New Seat El-Born From VW’s I.D. Hatch Is A Near Production EV Study

The VW Group’s new MEB electric car platform will underpin more than just the upcoming 2020 VW ID Hatchback. The all-new Seat concept, which from the squiggly logo seems to be named ‘El-Born’ after the trendy Barcelona neighborhood, is an even closer to production version of VW’s study with a bit of Spanish flair.

While the teaser image released earlier today indicated that the vehicle might actually have an aggressive exterior design, that is not the case. It does look modern and a little bit MPV-like, just as with its previously-mentioned VW brand sibling.

Electric styling

You can tell that the El-Born isn’t an ICE-powered vehicle just by looking at the front end. It actually looks a little bit like the Tesla Model 3’s fascia, while the absence of a traditional radiator grille further indicates that this is an environmentally friendly car, one that doesn’t require gasoline or diesel to get around.

Its strong connection to the ID Hatchback is very easy to identify, courtesy of not just the overall shape, but also details like the A-pillar design, or the way in which the rear door panel sweeps upwards towards the C-pillar. These design traits made their way from the ID Concept to the multiple ID Hatchback prototypes spotted testing.

Another hard-to-miss detail regarding the Spanish concept is the fact that, unlike the VW that had sliding rear doors (notice the handles), this one gets traditional doors.

A modern cabin

The interior of the Seat el Born Concept isn’t as futuristic as the one from the ID Concept. But that’s to be expected. As with the rest of the car, it’s more realistic and production ready, while the long, panoramic windshield design ought to make the cabin feel quite spacious.

We also notice the absence of a conventional center console, replaced instead by a massive storage shelf. Other details include the flat-bottom steering wheel, digital gauge cluster and a driver oriented touchscreen infotainment display. Now, if you’re wondering where the gear lever is, Seat positioned it behind the steering wheel on the right side, seemingly attached to the gauge cluster.

Battery-electric powertrain

If the VW ID Hatch is any indication, and it really is, than this concept should be powered by a rear-mounted 170 PS (168 HP) electric motor and a 111 kWh battery pack, allowing for an estimated range of some 550 km (342 miles) on a single charge by WLTP standards – or just under 300 miles (483 km) according to the EPA test cycle.

The concept will take center stage for Seat next week at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, March 5-17.

Thanks to Lars for the tip!