The Refreshed Cupra Born Fixes The Worst VW EV Interior Habit

The VW ID.3's Catalan cousin gets a new face, ditches haptic controls for real buttons, and has more range.

Cupra Born (2026): Das Outside

Photo by: Cupra

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Mar 6, at 9:56am ET

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Real buttons replace haptic steering controls, making the Born easier and safer to operate.
The range has increased on both batteries, with the largest gain on the 58-kWh version.
New Android-based infotainment and a much larger driver display modernize the cabin.

The Cupra Born is the Volkswagen ID.3’s more exciting Catalan cousin, which has been on sale since 2021. Now, Cupra has given the model a mid-lifecycle refresh, bringing a revised front fascia that makes the car look even more aggressive than before, a light-up Cupra badge in the back, and some much-needed updates inside.

It also packs slightly more WLTP range in its updated form. The base model has less power (187 horsepower, down from 201 hp) and, with the 58-kilowatt-hour (62 kWh gross) battery, it can now go 280 miles (450 km) on one charge, up from 265 miles (427 km). The 79 kWh (82 kWh gross) long-range variant sees a more modest increase in range, from 370 miles (595 km) to over 373 miles (600 km), according to the manufacturer.

Gallery: New CUPRA Born 2026

CUPRA Born 2026

Source: Cupra

The big-battery range rating is the same for both the 228-hp Endurance model and the 312-hp VZ performance model. The latter can accelerate from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.6 seconds, and thanks to wider 235 mm tires, it should have more cornering grip than before.

Inside, Cupra says the updated Born has higher perceived quality with its new door panels. However, the biggest change is the steering wheel, which ditches the pre-refresh model’s haptic controls for physical buttons, which should make it easier, safer, and more enjoyable to operate.

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It also has a larger driver’s display that has doubled in size and features new graphics. The central infotainment screen is still the same 12.9-inch unit, but it runs a completely new Android-based operating system, which the manufacturer says “transforms the user experience.”

There’s also a new acceleration sound that is activated in the Cupra and Performance driving modes. Cupra says it has been “developed to react to throttle input, speed, and driving mode, the sound experience reinforces the sense of performance without becoming intrusive.”

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Previously, you had just two buttons on the driver’s door to operate all four electric windows, but this update finally adds four individual buttons. We expect all Volkswagen MEB platform-based EVs that are getting revised versions, including the ID.4, which is getting a major makeover, to have these new buttons along with a plethora of additional physical controls.

Cupra hasn’t announced prices for the updated Born yet, but it confirmed it will enter production in the second quarter of 2026 before going on sale this summer. In Germany, the Born currently starts at €36,450, while the sporty VZ is €48,870.