Volkswagen ID.3 In-Depth Review 2021 - The Best EV for the Masses?
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 Published On May 1, 2021

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The ID.3 will change the way you think about Volkswagen. And, the brand hopes, it'll change the way you think about affordable electric cars. This contender is priced, shaped and designed right for the heart of the family segment of the growing EV sector and, unlike previous battery-powered Volkswagens, it's completely new from the ground up. It's small enough for the city and big enough for the family. Plus it's as affordable as a comparable petrol or diesel model and clever enough to make a conventional family hatchback seem hopelessly outdated. The future's arrived.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​ Introduction
00:48​​ Background
03:28 Driving Experience
11:55 Design & Build
27:41​ Market & Model Range
51:45 Cost of Ownership
1:04:46​ Summary

Background

So far, there have been two eras in Volkswagen's history. The first post-war period of the Beetle. And the second modern era, dominated by the company's biggest-selling model, the Golf. The third period starts now with this car, the ID.3, the first of many products from the Wolfsburg maker's new ID all-electric sub-brand.

We've had all-electric Volkswagens before of course (the e-Golf and the e-up!) but they've been based on the underpinnings of ordinary combustion models. The ID range will be very different, created around a purpose-designed MEB electrified platform and built at a bespoke EV factory in Zwickau near Dresden. Ten new ID-series designs to be manufactured at this facility will be launched between now and 2025, including an SUV, a 7-seater, a luxury saloon, a coupe and commercial vehicles. The first offering though, is this ID.3, a Golf-sized hatch with Passat-sized interior space. And technology that aims to make you think again if you haven't yet considered a switch to electric motoring.

Driving Experience

Let's cover what you need to know here: there are three choices of powertrain for the ID.3, with battery packs rated at 45, 58 and 77kWh, allowing for respective WLTP-rated driving range figures of up to 217, up to 260 and up to 342 miles. Plus there are two electric motor options, rated at 150PS and 204PS, both of which drive the rear wheels through a single-speed auto gearbox. It's the mid-level 58kWh battery package with the 204PS electric motor that is likely to prove most popular. Even if budget limits you to the base 45kWh variant with its 150PS motor, it'll still feel quite rapid, with 62mph from just just 8.9s away. All ID.3 models have the same limited 99mph top speed.

To fire everything up, you hit the starter button, then activate the gear selector, a rocker switch mounted on the steering column that twists in two directions: it's forward for 'drive' and the braking regeneration modes, And you twist back for neutral and reverse. Acceleration has been programmed to be linear and consistent rather than arriving all-in-a-rush, though the top 77kWh version can get to 62mph in 7.5s. Top speed across the range is limited to around 100mph. And weight has been kept to reasonable levels (1,670kgs is relatively light for an EV) which should help handling. As is now compulsory for Evs, there's a pedestrian warning buzzer which works at under 12mph to warn pavement folk of your approach. The super-tight 10.2-metre turning circle is closer to that of an up! city car than a Golf.

Design and Build

The styling here's conservatively futuristic and this is a slightly larger car than pricier EV rivals like the Renault ZOE and the BMW i3: it's also a little bigger than a comparable Golf. Measurements of 4,261mm in length and 1,809mm in width make the ID.3 23mm longer and 20mm wider than a MK8 Golf - and this EV is 60mm taller too, thanks to the need for battery installation in the thicker floor. There's a swept-back windscreen (raked to better accommodate the head-up display system). Plus a black plastic panel beneath it styled to trick your eye into believing that the bonnet is shorter than it actually is. And the ID.3 generally rides on big 19 or 20-inch wheels.

PLAYLISTS
► Weekly Motoring News: https://bit.ly/35JuUo7
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► Hatchback Reviews: https://bit.ly/3mKNAen
► SUV & 4X4 Reviews: https://bit.ly/37Verjt
► Saloon Reviews: https://bit.ly/37QrbrD
► City Car Reviews: https://bit.ly/3jDzBVI
► Estate Car Reviews: https://bit.ly/3kDflog
► Sports Car and Coupe Reviews: https://bit.ly/2TwkzXb
► MPV Reviews: https://bit.ly/3e7114S
► Van Reviews: https://bit.ly/31QWcb4
► Business Car Reviews: https://bit.ly/3kGZncN
► Family Car Reviews: https://bit.ly/3myLaiy

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