cold stuff to make sure it runs, handles and performs even in the harshest of climates.

Looking through the swirly camouflage, the only difference we can spot from the concept is a change of alloys, so expect the production take on the Born to look almost exactly like the concept, complete with 20″ alloys and a body kit.

CUPRA say they’ve logged up more than 19,000 miles testing the Born in temperatures as low as -30C and completed more than a thousand different tests to make sure all works as intended.

When it does arrive, expect the Born to come with an 82kWh battery – bigger than anything from VW’s ID range so far – the same MEB underpinnings as the ID.3 and probably the same 201bhp electric motor at the back.