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Snow and icy cold are actually not the comfortable terrain of electric cars. But that's not entirely true. In any case, with the Cupra Born you can experience a lot of driving fun on snow-covered ground.
With a E-car Having fun on ice and snow? Without fear of range loss? Yes, that is possible, even if not necessarily under classic everyday conditions, but during test drives on icy and snowy slopes in the north Finland.
Even the strongest variant is affordable
The start is in Rovaniemi near the airport, which is right next to the famous E75 route. We are traveling with the 170 kW/231 hp version of the Cupra Born. The most powerful variant of the Spanish compact vehicle costs at least 38.600 euros. If you want the 58 kWh battery instead of the 77 kWh battery, you have to pay an additional 5 euros. The range then increases to 700 kilometers according to WLTP, 548 more than with the basic battery.
In the harsh northern Finnish winter, the main roads are largely free of snow, but hardly allow enough grip to transfer the gripping 310 Newton meters of torque to the surface. But that's all over after a few kilometers anyway, when it comes to the snow-covered side streets. It quickly became clear that the Stromer had solid winter characteristics. Rear-wheel drive and the favorable center of gravity due to the low installed battery allow it to crawl quite well through the cold crowd. A set of decent winter tires is a prerequisite, of course, with small spikes if you like in northern Scandinavia.
Different driving modes for different driving fun
Maximum caution is required on the access road to the ice track, after all you want to leave the sporty Born unscathed. Later, with the dynamic exercises, things get pretty brisk - of course always with the expert guidance of various instructors. Various configurations in the driving programs ensure that the Born is more or less able to drift. The top version will later also be able to operate without an electronic stability program, which is unusual in this segment.
On the slalom course, the Stromer has to show that it can safely scurry around the pylons even under adverse weather conditions. Here you can also learn how to get through the snow: If you are about to get stuck or have already done so, it is important to free yourself from the snow or trouble with a strong "burst of gas" and counter-steering. This works well if you don't act too timidly.
Warm vs Traction
It's nice that the electric heater responds quickly - but you run the risk of the traction battery draining at minus three degrees. From this point of view, the investment in the heat pump (surcharge. 1.000 euros) is well invested - especially with the smaller battery, whose electricity you want to use more for locomotion than for heating.
Modern interior
In general, the Cupra is an interesting change from the more settled alternatives in the compact segment, especially visually. In particular, the design inlays found everywhere on the vehicle in the color "Copper" (copper) as a Cupra trademark ensure a striking recognition value. Inside, the Born also turns out to be an infotainment genius with a large touchscreen surface. There is even a head-up display that projects driving data from augmented reality. However, the extra costs an extra 1.000 euros.
Sporty, yet comfortable seats make the Born an all-purpose device that you can trust to travel further. After all, the battery draws electricity with a charging capacity of 120 kW at peak, the 77 kWh battery can even charge with 130 kW. The manufacturer states that the large battery can be filled from 36 to 5% within 80 minutes.
