, the Born VZ promises to pull no punches when it comes to performance. Where the handling of the even previous eBoost range-topper felt nearly there, the VZ promises to be full on hot-hatch. And it needs to be in a sector now filled with cars like the impressiveEarlier, Cupra engineers have told us they’ve squeezed out pretty much everything from the compact MEB platform underneath, and they’ve thrown in an upgraded motor to boot. Can it live up to the XPower – or the ID.
Back to the fun stuff, though, and the improved damper and suspension works with overhauled steering and braking package that aim to deliver grip, feedback and control well beyond the existing Born.As I wind up the rust-coloured rock of formations above Barcelona, I flick the VZ straight to the full-beans Cupra mode via the steering wheel and move ESC to ESC Sport via the Born’s infotainment screen.
Part of the confidence comes from the more precise steering and the rest from the brakes that feel far more accurate and connected than before. It’s hard to say if there’s a noticeable power difference between these and the standard ones, but at higher levels of braking they’re far more predictable A slight issue? Cupra – like many other brands – believes that aggressive regeneration is synonymous with performance. Although you can change regeneration a little in Cupra mode it feels a little too much. Sometimes feathering the throttle provides far more retardation than you’d want – and it can border on ‘clunky’ instead of ‘thoroughbred’.Largely the same as before, with a few neat upgrades. The Cupra VZ also benefits from a Smart Light.
Of course, the Born VZ must see off the standard car which offers a warm experience at least. The interior is largely the same, an although the extra power helps, the vanilla Born can still be fun to drive. You’ll miss the feel of the improved brakes and steering, though.