The most stylistically vibrant mainstream VW Group brand will have two cars on the new electric-pure MEB platform for Kiwi consumption. Dios mio!

CUPRA’S electric car involvement here should be a double header within two years, with the Born availing from mid-2023 hotly followed by a sports utility Tavascan - coming out of China.

James Yates, who runs New Zealand operations for the Volkswagen Group-owned Spanish brand (actually, brands, as SEAT also involves), says the hope is that the Tavascan (above), a medium-sized sports utility that so far has only been seen in concept form, can be in circulation here from late 2024.

By then Cupra will also have established the rear-drive Born (below). This chunky hatch arrives in June-July next year in fulsome trim, with up to 511km of claimed driving range, and a 0-100kmh time of seven seconds. NZ is taking a common specification with Australia, so with the largest battery pack available, with optional trim upgrades. 

Born will be preceded here by plug-in hybrid versions of the Formentor compact SUV – its dominant seller - and the Leon hatchback, plus the Leon V, a mild hybrid edition that will front as a Cupra, rather than with the SEAT badge the current model takes.

Yates has confirmed New Zealand is among export markets to take Tavascan from a Volkswagen Group joint-venture factory in China's Anhui province. Yes, you read that right. China.

Tavascan is set to be the marque’s second pure electric and, like the Born, also bases on the VW Group’s dedicated MEB electric car platform that underpins the Audi Q4 and Skoda Enyaq, whose 2023 release here has just been confirmed over the past two days.

 Born sources from Europe – despite the Spanish stuff, it’s made in Germany - and closely relates to the 2019-released VW ID.3 hatchback. To point of coming from the same assembly line and sharing body pressings, drivetrains, and chassis technology. But it is unlikely to face the German model as a competitor for some year.

VW NZ has said it wants to launch its ID marque with the ID.4 and ID.5, both arriving next year and has previously indicated it will hold off taking ID.3, the first of the breed, until a mid-life facelift, coming in late 2023 or early 2024, previewed by styling images shown in MotoringNZ earlier this week.

Tavascan is likely to be the only China-sourced MEB car for export, though the Middle Kingdom is already a prominent manufacturing point for NZ-market electrics – namely the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the BYD Atto 3, the MG ZS EV, the Polestar 2, BMW’s iX3 and Volvo’s C40 and XC40.

In a statement, Volkswagen Group said the “Anhui factory was the plant with the right capacity and technology at the time of production planning."

Tavascan revealed in 2019 as a concept alongside two other design studies, called Terramar and Urban Rebel. The car then was said to have a 77kWh battery pack and a dual-motor powertrain, with a 450 kilometre range. Design of the production edition, said to be largely faithful to the study, is being undertaken at Cupra’s Martorell headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.

Named after a trendy part of the brand’s home town, Born will present with a 170kW/310Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels and a 77kWh battery, capable of DC fast charging at up to 170kW, or AC charging at up to 11kW.

The specification was chosen by Australia and Yates says piggy-backing onto that supply structure expediates availability. As is, our neighbour achieved a special dispensation.

Standard features have already been outlined by the neighbour. They include 19-inch alloy wheels, a 12-inch touchscreen, LED headlights and tail-lights, 385-litre boot, 'Seaqual/ fabric trim (made from recycled plastic ocean waste), wireless phone charging and numerous advanced safety features.

 Regular Cupra Born variants for Australia will have five seats, but an option package removes the middle rear seat as a weight-saving. Australians have also been advised they can buy heated microfibre front seats with electric adjustment and a premium sound system or, with a performance look, add 20-inch wheels, wider tyres and adaptive suspension.