Volkswagen ID.3 - TopCarNews

Volkswagen ID.3 (2020 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Volkswagen ID.3 is a medium-sized five-door hatchback, and Volkswagen’s first dedicated mass-production electric vehicle (the e-Golf and e-Up were based on existing petrol models). It was launched in late 2019 before going on sale in the UK in summer 2020.

The ID.3 is a similar size to the latest Volkswagen Golf, and is generally being positioned as an electric alternative to the Golf. As such, there is no longer an electric e-Golf model in the Volkswagen range.

As of December 2021, the Volkswagen ID.3 has an Expert Rating of 76%, which is one point higher than the latest Golf. Although it has only been on sale in the UK for a few months, the ID.3 has already collected a few significant awards and is unanimously considered to be one of the leading examples of the new wave of electric cars arriving on our roads.

The ID.3 has been praised for its performance and decent battery range, as well as overall comfort and ease of use. However, some of the interior materials are considered below Volkswagen’s usual standards and the over-reliance on a touchscreen to control almost every aspect of the car has been criticised. It’s also an expensive car to buy, although the launch models were all the top-spec ‘1st Edition’ verions and this should improve as lower-spec models arrive.

Key specifications

Body style: Medium five-door hatchMotor: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £32,200 on-road

Launched: Summer 2020Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

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Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: 1st Edition“The Volkswagen ID.3 is an incredibly well-rounded EV, with a decent range, excellent on-road manners and a well-made, high-end interior.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 is an accomplished all-electric family hatchback. It gets the basics right with competitive pricing, desirable looks and great levels of comfort – all wrapped up in a practical package with a usable, real-world range.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“While the Volkswagen ID.3 looks good on paper the overall rating reflects the lack of stardust or excitement, which others in the game successfully achieve.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“If you’ve decided electric cars are for you – and perhaps even if you haven’t – the Volkswagen ID.3 should be on your list for consideration. Its inherent versatility and promised range mean it should be well suited to most daily driving needs, provided you have easy access to electricity.”
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Model reviewed: 1st EditionScore: 8 / 10“Competitive EV hatchback is pleasing to drive and attractive to sit in – but doesn’t change the game.”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: First EditionScore: 8 / 10“The first of a new generation of electric cars from Volkswagen could be a big success with fleets.”
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Car

Model reviewed: 58kWh 1st EditionScore: 10 / 10“It is good to drive, ridiculously fast for something that isn’t supposed to be a performance car, so roomy inside and just brilliantly modern in a very satisfying, wholesome way. In other words, it is everything VW’s first purpose-built electric car needed to be. I’d buy one.”
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Car Keys

Model reviewed: 1st EditionScore: 9 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 has certainly lived up to the internal hype and the long wait, with this new EV combining a generous electric range with a high-quality interior and great dynamic tweaks – and there are very few things wrong with it as a result.”
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Carbuyer

Score: 8.4 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 is essentially a futuristic, electric version of the Golf, and VW hopes it will prove just as popular”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 is an electric car with an impressive range and great interior space. It’s not as plush as a Golf, though, and some of the buttons and switches are annoying to use.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: Life 58 kWhScore: 7.7 / 10“The long-awaited Volkswagen ID.3 arrives as EVs are building momentum. It looks like an excellent all-rounder at a time fleets will relish such a cost-effective option.”
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“NThe Volkswagen ID.3 is a nice package and a welcome addition to the mainstream EV offering to broaden fleet’s choices, but not a step change in the technology.”
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Daily Mail

Model reviewed: 1st Edition Pro Power“The Volkswagen ID.3 is a worthy and challenging rival for the Nissan Leaf electric car which has been an early contender in this sector. Nothing like a bit of competition to raise everyone’s game.”
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Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: 1st EditionScore: 8 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 isn’t quite the game-changer the Beetle was, or even the Golf, but it’s a very appealing newcomer to the EV world. We’ll see plenty on the road, especially when the cheaper models arrive.”
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Eurekar

“The Volkswagen ID.3 looks stunning, drives beautifully, is well priced and offers a decent range between charges.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“Finally there’s a mainstream EV that takes advantage of its elements to be a thoroughly well engineered modern everyday vehicle.”
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Fleetworld

Score: 8 / 10“Get past question marks over the digital cockpit and infotainment and the Volkwagen ID.3 is a stylish and high-quality electric hatch.”
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Green Car Guide

Model reviewed: 1st Edition Pro PowerScore: 9 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 feels like it has been a long time coming. One outcome of this is that expectations for it may be high. If so, then the overall driving experience will please most people, being refined, quiet, comfortable, responsive, easy to drive, and with a decent driving range.”
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Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“The Volkswagen ID.3 really is the Golf of the electric car world. It might not excel in any particular area, but you’d struggle to find a better all-rounder. It’s good to drive, cheap to run and there’s a model to suit every requirement.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 10 / 10“A Volkswagen ID.3 will slot into your life as perfectly as, well, a petrol or diesel Golf. It’s an excellent all-round package that combines a comfortable interior with low running costs and an enjoyable driving experience.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 9 / 10“VW’s first purpose-built electric car is a brilliant all-rounder.”
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The Intercooler

Score: 6 / 10“There are Passat levels of cabin space because of the packaging, but it feels less engaging than a BMW i3, less special inside than Honda’s amazine e and there are no RWD characteristics in sight. Then there’s the price, which makes it hard to swallow next to Kia and Hyundai’s award winners.”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: 1st Edition“The Volkswagen ID.3 is everything you want in an electric car.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: First EditionScore: 9 / 10“Feels like a significant moment in motoring history”
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The Telegraph

Model reviewed: Pro Performance First EditionScore: 10 / 10“The VW Golf has become a part of the furniture because it’s such an accomplished all-rounder. The ID.3 will take over its mantle, not just by replacing it in Volkswagen’s range by the time 2030 comes around, but also by succeeding it as the go-to do-it-all family hatchback of choice.”
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Model reviewed: First Edition 58kWScore: 8 / 10“Nicely designed on the outside, with a lightweight and stiff bodyshell and a comfortable but assured ride quality. What lets the Volkswagen ID.3 down is its initially promising but ultimately annoying fascia and the interior that looks and feels cheap compared with the Golf it replaces.”
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Top Gear

Score: 7 / 10“Inoffensive, well thought-out and easy to use. So, just like a Golf, but happens to be electric.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: 1st EditionScore: 8 / 10“The 1st Edition model that we’ve driven, and which will be the only model available initially, comes with the upper-mid-level motor and battery that equip it with decent performance and range, as well as plenty of kit. We think the pick of the ID.3 range will come later on; when the cheaper versions are launched they’ll present stiff competition to the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range overview“The Volkswagen ID.3 is a very good car: spacious, refined, easy to drive and well suited to day-to-day use. The fact that it’s electric is secondary; but there are plenty of benefits, from excellent performance to zero tailpipe emissions. It’s not perfect, but overall the ID.3 is convincing Best Buy.”
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Safety rating

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2020

87%

ADULT OCCUPANT

89%

CHILD OCCUPANT

71%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

88%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

More safety recognition

The Volkswagen ID.3 won the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2021 Safety Award

Eco rating

Five stars

The Volkswagen ID.3 was awarded a five-star eco rating from Green NCAP in February 2021. We are currently updating our Euro NCAP database, as the organisation changed its rating system and we need to change our database accordingly to be able to display the new scores.

Green NCAP said: “Green NCAP assesses vehicles only on what is emitted at the tailpipe so the ID.3 gets maximum points in two of the three areas of assessment – Clean Air and Greenhouse Gases – as emissions of these are zero. Energy efficiency is also extremely high and, overall, the car emerges comfortably with a maximum five-star rating.”

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volkswagen ID.3 has received

2021

UK Car of the Year Awards – Best Small Hatch
Auto Express Awards – Best Small Company Car
What Car? Awards – Best Small Electric Car + Safety Award
carwow Awards – Best Family Electric Car
Business Motoring Awards – Best Electric Car
What Car? EV Awards – Best Electric Family Car
Parkers New Car Awards – Best Medium Electric Car
Carbuyer Awards – Best Small Company Car
Motor Trader Industry Awards – Car of the Year

2020

DrivingElectric Awards – Best Electric Family Car
Carbuyer Awards – Best Family Electric Car
Top Gear Awards – Game Changer of the Year

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Keyword: Volkswagen ID.3