Volkswagen ID.3 is a rear-wheel-drive "golf" -class hatchback (aka "C" segment by European standards) and, concurrently, the first electric car of the German brand intended for mass production, which combines a stylish appearance, a laconic and spacious interior and advanced technical "stuffing" ... The main target audience of the five-door is city dwellers who keep up with the times and pay special attention to the ecological situation in the world ...
The full-scale premiere of the Volkswagen ID.3 took place in September 2019 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, but its conceptual forerunner, the I.D. was presented long before this event - in the fall of 2016 at a motor show in Paris.
This electric car was not just the first Volkswagen, created from scratch with a power plant of this type, but also the ancestor of a whole line of environmentally friendly models. Moreover, the Germans themselves pin great hopes on the five-door - the figure in its index indicates not only belonging to the third size C segment by European standards, but also the company's readiness to move to the third fundamental chapter (after Golf and Beetle) in its stories - electrical.
Exterior
Outwardly, the Volkswagen ID.3 does not resemble any of the existing cars of the German brand - the electric car looks at the same time and quite futuristic, but at the same time it is not at all pretentious.
The front of the hatchback is decorated with menacingly frowned headlights with a fully LED "filling", connected by an LED strip, a luminous (but such a "chip" will not be in all markets) flat logo with painted letters and a "curly" bumper, and its stern carries on beautiful lights, a compact boot lid painted in gloss black, and a raised bumper.
In profile, the five-door looks more like a minivan due to the short hood and additional side windows in front of the front doors, but it still looks attractive and balanced - the windshield is heavily tilted back, the sloping roof line, the powerful rear pillar with a honeycomb pattern, unpretentious sidewalls and correct strokes of wheel arches.
Dimensions and weight
The overall dimensions of the Volkswagen ID.3 refer it to the compact segment according to the European classification: the electric car reaches 4261 mm in length, 1809 mm in width, and 1552 mm in height. The distance between the wheelsets is 2765 mm at the five-door, and its ground clearance is 140 mm.
In the curb condition, the hatchback weighs at least 1719 kg, while its payload varies from 416 to 541 kg, depending on the modification.
Interior
The spirit of minimalism hovers in the interior of the Volkswagen ID.3 - there are practically no physical keys: they are responsible only for the hazard warning lights and power windows.
A digital instrument cluster, a three-spoke multi-steering wheel with touch keys and a rim truncated at the bottom, a laconic center console with a protruding 10-inch touchscreen of the infotainment complex and a pair of symmetrical ventilation deflectors - there is nothing superfluous inside the electric car, but at the same time its interior looks modern and not boring.
The "apartments" of the electric hatchback have a five-seat layout. The front riders rely on ergonomic seats with unobtrusive lateral bolsters and sufficient adjustment ranges, and the rear - a simple sofa with folding armrests in the center and three headrests (although the third passenger is clearly placed by a protruding tunnel).
The trunk of the five-door is quite normal by the standards of the class - it not only has a good configuration, but in normal condition it can hold 385 liters of luggage. The second row of seats is folded in several parts, as a result of which an even "rookery" is obtained and the cargo volume significantly increases.
Specifications
The Volkswagen ID.3 is powered by a synchronous AC electric motor that transmits its potential to the wheels of the rear axle, which generates 150 or 204 horsepower and 310 Nm of torque (in both cases).
By default, the powertrain is paired with a 45 kWh lithium-ion traction battery, while the more powerful version has a choice of 58 or 77 kWh. Such indicators should be enough for an electric car for 330, 420 or 550 km, respectively, according to a realistic WLTP cycle.
Even in the 150-horsepower version, the hatchback can reach a maximum of 160 km / h. It will take several hours to charge the battery from a regular outlet (the exact numbers have not yet been announced), however, a "fast" charger with a capacity of 100 kW allows you to replenish 290 km of run in just half an hour.
Design
The Volkswagen ID.3 is based on the MEB modular electric platform with a traction battery integrated into the body structure and an electric motor mounted on the rear axle. High-strength steel grades are widely used in the construction of the electric vehicle, while the trunk lid is made of composite materials.
"In a circle" the electric car is equipped with independent suspensions with anti-roll bars: in front - architecture with MacPherson struts, in the back - a multi-link system.
The five-door is equipped with a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism with an active electric power steering. All wheels of the hatchback are equipped with disc brakes (ventilated on the front axle), supplemented by ABS, EBD and other modern assistants.
Options and prices
The production of the Volkswagen ID.3 will begin at a plant in the German city of Zwickau only at the end of 2019, and deliveries to customers will start only in the first quarter of 2020 (although orders for the electric car are already being taken in full swing).
Initially, a hatchback with a 204-horsepower engine and a "medium" battery in a "welcome" version will enter the market 1st, but in three equipment levels - Base, Plus and Max.
The exact cost has not yet been announced, but it is known that the five-door will be asked for from ≈40 thousand euros, while the 150-strong version will be offered at a price of "less than 30 thousand euros."
In terms of equipment, ID.3 1st will receive by default: front and side airbags, a media center with a 10-inch screen and navigator, heated steering wheel and seats, power windows for all doors, matrix front and LED rear optics, 18-inch wheels, climate control and other modern equipment.
