The all-electric Born hatchback gets put to the test by our very own Al Suttie.

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Monday

This week sees a Cupra Born arrive on the drive to test. Based on the Volkswagen ID.3, the Born has similar looks forced on it by the shared architecture, but there are differences and some touches of copper-coloured accenting on this V3 trim model. It also sits on 20-inch alloy wheels, which look good but we’ll see how the fare on traffic-scarred roads in the days ahead.

Tuesday

It’s warm today and I turn to the air conditioning. Electric cars generally get the chilled air flowing quicker than their petrol- or diesel-fuelled counterparts. However, it takes a bit of faffing with the Cupra’s touchscreen control to cool the cabin. The trouble lies in the on-screen graphic going dull when something is activated and bright when it’s deactivated, which just seems entirely counterintuitive.

Wednesday

Another day and more gripes about the Cupra’s infotainment set-up. Why are there no physical buttons for the ventilation? And just as annoying is the lane assist, which warns of oncoming corners with a head-up display. That’s fine, but it then tugs the steering wheel when I’m perfectly aware of the turn ahead, so I don’t need the steering turned a fraction too early for the bend. Finding how to disable this also takes too long through the touchscreen.

Thursday

Try as I might, I cannot avoid brushing the touch-sensitive steering wheel controls for the stereo volume and cruise control. They are positioned exactly where the heel of the driver’s thumb naturally sits, which means I now have to drive with my hands in a mildly unfamiliar position to avoid this problem. Another case of Cupra making this overly complicated for no reason.

Friday

Setting aside all of the infotainment shortcomings of the Born, it’s a good car to drive. Performance is brisk for a small family hatch, it rides well despite sitting on 20-inch wheels, and it handles corners with efficient calm. There is still an underlying firmness that most EVs experience on roads with constant corrugations, but cabin refinement is also good at higher speeds.

Saturday

There’s no faulting the amount of cabin space inside the Born, which is put to the test today with the kids in the car. As my son is growing at a rate of knots, rear legroom is something he’ll complain about if it’s not good enough. Not a word emanates from the back, so it must be good. In the front, the V3’s sports seats are superbly supportive and one of the highlights of this car.

Sunday

After week, I’ve not had to use the charger cable supplied with the car that rattles around the boot. Public chargers have topped up the battery quickly and easily, but the Born has consistently shown a maximum range of 200 miles, dropping to a reality of around 175 miles, which is some way short of the claimed minimum of 220 or so. Fine for local journeys, but restrictive for heading further afield.