Volkswagen ID.3 Review 2023

July 2020

Orders open for Volkswagen ID.3 1st Edition

First announced in May 2019 and reserved by over 30,000 pre-bookers across Europe, the ID.3 1ST Edition is the limited-edition flag-bearer of the ID.3 line-up and is priced at £38,880 before any Government grant is applied.

To mark it apart from future ID.3 variants it features exclusive badging and a two-tone honeycomb decal, alongside an extensive equipment list. Standard equipment includes LED headlights with Matrix Beam and Welcome Light, 19-inch Andoya alloy wheels and tinted rear windows, along with a black-coloured roof, side skirts, boot and rear spoiler. Several driver assistance systems are also included, with Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist and Lane Assist included in the package, as well as parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Inside, a 10-inch infotainment system with natural voice control function complements a fully digital dashboard, while ambient lighting with 30 colour options allows the driver to change the mood of the interior to their preference. ‘Play’ and ‘Pause’ symbols on the pedals add a further sense of fun to the forward-thinking electric vehicle. The ID.3 1ST Edition also launches with the industry-first ID.Light – a dynamic LED band the width of the interior windscreen, which changes its pattern and colour to supplement and support Navigation signals, charging status, driver assist technologies or the natural voice control.

Personalisation options available for the ID.3 1ST Edition include four paint colours – Moonstone Grey (standard), Manganese Grey, Glacier White and Makena Turquoise (all £620) – and three interior colour schemes: white and black, white and orange, and black.

ID.3 pre-bookers placing their orders will have the added bonus of 2000 kWh of renewable power dispensed for free via We Charge. One of the suppliers includes the Europe-wide IONITY charging network. This added benefit is worth £500 and the equivalent to approximately 34 rapid charges.

The ID.3 1ST Edition is Volkswagen’s first ever model to be made available for pre-booking, and across Europe attracted 10,000 pre-orders on the first day. Another 20,000 pre-orders were made in a matter of weeks. To secure an ID.3 1ST build slot, UK pre-bookers placed a £750 non-binding deposit.

February 2021

Volkswagen ID.3 Pro cuts start price to £28,670

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro is available to order now, bringing the electric hatchback’s entry price to £28,670.

The Pro electric motor option is available across the ID.3’s Life, Business and Family specifications, and offers a second, 145PS power output in addition to the introductory 204PS Pro Performance version. Despite the different motor output to the Pro Performance models, the range of the ID.3 remains the same, with up to 263 miles available on the ID.3 Life Pro from its 58kWh battery capacity.

In Pro guise, the ID.3 produces 145PS and 270Nm of torque. This is delivered, as per the rest of the ID.3 range, via a one-speed gearbox, with the car’s full torque output available from a standstill, translating to a 0-62mph sprint in 9.6 seconds.

In Life specification, the ID.3 Pro starts at £28,670 – with a £1320 step-up to the ID.3 Life Pro Performance. The ID.3 Pro’s charging performance remains unchanged, which means that the same speedy 35-minute recharge to 80% capacity at a 100 kW CCS Direct Current charger is achievable.

April 2021

Volkswagen ID.3 Pure Performance announced with 217-mile range

The Volkswagen ID.3 is now available from £28,370 in new Pure Performance guise from tomorrow. Two trims – entry-level City and design-focused Style – become available with the new powertrain, in addition to the Pro, Pro Performance and Pro S versions already on sale in the UK. The Pure Performance is differentiated by its smaller 45kWh (net) battery, 150PS power output and 310Nm of torque.

The two new ID.3 specifications – City and Style – are also unveiled with the debut of this important new fourth powertrain option. The new Pure Performance variant majors on performance and value, offering a 150PS and smaller range alternative to the punchier, and larger Pro, Pro Performance and Pro S powertrains, while still providing 310Nm of torque. In Pure Performance guise, the ID.3 reaches 62mph from a standstill in 8.9 seconds, and matches the 99 mph top speed of the rest of the ID.3 range.

Both specifications can regain up to 137 miles of range from a 100kW rapid charger in 30 minutes, while a 7.2kW home charger takes around seven and a half hours to take the ID.3 Pure Performance from 5% to 100%. Charging 5% to 80% from a DC, CCS charge point takes 31 minutes. On the WLTP combined cycle, the ID.3 City Pure Performance can return up to 217 miles from a single charge, while the Style Pure Performance can return as much as 215 miles.

Not only do these models introduce the Pure Performance powertrain, but the City specification also brings a new, even lower entry price for ID.3 ownership – the model now starts at £28,370 for the ID.3 City Pure Performance. The ID.3 Style, meanwhile, provides an even more design-oriented option in the line-up, and is priced from £32,470.

Both of the new variants qualify for the Government’s Plug-in Vehicle Grant (PIVG) under the recently realigned £35,000 threshold for the scheme, doubling the number of ID.3s available under the PIVG to four.

Standard equipment on the ID.3 city includes a 10-inch Discover Pro Navigation infotainment system and a Comfort Package including heated front seats and a heated steering wheel; rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear mirror; two rear USB-C ports; and door mirrors with electric adjustment and folding, with integrated projection lights.

The model is also fitted with all-LED headlights and tail lights. The ID. Light interface, meanwhile, allows the ID.3 to communicate with the driver through different light patterns corresponding with functions including navigation instructions, phone commands and battery charge status. Further enhancing the ID.3’s interior with light is 10-colour ambient lighting, while natural voice control and Wireless App Connect bring additional convenience and connectivity.

A suite of driver assistance features is also standard-fit for the ID.3, with the City fitted as standard with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Front Assist as well as a Driver Alert system; Lane Assist; forward collision warning; and extended and proactive pedestrian protection, while front and rear parking sensors further aid the driver.

The ID.3 Style, priced from £32,470 is identifiable over the ID.3 City by its 18-inch ‘East Derry’ alloy wheels, while the fitment of the Design Package gives the model IQ.Light LED matrix headlights; animation for the LED taillights; 30-colour interior ambient lighting; tinted windows and an illuminated light band between the headlights and Volkswagen logo. The Comfort Package Plus provides 2-zone climate control and a variable boot floor, while a rear-view camera; ‘Kessy Advance’ keyless entry system; and illumination for the door handles are also included as standard, thanks to the addition of the Assistance Package for the ID.3 Style.

July 2021

Volkswagen ID.3 range updated for 2022 model year

Volkswagen has rolled out updates across the model range as the brand switches to its 2022 model year. The most marked changes are reserved for the ID.3 and ID.4 models. For the first time since launch, the two award-winning EVs are now offered with configurable trim levels, and a range of option packs are now available across all derivatives. The ID.3 also receives a major price revision that sees it represent even better value for money.

As the most notable update in the Model Year 2022 (MY22) revisions, the ID.3 and ID.4 are subject to changes in their ordering process, with greater customisation possible. Previously the trim levels came pre-configured, offering a fixed suite of packages, with only colours and wheels being customisable. The MY22 update sees customers able to choose a trim level that best fits their needs and then specify further option packs on top.

This new structure considerably increases the flexibility of the ID.3 and ID.4 in the customer’s ordering process. For example, previously it was not possible to configure an Augmented Reality Head-up display on any ID.3 model other than the Max and Tour. Now, a customer can choose any trim level and add the Infotainment Package Plus to receive the AR HUD, alongside the additional speakers that are part of the pack. Just as before, the different trim levels will still feature pre-determined packs as standard equipment, but now customers can choose to add additional packs to cater to their individual needs. A list of these packs for both models can be found below.

To further streamline the offering, the recently-introduced ‘City’ trim is now called ‘Life’ while the ‘Business’ and ‘Tech’ equipment levels have been discontinued.

Another significant part of the MY22 changes is a new pricing strategy for the ID.3. Under the new pricing, two more variants become eligible for the Government’s Plug-in Vehicle Grant – bringing the total to six – with the ID.3 Family Pro and Family Pro Performance now sitting under the £35,000 threshold for the £2,500 grant. These models, now priced at £33,640 and £34,960 respectively, fall to £31,140 and £32,460 OTR with the incentive applied. Overall, seven ID. models are now eligible for the grant including the ID.4 Life Pure.

Elsewhere in the ID.3 range, the highly-equipped Max and range-topping Tour have been reduced by £3,800 – the Tour, with its 77 kWh battery and 340-mile range (WLTP, combined) is priced from £38,800, with the equipment-packed Max starting at £37,730. For full pricing details, a table is provided below.

April 2023

Updated Volkswagen ID.3 priced from £37,115

The Volkswagen ID.3 has been upgraded with a fresh design, higher-quality materials and the latest-generation assist systems – and can be ordered from Volkswagen UK Retailers from Thursday 27 April.

The new-look Volkswagen ID.3 was unveiled to the world in March, boasting a host of improvements and enhancements. The brand’s best-selling electric model now has a sharper exterior design and a more sumptuous interior, featuring more intuitive day-to-day usability features and state-of-the-art technology.

The range of exterior colours has been extended to include Dark Olivine Green, and the use of animal-free materials underline Volkswagen’s sustainability strategy for its all-electric ID. family.

In terms of styling enhancements, the new ID.3 has a fresh new look, especially at the front, which features crisp lines, enlarged air intakes and a longer-looking bonnet through the removal of the black strip beneath the windscreen.

Two battery sizes and trims are available: the 58 kWh Pro and the 77 kWh Pro S. The ID.3 Pro S can be charged from five to 80 per cent within 30 minutes with a charging capacity of up to 170 kW, while the ID.3 Pro needs 35 minutes with a charging capacity of up to 120 kW. The large battery gives the ID.3 Pro S a predicted range of up to 559 km/347 miles (combined WLTP).

The new model also marks the introduction of option packs, which are available for both trims and group together popular options according to personal preferences. The Exterior Pack, for example, allows new two-part LED tail light clusters on the tailgate instead of reflectors.

Volkswagen has listened to customer feedback regarding the ID.3’s interior, resulting in a sumptuous finish with soft, foam-backed touch points throughout the cabin. The interior is also completely animal-free: the Artvelours Eco microfibre material used for the door trims and seat covers is 71-per-cent recyclate – a secondary raw material obtained by recycling plastic waste that has previously been disposed of at least once.

When it comes to paint and trim design, the new colour Dark Olivine Green stands for exclusivity and premium value. The iridescent metallic paint changes appearance depending on ambient lighting conditions: one minute it looks an earthy green, the next it offers a warm golden glow, or a chic grey. The roof is completely black and the roof trim strip is finished in high-quality matt silver to emphasise the paint colour.

“The new ID.3 marks the next exciting step in Volkswagen’s electrification journey,” said Phil Taylor, Head of Product Planning at Volkswagen UK. “This fantastic car, with its numerous improvements, demonstrates clearly our commitment to value, design and sustainability.”

The ID.3 was the first model to be built on Volkswagen Group’s hugely adaptable and successful modular electric drive (MEB) platform. The ID. family in the UK now also includes the ID.4, ID.5 and ID. Buzz, with more models coming soon such as the ID.7 and a production version of the ID. 2all concept. More than 600,000 ID. models have been delivered to customers around the world so far.

Prices for the new Volkswagen ID.3 start from £37,115 (recommended retail price including VAT, on the road), through all Volkswagen UK Retailers.