Cupra Born review: reliability & safety rating
A strong crash-test rating, coupled with plentiful standard safety kit, put the electric family hatchback in a good position here
|
Euro NCAP |
Adult protection |
Child protection |
Safety assist |
|
5 stars (2022) |
93% |
89% |
80% |
Cupra is a relatively new brand and the Born is its first all-electric model, so there’s not a lot to go on when it comes to assessing this car's reliability. However, the Born is based on tried and tested Volkswagen Group parts – including a platform, battery and motors taken from the VW ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, as well as the Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq.
We’ve yet to hear any serious problems affecting the many models listed above – glitchy infotainment frustrations aside – so that bodes well. The Born features plenty of safety kit as standard and was awarded the maximum five-star crash-test rating by Euro NCAP, too.
Cupra Born reliability & problems
The Cupra Born hasn’t sold in high enough numbers yet for us to have any solid reliability data, although the Volkswagen ID.3 was ranked the 15th-best electric car to own in our 2023 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. Cupra as a brand didn’t feature, although SEAT – the brand Supra spun off from – could only muster a 23rd-place finish out of 32 manufacturers. Roughly 21% of respondents reported a fault with their car within the first year of ownership; it’s worth bearing in mind, though, that the majority of Cupra’s cars are petrol-powered and the electric Born should, in theory, be even more reliable thanks to having fewer moving parts.
Safety
The Cupra Born went through Euro NCAP crash tests in early 2022, and given it shares underpinnings with the Volkswagen Group cars listed above, it wasn't a surprise to see it, too, awarded the independent organisation's maximum five-star rating. The Born received individual scores of 93%, 89% and 80% for adult protection, child protection and safety assistance, respectively.
Like other models in the maker’s range, the Cupra Born comes with lots of safety systems. The basic V1 trim gets LED headlights, a reversing camera, lane-keeping assistance and driver tiredness detection. Additional safety features are available in option packs, including predictive adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, semi-autonomous driving capability, side and exit assistance, a top-view camera and emergency assistance.