Announcement of core specification spurs thought about pricing and launch timing.

POTENTIAL the Cupra Born could be the least expensive of the Volkswagen Group electric cars heading into New Zealand next year is greater than it being the first to avail.

James Yates, who runs New Zealand operations for the Spanish brand – which represents as Cupra and as SEAT – has spoken to this when confirming also that a core specification for the five-door hatchback just announced for Australia is also coming to New Zealand, but with one minor change.

He has also made clear two options packs offered to our neighbour will not be availed in the same way here, as they reduce the seat count from five positions to four, an impact that Kiwi buyers might not find palatable.

The information share comes in a week of conjecture about the local availability timing for two other related models on the VW-designed MEB electric car platform – the Skoda Enyaq and the Volkswagen ID.4.

Skoda NZ is showing off Enyaq to customers in late February, but will only be taking orders from that point. It’s not at all clear, yet, when the first cars arrive. It seems to be the same situation for the VW ID.4.

Audi seems more firm about the Q4, with resolve to have it here in April. That car relates most strongly to ID.4 and Enyaq but Audi’s position as a premium brand means it will cost more – the cheapest starts at just under

$100,000 and the dearest is $126k.

Yates last week said the Born is expected to be available from July. He also said then that the NZ product line-up will be the same as that decided for Australia.

Since then, Cupra in Australia has announced its specifications and pricing, which kicks off at $A59,990 ($NZ63,132) before on-roads for the entry variant, and has opened the order book.

Intention for the base Born to represent as the cheapest electric car from a European brand in Australia is helped by it being based off ID.3. It was the first MEB car, with sale in Europe starting in 2020. Also Cupra doesn’t have the dual motor drivetrains that avail with the ID.4, the Skoda and Audi; it will solely come with a 82kWh battery, rear-wheel drive and 170kW/310Nm. Even so, Cupra claims the Born offers ‘hot hatch’ appeal, with a zero-to-100kmh acceleration of seven seconds.

Cupra Australia has yet to say when its first cars will arrive and Yates today was sticking to his original timeframe for NZ availability.

Intent at this point is to open the order book in February, with hope pricing will be settled by then. That timeframe synchs with July introduction – the process allows one month as a build timeframe and three for shipping.

With all car making in western Europe being affected by ongoing issues with component supply – not just a residue from covid but also from the fighting in Ukraine – it’s impossible to establish firm delivery schedules.

He believes there’s potential the Cupra, VW and Skoda models might all avail around that time.

The base Born in Australia has 19-inch wheels, sports suspension, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12-inch infotainment display and a 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster, tyre pressure monitoring, recycled fibre upholstery, coloured ambient lighting, auto parking, rain sensing wipers, 360 display. NZ’s car will have all that, but also included heated seats, an option across the water.

Other tech highlights include LED headlights, cordless device charging, two USB-C sockets for the front occupants and two for the rear, and ambient cabin lighting.

Comfort and convenience features include; keyless locking/unlocking and start, a heated leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, tinted rear windows, and a 385-litre boot.

Safety and driver assistance features span seven airbags, automatic headlights and wipers, lane-departure and parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue monitoring, and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition.

The two packs that go to Australia might be available to NZ buyers as special order items, but Cupra here will have many of the extras they include as specific options, with Kiwis being able to cherry pick.

Australia has a $A2600 ($NZ2736) Performance Pack that upgrades to 20-inch rims wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, and a Dynamic Chassis Control ESC mode, although ticking the box reduces the number of seats from five to four, while the wider tyres drop claimed driving range from 511 kilometres to 475km.

Australia also has an Interior Pack that adds another $A2900 ($NZ3051) to the bottom line and a list of luxury touches to the cabin, including sports front seats with heating, 12-way electric adjustment and massage function and Aurora blue Dinamica upholstery. The package also includes a premium Beats sound system with nine speakers, while heated windscreen washer jets prevent freezing in cold conditions.

Its main central touchscreen measures 12.0-inches and is complemented by a 5.3-inch driver’s instrument cluster, and Android Auto/Apple CarPlay is standard, although not wirelessly.