Banking on a better tomorrow

The electric I.D 3 is seen as a big deal by Volkswagen – but is that the case from behind the wheel? Jack Evans finds out.

The new ID.3 is quite a crucial car for Volkswagen. As its first ground-up electric model, it represents a voyage into a completely EV future -and when the German firm starts throwing names like ‘Beetle’ and ‘Golf’ into a car’s comparisons, you know things are getting serious. Which is why the ID.3 really needs to be good. It’s the first car in what will become a long line of I.d-badged electric vehicles for VW and as such, it needs to succeed.

WHAT’S NEW?

Well, essentially everything. Whereas Volkswagen’s previous EVS like the e-golf and e-up! were electric versions of existing models, the I.D 3 stands proud on its own. There’s a bespoke powertrain – which we’ll get to in more detail shortly – and while the interior of the car uses many elements from the current eighthgeneration Golf, they’ve been packaged in a way which feels completely new and fresh.

UNDER THE BONNET?

Powering the ID.3 is a 150kw motor linked to a 58kwh battery. In this setup, Volkswagen claims you should see up to 260 miles from a single charge, while thanks to rapid charging capability, a 0-80% charge can take as little as 30 minutes via a 100kw unit. However, if you’re planning to charge your I.D 3 at home – and most people will – then fully replenishing the batteries from empty will take nine and a half hours with a 7.2kw wallbox. When it comes to performance, the I.D 3 does well. A zero to 60mph time of seven seconds isn’t far off what you’d get from a Golf GTI, and flat-out it’ll do 99mph.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

It’s in the cabin where things take a real step up. There’s an immediate sense of space, with a large lounge-like setup creating an instantly relaxing place to be. As mentioned, some aspects are akin to those you’ll find in the current Golf, but whereas the Golf has to deal with mundane things like transmission tunnels and central gearsticks, the ID.3 does without – so there’s genuinely tonnes of space to play with. Those in the back will find themselves well-kept in terms of headroom and legroom and even the boot has a comfortably usable capacity of 385 litres.

THE VERDICT

As we said at the start, the I.D 3 really needed to be good. Thankfully, this is one incredibly well-rounded EV, with a decent range and excellent on-road manners combining with a well made but high-end interior to result in a car which really does feel like the genuine article. Over the next few months, VW will introduce new variants of the ID.3, both with smaller and greater battery sizes, and resulting decreases and increases in range, which open the car up to an even larger audience. However, for now, even this initial I.D 3 is a confident step by Volkswagen into the fully electric future.