zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Cupra's Cute El-Born EV Will Have Equally Cute Push-To-Pass Button
Cupra's Cute El-Born EV Will Have Equally Cute Push-To-Pass Button-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:28

Image for article titled Cupra's Cute El-Born EV Will Have Equally Cute Push-To-Pass Button

The Cupra El-Born is like a more mischievous-looking version of , but the Spanish automaker says you shouldn’t chalk up the differences between the cars to merely sheet metal alone. That’s because the El-Born will have something the ID.3 doesn’t: push-to-pass.

That’s right, this all-electric hatchback (or is it a tiny crossover? I can’t decide) will have a button you’ll press to temporarily raise output, like an IndyCar car or something. Isn’t that adorable? Wayne Griffiths, president of both Cupra and Seat, revealed the feature to late last week.

Some electric cars accelerate very quickly, but the ID.3 is not one of them, as quotes a 0-60 mph time of 7.3 seconds. That’s certainly not terrible for an ordinary hatch, but it does offer some room for improvement, which is perhaps why Cupra saw fit to add push-to-pass. And yes — I know people won’t exclusively be using this for passing, but calling it push-to-pass is far more amusing and aspirational to me than “boost” or “power mode.”

Whatever you call the button, don’t expect to lay on it all the time. I suppose you could if you wanted to really challenge Cupra’s 310-mile range estimate. Additionally, Griffiths claims the El-Born will differ from its German cousin in other fun ways, too:

“Things like ‘boost on demand’, the sporty suspension, the steering, the brakes, the whole handling experience. And we’re looking to do even higher powered versions of the Cupra El-Born,” says Griffiths.

“I’ve driven both [the ID.3 and the El-Born] and I think the Cupra is ‘a Cupra’. It is important that the Cupra stays authentic, in terms of handling. Pure electric cars that are designed in a different way, and when you get into cornering, handling, braking, steering, I think there’s a big amount of differentiation you can create there.”

I’m curious as to how deeply Cupra can “differentiate” its version of the ID.3, especially when it’s starting with the same guts. Griffiths didn’t speak to how much boost you’ll get when you push the button, nor how long it’ll last. And as much as I’d like to hop over to Spain and pay Cupra a visit to answer these questions personally, I sense that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I know, I know — I’m just as disappointed as you.

The El-Born does at least look sportier than the ID.3 and wears its stubby front end a little more confidently, to my eyes. This is a sharply styled little hatch — less see if Cupra can succeed in making it feel a little sharper behind the wheel, too.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Jul 13, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Jul 13, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Jul 13, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Jul 13, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Jul 13, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Jul 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved