Cupra Born interior, tech and comfort
- Flash and quite sporty
- Frustrating touch-sensitive controls
- Could feel plusher
How is the quality and layout?
Like the closely related ID.3, the Born has very few physical buttons, favouring touchscreens and touch sensitive icons instead. It certainly looks impressive, although in many cases it’s far less user-friendly than conventional controls.
Temperature and stereo volume are adjusted by touch-sensitive sliders at the base of the touchscreen. They’re fiddly to use, especially on the move, and frustratingly don’t illuminate at night, making them even harder to use. If you want to alter more, you’ll need to delve into the touchscreen we’ll come onto shortly.
Even the controls on the steering wheel are touch sensitive, causing you to occasionally fiddle with the stereo or cruise control as you turn the wheel. Confusingly, not all of the controls are touch-sensitive, though – there is a mixture of sliders and buttons. Once again, a simple universal approach with buttons or physical dials would be far easier to operate.
The interior certainly feels plusher than the ID.3’s with copper accents, a fabric-wrapped area in front of the driver with copper stitching, attractive trims and comfortable sports seats. Even so, there’s still plenty of hard plastics on the dash and doors which feels a bit cheap in something so pricey.
Infotainment and tech
The interior is dominated by the central 12.0-inch touchscreen. It’s home to the ventilation controls as well as infotainment, driving modes and all of the car’s driver assist and safety functions. The menus take a bit of getting used to, but a row of shortcut icons at the bottom of the screen help navigation.
The instrument display is attached to the steering column, rather than the dashboard, which means it moves up and down with the steering wheel when you adjust it. Unlike many rivals, it’s quite a small screen, and the things it shows make no apology for ignoring convention and focusing on the essentials.
To this end there is a digital speedometer, flanked by infotainment (such as sat-nav) on one side and safety on the other. You can choose to focus on one or other of these by cycling through the view options via the steering wheel. The panel is supplemented by an augmented reality head-up display on VZ2 trim and up. This is a high-resolution addition, with very clear graphics and useful prompts when using the built-in navigation
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is wireless smartphone charging. USB C ports are near the charging tray between the seats, so it’s a great place to stash any phone.
Comfort
- Comfy, supportive seats
- Decent driving position
- Top-spec VZ3 gets massage seats
So far, we’ve only tried high-specification Borns with electrically adjustable sports seats. They include moveable lumbar support that includes a multi-mode massage function. It’s easy to get the seat to a position that suits and they remain comfortable even after a few hours behind the wheel. Tall side bolsters also mean you’re held in place tightly when cornering quickly.
Although the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are offset to the right, this isn’t a problem as they’re comfortably positioned for your right foot to do all the work and there’s a decent rest for your left foot. Crucially, the steering wheel lines up with the seat well so you’ll avoid feeling contorted even after a long drive.
With the motor way out back, it’s mainly wind and road noise that you’ll hear. It’s not too intrusive, and a decent stereo means it’s easily drowned out.
