The Cupra Born is a European Hot Hatch which is selling well in Australia for all the right reasons: it is an eye catching hoot to drive.
— we almost tripped over the Cupra Born, a European hot hatch. Cupra is part of SEAT, which is owned by Volkswagen. It was the first display as we walked through the entrance to the Indooroopilly, Brisbane, shopping centre Auto Mall.
This European style display of luxury vehicles is a car lover’s wet dream. So, of course we had to have a look. We used our usual plan of attack — Majella checked out the car’s exotic looks and interior design while I grilled the salesman for interesting tidbits. The Cupra Born sat in the front of the display in front of its petrol-powered cousins, the Formentor and the Leon. The Leon sells for AU$17,000 less than its electric partner. “But it’s not comparing apples with apples.”I had come to look at an entry level BYD which I thought could challenge the Toyota Corolla on price parity, so my first question was “emmachisit?” The Cupra Born costs about AU$64,000 and is eligible for the Queensland state government’s $6000 rebate, bringing the base price down to about $58,000. At current exchange rates, that would make it about $37,000 USD. The salesman told me that he had customers comparing the Cupra Born to the Tesla Model 3 — they particularly liked the softer drive in the Cupra and described it as a better driving experience. Plus, they preferred the European styling. The Cupra and the Tesla sell for about the same price. Customers are referred to the government website to apply for the rebate.“Price is not a big concern for the customers we get here,” he told me. Shades of, “If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.” Indooroopilly is a wealthy suburb with lots of professionals and retirees. I can attest to that, as I used to teach at the local school back in the ’90s. There has been a great deal of interest from the public, with some doing a great deal of research and others just walking by. He is expecting the brand to do even better in 2025 when theSEAT has provided online training for its representatives in Australia. I was impressed that the sales manager had been encouraged to take the car home on weekends and test it out. He told me that he had driven from Amrita on the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane on adaptive cruise control and didn’t have to use the brakes. That’s a trip of 100 km. He was duly impressed. The car has a reported 511 km of range. Customers are still concerned about range and ask questions about how to charge the car. The car comes with a type 2 to type 2 cable, but no granny charger. The manager shows prospective customers how to use PlugShare to plan their trips. This can also be used through the car’s driving screen and Siri. “Hey, Siri, where is the nearest charger?” SEAT has packed the batteries in blocks, so in case of a cell failure, only a section of the battery has to be replaced. Hesitancy on the part of future owners is mainly based on range anxiety, not price. “These are people who can buy what they want.” The customer base seems to be made up of retirees and people who are concerned about the environment. The manager admitted that the slick ads on TV which we see every night are aimed at the young, but it is older people buying the car. Warning:
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