CUPRA Born Undergoes Extreme Testing

The all-electric hot hatch is almost ready for the world to see.

The CUPRA Born is currently undergoing rigorous cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle in freezing temperatures as low as -30ºC.

Although it is important for all cars to undergo this kind of testing against extreme temperature exposure, it is doubly important for electric cars, such as the new CUPRA Born, the brand’s first EV. The mileage range of electric cars varies drastically in extreme temperatures, specifically seeing significant drops in range when it’s colder.

Among battery optimisation in extreme colds, CUPRA are also conducting around 1,000 tests while in the arctic circle to see how the Born’s cutting-edge technology, dynamism and comfort are all affected by sub-zero conditions.

The CUPRA Born is set to be a great contender in the EV hatchback market thanks to a wide range of premium features and qualities as well as an all-important electric range of around 300 miles. Inside the cabin, drivers and passengers alike are treated to a collection of excellent features and nice finishing touches such as augmented-reality heads up display, bucket seats, a dual-screen setup and plenty of premium materials lining the interior.

CUPRA have spend two years in the cold conditions to test the Born to its limit at a frozen lake test circuit measuring in at around 6 km squared. Using cutting-edge technology, the Born has been optimised a little bit more with each test to ensure it behaves optimally in some of the coldest temperatures on the planet.

Set to debut in May this year, this phase of testing is one of the last. As CUPRA’s first EV hot hatch, it’s important they get this right and with over 19,000 miles of testing done on the icy track in a range of conditions, the Born will surely be a well-tuned machine once it hits show floors.

As a hot hatch, performance has been a key part of the testing process, with the Born’s Dynamic Chassis Control and the different damper settings being adjusted throughout testing to ensure the car provides the highest levels of driver engagement and dynamism possible. If it wants to compete with the top dogs such as the VW Golf, Honda Civic and Ford Fiesta, handling characteristics will have to be enough to put smiles on the faces of reviewers and buyers alike.

As winter testing wraps up, we can’t wait to learn more about the Born, this May.

Let us know if you’ll be checking out this EV hot hatch, in the comments.

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