VW ID.3 receives a refreshing update, a versatile electric vehicle

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So here we are in a lightly fettled Volkswagen ID.3, version 2.0 of the car that launched the company's much-vaunted electric reset. The original ID.3 was by no means groundbreaking in terms of design, but it did help move the needle on the EV barometer; one of the world's largest automakers was finally going all-in on a ground-up, pure electric car (alongside an equally important new modular electric drive platform, MEB).

VW ID.3, version 2.0 (Image credit: Volkswagen)

There have been economic ups and downs in the three years since 2020 (mostly downs), but the vast industrial commitment required to get the ID family to market could in no way be halted or diverted. ID.3 was followed by ID.4 and ID.5, while there's an ID.6 in China and an ID.7 and ID.2 on the way. And let's not forget the brilliant ID.Buzz. (Image credit: Volkswagen)

At some point over the next few years, the baton will have to be handed over and the slightly bland ‘ID' suffix will be blended with Volkswagen's well-established and highly recognisable nameplates – Polo, Golf, Passat, Touran, etc. Until that day comes, the company is soldiering on with its two-tier line-up, split between EVs, hybrids and regular old ICE. You can even still buy diesel models if you're the contrarian type. (Image credit: Volkswagen)

The ID.3 was originally conceived as a Golf replacement, just as the Golf began life as a successor to the original Beetle. Neither strategy panned out. Even as buyers shift to SUVs, big and small, the Golf still sells just shy of 300,000 units a year around the world. In contrast, VW sold around 73,000 ID.3s in 2022. Although it's not hard to image a future with an ‘ID.Golf' in it, we're not there yet.

Coming soon, Volkswagen's ID.2all Concept previews the forthcoming ID.2 (Image credit: Volkswagen)

The interior of the ID.2all Concept is even more stripped down (Image credit: Volkswagen)

So how does the revised ID.3 stack up on its own? In truth, the improvements are relatively low-key, with just a few tweaks to lighting and styling. Fresh bumpers and a new bonnet treatment bring the car in line with forthcoming ID models, while there's also an emphasis on better quality and more sustainable interior materials. With the car built in VW's Zwickau factory on a production line that has been certified carbon-neutral, you can't fault the company for its commitment to making sure its business model survives in a net-zero future. Volkswagen ID.3 detail design (Image credit: Volkswagen)

On the road, the ID.3 behaves with characteristic refinement and decorum. There's no indication of a ‘hot' equivalent to the famous Golf GTI, but the usual electric zest is present and correct, if not in overpowering amounts. A shade smaller and a tad wider than the equivalent Golf Mk8, it just about qualifies as a small car in this age of bloated private transportation. Volkswagen ID.3 rear light cluster (Image credit: Volkswagen)

Externally, the ID.3 is well proportioned and tidily detailed, off-setting the slippery anonymity of pure aerodynamics with some sharply chamfered edges, stylish wheels and black out sections of trim at the rear. The interior benefits from tweaks to VW's multimedia interface – the Achilles' heel of the 1.0 model. Although much of the plastic is sourced from recycled raw material, it doesn't really look or feel like it. Perhaps the company could wear its eco heart on its sleeve a bit more. (Image credit: Volkswagen)

The ID.3 succeeds best when it comes to range, successfully condensing the characteristics of much large EVs into a relatively small package. The base ID.3 Pro offers 266 miles of range from a 58kWh battery, while the ID.3 Pro S has an official range of 347 miles. This is well past the tipping point of range anxiety avoidance and takes us straight to a world without stressing about the proximity of the nearest charge point.

It won't set the world on fire, let alone achieve the cult status of the Beetle (or even the Golf), but the ID.3 is the kind of car that slots happily into any role, without unnecessary fuss or ostentation. VW's upcoming ID.2 will be smaller still. Given that cult cars are quite often small in stature, perhaps that will finally be the true people's EV? Volkswagen ID.3, from £37,115, Volkswagen.co.uk