Latest news with #ID3
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Volkswagen ID.3 Interior Layout & Technology
Interior What is it like on the inside? The ID.3 designers didn't expect you to play with its electronic settings. And to be fair the majority of drivers don't. Most things – climate, regenerative braking, driver assist, energy consumers – are automatic. You can change those parameters, but to do so you don't get hardware switches. The auto-regen brake system as we mentioned is just one of many such. Most of the time you have to dive deep into menus, or in some cases you'll now be able to access shortcuts by pulling down from the top of the centre screen. That 12.9in tablet screen on the ID cars is basically the same as in the combustion VWs, and it's far quicker to both load and react to your inputs than when the ID.3 first launched. Unfortunately, you also get VW's goofy volume/temperature sliders beneath the screen. The window switches, mounted on the driver's door with a touch sensitive button to control the rears, are absurdly hostile too. The steering wheel controls are too easy to activate with an accidental brush. Why wasn't that stuff fixed for the facelift? Advertisement - Page continues below The driver's screen is smaller than in those VWs with an engine, which is a further irritation. But software updates have allowed that small screen to carry more info now, so at least you can see battery percentage, navigation arrows and driver assist all at once on that screen. But not music track. YOU MUST HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR US? Oh but we do. The driving position is superb and highly adjustable, with wonderfully supportive seats and just-so pedal and steering wheel positions. It's a glassy airy place, and the forward pillars are thin enough not to ruin visibility at roundabouts. You sit slightly elevated above the battery, which helps you place the car. One surprisingly effective innovation is the 'ID' light. What at first appears to be a gimmicky strip of lights wrapped around the cabin is in fact a driver alert system. It'll subtly gesture its firefly-esque glow in the direction the nav is pointing you, or flash red if you need to brake suddenly. WHAT ABOUT PASSENGER AND BOOT SPACE? There's more rear room than a Golf, if not the Passat-sized accommodation VW claims. To make more foot space behind, the front occupants need to raise their seats a little, but that's EV-normal because of the battery beneath the floor. Advertisement - Page continues below Storage in the cabin is super-generous and versatile, with a cannily designed centre console. Pockets behind the front seats don't only hold a road atlas (remember those?) but also has pockets for phones and similar. You get a 385-litre boot – four litres up on the Golf - and a better stereo now compared to when the ID.3 first launched, even in the base spec car. No charge-cable compartment under the bonnet though, as that's full of aircon and space for the optional huge head-up display.
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Volkswagen ID.3 Review 2025
This is Volkswagen's mainstream electric family hatch. First deliveries of the ID.3 only started in late 2020, but even so it was given an early facelift at the beginning of 2023. Which... it rather needed. Why? Well, firstly because having arrived among the vanguard of hatches this size, it inevitably found itself surrounded by newer rivals stealing some of its thunder. And second, because the original ID.3 just wasn't quite Volkswagen enough. It didn't have the necessary feeling of interior quality. Plus, it was in many ways quirky or just plain irritating. The facelift was supposedly the fix. Advertisement - Page continues below Those new hatchback rivals? The Renault Megane electric, MG4, Vauxhall Astra Electric and Peugeot e-308. Plus the Cupra Born on the same platform as the ID.3. You might also be cross-shopping with any number of compact-ish electric crossovers such as the Kia EV3, Volvo EX30, Hyundai Kona Electric or anything from the Stellantis stable. Fiat 600e, anyone? WHAT CHANGES DID VW MAKE FOR THE FACELIFT? The 2023 update made the ID.3 slightly less oddball. VW pitched the first generation as the car to pick up the baton from the Golf. But it wasn't that. Whereas a Golf always feels comfortingly conventional, the ID.3 looked a bit radical and its operation took a bit of learning. You could imagine people taking half an hour's headscratching before they managed to drive a rentacar ID out of the airport multi-storey. The bonnet now looks longer, because its old half-black split paint treatment has gone. So the ID.3 looks more like a car and less like a future spacepod. Changes to the front bumper make it look wider as well as helping some air slip past the wheels more easily. The front wings look longer because they're no longer broken up by a badge plaque. The tail lights are wider and more detailed. The original ID.3 was sparse inside, with acres of angular and hard-surfaced plastics. Maybe this was VW telling us we'd arrived in a new world. Maybe it couldn't afford soft mouldings in the aftermath of the dieselgate scandal. Advertisement - Page continues below But whatever, VW's customers rose up with one voice: if this was supposed to replace the Golf, they wanted the same sense of premium quality please. VW has now acquiesced. The dash and doors are now clad in soft-touch and stitched surfaces. And much nicer it is in here too. Like the furniture, the original screens and software felt like they'd been done in a rush. Software updates have improved the screen systems. Although perhaps not enough. AND WHAT'S THE SAME? It's a purpose-built electric platform. Unusually, it's rear-drive, the motor and its inverter being tucked under the boot floor. 'Rear-engined like a Beetle,' as they say in Wolfsburg. This means a long wheelbase, with the slab battery tucked under the passenger cell. Thus the roof is taller than you'd expect. Still, it's a roomy family car, more so than a Megane or electric Astra, thanks to better leg space for the back passengers. RWD means a tightish turning circle, but it also means the regenerative braking is fairly meek, to avoid the danger of rear-wheel skids on slippery surfaces. That's why FWD or AWD e-cars can extract more regeneration and have the potential to be more efficient in variable-speed driving. What are the specs? They've changed a bit over the years too, but at the time of writing in mid-2025 the useable battery sizes are 52kWh (ID.3 Pure), 59kWh (ID.3 Pro) and 79kWh (ID.3 Pro S or the hotter GTX). The entry level Pure cars get a 168bhp motor, while the Pro and Pro S both get 201bhp. The sporty GTX Performance gets a hefty 322bhp, and we've gone into more detail on that particular car here. We'll drop the hot hatch and focus mostly on the standard ID.3 here, so it's the Pro that's the quickest of the bunch. That'll do 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds compared to the 8.2 seconds of the less powerful Pure and the heavier Pro S. Although frankly, compared with the Renault Megane all ID.3s are too heavy. The biggest battery Pro S just sneaks under two tonnes. The WLTP range figures are 241 miles for the Pure, 269 miles for the Pro and an impressive 351 miles for Pro S. For extra info on range, charging and energy consumption, click through to the 'Buying' tab of this review. HOW IS IT TO DRIVE? A Golf is comfy and refined, but also has a gently amusing side. You might expect the ID.3 to be similar, especially as rear-drive has the potential to add a little cheekiness. But no. VW has doubled down on the comfort and refinement. It's stable, smooth-riding and wonderfully quiet – not just in its absence of engine sound of course, but also the limo-like hush of tyres, suspension and wind. It's stable, relaxed and precise in its steering, accelerator and brakes. But there's no feedback or engagement. The Megane, MG4 and Astra are all more fun. For more details click the 'Driving' tab. Want to know what the best electric cars are? Click here for the top 20 Volkswagen 107KW Life Pro 62kWh 5dr Auto £30,880 'More fun than a crossover, roomy, comfortable, efficient and importantly, it's got character and is likeable' Although the Nissan Leaf was a decade ahead of it, the ID.3 was quite a radical car for VW. The shape, software and interior were admirably brave, but in hindsight maybe a bit too much. It was a massive engineering effort, but shoved on sale in a tearing rush as an atonement for dieselgate. The cutting of corners – cheap cabin furniture and rough-edged software – was painfully obvious. The facelifted car's control systems can still be infuriating, but their actual logic and graphics have been steadily improving with OTA software updates. The facelift addresses the too-radical-for-some exterior, and bare cabin. It's a nice place to sit now. The ID.3's best qualities haven't been messed with. It's roomy, quiet, comfortable and soothing. It's efficient and has a good range. It's satisfying to drive, just not much fun for a hatchback. Albeit more fun than the crossovers you might be cross-shopping with. All of which gives it a definite character and likeability among an increasingly busy lineup of rivals.
The Sun
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Major car brand ‘to launch EV version' of popular model next year – and it will be faster than its flagship vehicle
A MAJOR car brand is set to launch an electric version of one of its most popular models next year – and it's tipped to be even faster than the current flagship. Volkswagen is reportedly preparing to unveil an electric GTI hot hatch, based on its ID.3 model, with a launch expected in 2026, according to 5 5 5 This comes after the German manufacturer first stepped into the electric hot hatch space last year with the ID.3 GTX. The new ID.3 GTI will carry the legendary GTI badge, though it won't have the fuel injectors that gave the original its name. And unlike traditional GTIs, which have front-wheel drive, this electric version will reportedly be rear-wheel drive. According to Auto Motor and Sport, the ID.3 GTI will deliver around 335hp, that's 13hp more than the current GTX model. VW is also said to be working on major upgrades to the chassis, steering, and suspension to give drivers a more exciting and responsive experience behind the wheel. Interestingly, the electric GTI wasn't part of Volkswagen's original plan. But with delays to the next-generation electric Golf, now expected near the end of the decade, the carmaker is opting for a second facelift of the ID.3 to extend its life on the market. This update is set to bring the ID.3's design and technology closer to the upcoming ID.2 range. The ID.3 first launched in 2019 and saw a refresh in 2023. Inside the Volkswagen ID With the latest facelift, expected in 2026, the ID.3 GTI will take centre stage as VW's new electric performance star. VW has already shown off the ID. GTI concept, which previews the company's first electric car to wear the iconic badge. However, the larger ID.3 GTI now looks likely to beat it to showrooms. Pricing details are still under wraps, but in Germany, the current ID.3 GTX starts at just over €47,000, while the upcoming ID.2 will launch from around €25,000. Naturally, the GTI versions will carry a premium. Several other VW electric models have already received the GTX badge, including the ID.7 saloon, ID.7 Tourer estate, and even the GTX minivan. It's still unclear whether Volkswagen plans to eventually replace GTX with the more recognisable GTI name across its electric range. There's also speculation that an electric R-badged model could follow. And with rumours that VW may redesign the GTI logo to feature a lightning bolt in place of the 'I,' the brand's electric future is certainly shaping up to be electrifying. 5 5
Motor 1
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Volkswagen Could Launch an Electric GTI Next Year
Volkswagen entered the electric hot hatch niche about a year ago with the launch of the ID.3 GTX. However, it's now apparently working on an even spicier version carrying a far more iconic badge: GTI. Much like Porsche's electric Turbo models lack actual turbochargers, the ID.3 Grand Touring Injection will obviously not have fuel injectors. And while traditional GTIs are front-wheel drive, the ID.3 GTI will be rear-wheel drive. So much for tradition. A new report from German magazine Auto Motor und Sport claims that the inaugural electric GTI will receive a modest power bump over the GTX. It's believed the zero-emissions GTI will deliver 335 hp, or just 13 hp more than the current flagship version. Rumor has it VW's engineers are planning significant updates to the chassis, steering, and suspension to make the ID.3 GTI more engaging to drive than the GTX. According to AMS , the electric GTI wasn't part of the original plan. However, VW is now purportedly giving the ID.3 a second facelift to extend its life cycle. The reasoning behind this decision reportedly stems from the delay of its successor, the ninth-generation, electric-only Golf. Now due near the end of the decade, the Golf Mk9's postponement means the aging ID.3 will stick around longer than expected. Indeed, the ID.3 debuted back in 2019 and received an update in 2023. To keep the EV competitive, a second, more comprehensive facelift is allegedly set for 2026, coinciding with the launch of the hotter GTI version. This update will reportedly bring the ID.3's design and tech more in line with the smaller ID.2. Speaking of which, the ID.2 GTI concept (pictured below) previewed VW's first electric car with a GTI badge. However, it appears the larger ID.3 GTI will beat it to market. The standard ID.2 is scheduled to go on sale next year in Germany with a base price around €25,000, but the GTI version will, of course, cost more. As for the ID.3 GTI, expect it to carry a premium over the current GTX, which starts at just over €47,000 at home in Deutschland. Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept 44 Several other models have already received the GTX treatment in Europe. The ID.7 and ID.7 Tourer have performance variants , and even the ID. Buzz GTX minivan. It remains unclear whether the GTX branding will eventually be phased out in favor of the GTI name for potent EVs or if it will continue as a more affordable alternative. We'll have to wait and see if VW will also put an R badge on its electric cars. If it's determined to launch an EV GTI, possibly with a new GTI logo where the "I" makes way for a lightning bolt, it likely doesn't have a problem introducing an EV R some years from now. Catch Up With VW: Volkswagen Is Making Less Money Because It's Selling More EVs Volkswagen Could Give Ford More Reskinned Cars Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: Auto Motor and Sport Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
NZ Autocar
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Volkswagen ID 3 is up for another refresh
Things in the electric sector are changing quickly, especially the tech. That may in part explain why Volkswagen is undertaking another makeover of its original ID model, the ID 3. It was last refreshed in 2023. Why the sudden rethink? It has to hold sway until 2028 when it is due to be replaced by the Gen IX electric Golf. Despite being only five years old, ID 3 is about to undergo its second life cycle rejig. Due for release next year, the new upgrade adopts a bolder fascia, and higher-quality interior trims. The news of the ID 3 update arrives as VW is set to release the smaller ID 2 and its sister model, the Cupra Raval. Both will be built at Seat's Martorell plant in Spain. The facelift ensures that ID 3 is not forgotten on the showroom floor. Evidently the new front end for ID 3 is influenced by the ID 2all and ID GTI concept cars. Volkswagen design chief Andreas Mindt says he wants the company's new EVs to look more inviting rather than cool and clinical. The roof and fifth door of the ID 3 will feature a body colour paint finish to lower the car's visual centre of gravity. This give its a squatter, sportier stance. Inside, the transformation is more significant. New ID 3 will borrow its dashboard design, buttons and switches from the forthcoming ID 2. Touch-sensitive sliders that many dislike will disappear. A new steering wheel and better quality materials for the doors and trim round out the changes. While drivetrain details have yet to be revealed, expect ID 3 to adopt new developments planned for the ID 2. These should improve its overall efficiency.
