Volkswagen ID.3

Volkswagen gets it right first time with the ID.3

The ID.3 is VW’s first family car built as an electric from the ground up, and Andrew Walker reckons it’s a pretty impressive effort

As one of the car manufacturers involved in ‘Dieselgate’, it’s no surprise that Volkswagen has come out fighting with the launch of its first full-electric car, the ID.3.

The ID was preceded by Volkswagen’s e-Golf, which was to all intents and purposes an ordinary Golf featuring an electric powertrain fitted to the same chassis as a petrol or diesel Golf. The ID.3 is Golf-sized, with an interior the size of a Passat, but crucially it’s the first VW built from the ground up as an electric car. Indeed, you can trace its origins back to the 1970s and the Elektro Golf, so you could say Volkswagen has had plenty of time to consider its electric car approach.

Volkswagen had planned, pre-pandemic, to sell all of the UK’s 2021 ID.3 allocation into the retail market, but Covid 19 has meant that it has stock available for the corporate sector, too, which has led to some attractive contract hire offers. This means that the ID.3 will be targeting not only existing petrol, diesel and hybrid competition, including VW’s own Golf, the Focus and Astra, but also electric competition in the shape of the Nissan Leaf, KIA e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric.

Battery and trim

Three battery sizes are available. The entry level 45kWh battery, a mid-range 58kWh battery, which was fitted to our First Edition test car, and the larger 77kWh version on top-ofthe-range Tour models. Volkswagen claims a range of 260 miles for the 58kWh battery.

Volkswagen has named the 58kWh battery and 201bhp motor set-up ‘Pro Performance’ and it comes with seven individual trim levels: Life, Style, Business, Family, 1st Edition, Tech and Max. The 77kWh version is called Pro S and is only available on the Tour specification. Each trim level comes pre-fitted with a range of equipment packs, and you choose additional ‘Plus’ packs to upgrade your ID.3.

Exterior

If you look at the ID.3 from side on, it’s most definitely a Volkswagen from the centre back, with similar lines and shaping to the Golf 8. However, from the centre forward, it morphs into a less conventional Volkswagen, taking its cue from the Nissan Leaf in looking more space-age than traditional. In effect, it’s more in keeping with an MPV than a family hatch, as you get an elongated windscreen, more glass and a higher bonnet.

At the back it is also higher than a Golf, with the rear light clusters resembling a pointing finger. The bumper is much larger than on the latest Golf and colour wise, all cars feature a contrasting black roof and boot lid. ID.3 look like a traditional VW, the interior is all-new. It has a centrally mounted 10” infotainment touchscreen, a 5.3” dash panel display, flat bottomed steering wheel and a gear lever on the right end of the centre console that you twist to select from Drive, Reverse or Neutral. The colour was a little bland, basically grey on grey, and the finish, hard plastics and especially the seat fabric does not feel as good as those you’d find on the Golf 8. What is a success, however, is the spacious interior, which offers more room inside than our own Volkswagen T-Roc.

Equipment

All cars come with keyless start, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, climate control and heated front seats. Standard safety kit includes automatic emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian monitoring, a driver fatigue alert system, a dynamic traffic sign display, Lane Assist and adaptive cruise control.

First Edition cars add a heated leathertrimmed multi-function steering wheel with rake adjustment, 2-Zone ‘Air Care Climatronic’ climate control, keyless entry and starting system. There is also remote tailgate unlocking and a proactive passenger protection system which detects an emergency manoeuvre being made and prepares the occupant seat belts in advance of any collision. A combination of equipment packs adds more kit, such as a panoramic sunroof, a rear-view camera and an upgraded audio system.

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Practicality

Considering the ID.3 is only marginally larger than the Golf, the interior space is excellent. There’s loads of room up front, a flat rear floor and space on the rear seat is large enough or three adults. ID.3 comes with a 385-litre boot capacity, just four litres up on the Mk8 Golf. If you fold the rear seats down, the useful space increases to 1,267-litres. However, there are two charging cables supplied with a bag for each, which do take up some of the boot space.

Cabin storage is above average, with four deep door pockets, lots of useful space between the front seats under a sliding cover, two front and two rear USB-C connectors, a convenient mobile phone holder and a rear fold down armrest with two cup holders inside.

Charging and range

Using a standard 7.2kW home wall box, the ID.3 can be charged from 0-100 per cent in nine hours 30 minutes. A 50kW public charger will take about an hour from 10-80 per cent, while the 1st Edition cars are able to cut this time to just 30 minutes as they come equipped with 100kW charging capability as standard.

Models fitted with the mid-spec 58kWh version can cover up to 260 miles on a single charge, while Volkswagen claims the top-of-therange Tour fitted with the 77kWh variant will go 336 miles before needing to plug-in.

Real world driving

We like to drive all electric vehicles on the motorway, on faster A and B roads up to 60mph and, of course, in town. A 70-mile motorway journey at 70mph saw us use up 90 miles of range, which is impressive. Slow down to under 60mph and you get a 1:1 ratio of miles travelled to range used and on urban roads, travelling between 20 and 40 mph, where you can get the most out of the brake regeneration, you’ll actually get better than this.

While range anxiety accompanies any electric vehicle purchase, we feel confident that the ID.3 fitted with the 58kWh battery will, if you do use the motorway regularly, offer you a comfortable 200 mile range. Driving locally this is more likely to be 230 miles. 1,794kg, but the 201bhp electric motor which offers 150kW or 204PS and 310Nm of torque, means that swift progress is not an issue. It will hit 62mph from standstill in 7.3 seconds, before moving on to a top speed of 99mph.

The single-speed automatic transmission and rear wheel drive set-up make for serene progress. A real bonus is that compared to some electric cars, it rides really well and also quietly over poorly maintained roads. The battery weight does mean that it’s built more for driving in town and on the motorway, rather then navigating winding, undulating roads. All in all, it offers a very composed ride.

To enhance battery range, you can select from two regenerative brake modes. In Drive mode you simply twist and push the gear lever to select the B function, which gives you access to this. Unlike some EVs, the strength of the regen on ID.3 is not that high, so you’ll do need to use the footbrake more. This caveat though, also makes the ID.3 surprisingly enjoyable to drive.

Day to day

The infotainment system is touch-sensitive and controlled by a 10” touchscreen. It’s quite intuitive and doesn’t take too long to get used to. Menus are straightforward, the graphics super-sharp and the set-up is responsive. Having to go into the touchscreen to access the heating controls, like on so many new cars, is our only bug-bear.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SatNav and wireless smartphone charging are all standard so you get a lot for your money.

Running costs

We estimate that if only charging from your home wall box – we use a Rolec home charger – would cost customers £500 to travel 12,000 miles. This can be achieved by utilising a combination of home electricity tariffs of around 13p per kWh and plugging in at night, when there are cheaper 5p a kWh tariffs offered by the likes of Octopus Energy’s Go.

Does £500 seem expensive? It isn’t. Covering 12,000 miles in a petrol hatch back will cost you between £1,500 and £2,000. Lease an ID.3 for three years rather than a Golf and that’s £3,500 in fuel costs saved. And of course, there’s zero emissions so you’ll pay 0% BIK, whereas a petrol Golf 1.5 TSI Life 130PS, will cost you 28 per cent, or £1,326 as a 20% tax payer, or £2,651 as a 40% tax payer. Over three years that’s another £4,000 in your pocket.

Pros and cons

For company car drivers, the pros of running an ID.3 far outweigh the cons. Charging regularly at home and at night on a cheaper tariff will save on your fuel bill and the tax savings are massive. Compared to other electric cars, a 200-mile driving range is infinitely doable, which is not the case in the Nissan Leaf or Peugeot e-2008. It’s closest competitors both in size and in actual electric range are the KIA e Niro and Hyundai Kona electric, but both are older and not as modern as the Volkswagen, with replacements on their way. It’s also very roomy inside, offers a comfortable ride and the on board tech and safety is spot on.

Against it, the issues are few. The ‘Gerry Anderson’ looks may put some off and the fiddly infotainment system takes a little getting used to. Biggest let down was the quality of the cabin as the plastic used on the fixtures and fittings was disappointing and not up to the level you’ll find inside a Golf 8. It’s also expensive, with a First Edition costing from £39,190 including VAT. Leasing one monthly makes the most sense.

CC&V VERDICT

For a first effort, Volkswagen has got just about everything right on the ID.3. A driving range of 200 miles plus, a spacious well designed cabin with room for five, on trend tech and safety and for an electric car, decent handling and ride. It alls puts it at the the top end of family EVs currently on the market.

CC&V RATING:

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