Just one Cupra Born EV variant for Oz

First Australian details of the upcoming 2023 Cupra Born electric hot hatch have emerged online ahead of the all-new EV’s arrival early next year and, as expected, it will only be offered here in flagship 170kW guise.

The preliminary intel has been published via the federal government’s homologation database, where just a single ‘BEV 170kW_77 (82kWh)’ variant is listed, confirming the flagship Cupra Born as the only variant headed Down Under.

Not only will Aussies be treated to the most powerful variant, but we’ll also score the longer-range 77kWh battery pack – 77kWh usable, 82kWh gross – which grants the top-spec Born an effective driving of up to 548km (WLTP) compared to the lesser 58kWh battery’s 420km.

The flipside is that the bigger battery is heavier and therefore blunts the flagship Born’s 0-100km/h acceleration time down from 6.6 seconds to a more warm-hatch-like seven flat.

To this end, Australian-delivered Born EVs will have a kerb weight of 1927kg; making it more than 500kg heavier than an MY23 Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The compact little Spanish hatch does still have an ace up its sleeve in the form of its rear-wheel drive configuration, which makes it something of a unicorn within the small-car class regardless of price.

Local pricing and specification details are still a little way off yet – registrations of interest are open – but the official homologation data does at least confirm the inclusion of 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, shod with 215/50 profile tyres.

The documents suggest two sets of 20-inch hoops will be available as optional extras – one of which will be wider than the others, allowing for the fitment of fatter 235 section rubber.

Global specifications on the Cupra website nominate a combined WLTP energy consumption of between 15.7-17.5kWh/100km and a 7.5-hour charging time when hooked up to an 11kW AC wall box.

Standard equipment highlights across all markets will comprise a heated steering wheel, sports bucket seats, two-zone climate control, ambient lighting, sports pedals, a 12-inch infotainment screen, beefier front brakes and satellite buttons for the e-Boost function.