Volkswagen ID.3 Pro 58 kWh review

Volkswagen ID3

Volkswagen ID.3 Pro 58 kWh review.

****
£42,515
For – handsome, well-built, impressive regenerative braking.
Against – pricey, inadequate long-range cruise.
Competition – Kia Niro, MG4, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona, Citroen e-C4

“One big improvement was the regenerative braking system. It didn’t like going uphill though”

Volkswagen has “refined and upgraded” its ID.3 electric car, although you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference even though VW says it has a sharper exterior and sumptuous interior.

The interior is still very functional and its looks always were pretty sharp. The ID.3 started life under a bit of cloud. This first built-from-the-ground-up vehicle to lead VW’s electric revolution, was launched while some software functions were acknowledged as incomplete. In the event, the problems seem to have been handled with a minimum fuss and no major recall. The previous iteration received some stick from the public reporting bugs and issues with the infotainment systems and active safety stuff, including adaptive cruise control and speed-controlling functions. But VW has used over-the-air software upgrades to sort out problems. 

I drove the original ID.3 over 2 years ago and this model has the same 58 kWh battery. One big improvement I noticed was the regenerative braking system. The previous model’s range over my Sussex rolling hills route mainly along the A272 was improved by a modest 2.7%. This time the improvement was about 25%, as a 39-mile route only removed 29 miles of range. The ID.3 didn’t like going uphill though. My climb to Devil’s Dyke, just behind Brighton, cost 27 miles for a 17-mile route. Sliding back down again over a slightly different route only cost 11 miles for a 19-mile journey. 

The battery, allegedly the same as the previous model at 58 kWh, filled up to an average 229.5 miles from 4 charges compared with the claim of 266 miles. The old ID.3 only managed an average of 198 miles compared with a claim of 260 miles.

Highway cruising
You won’t be surprised to learn that highway cruising at legal high speeds wasn’t very good. The early ID.3 managed a useable highway range penalty of 36.7% and 126.5 miles. This one’s penalty was 43% for a range of 131 miles. If it’s any consolidation to electric car fanciers, my experience over local three-lane motorways shows it’s almost impossible to achieve an indicated 80 mph (probably a real 72 mph) for any time at all because of the traffic, road works, and ”incidents” which suddenly shut the whole thing down. 

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security though if you plan a Calais/Geneva or Calais/Barcelona blast. You’ll find managing more than 100 miles at a time very difficult, unless you want to slipstream the trucks in the slow lane. And don’t even think about charging as anything other than a gigantic pain. 

“Much twiddling, cursing and questions for Dr Google failed to persuade them to cooperate”

The car was a pleasure to drive. On the highway it was a terrific cruiser, inducing calm and confidence. Handling and steering were excellent, the suspension suitably German and firm. The interior was functional but a little drab for my taste. The big, offset screen was impressive, although I failed to connect my Apple Car Play stuff. I never did manage to make the wing-mirrors succumb to my choices, which luckily arrived set almost perfectly for me. On the last day, the wing-mirrors decided not to unfold from their shut positions. Much twiddling, cursing and questions for Dr Google failed to persuade them to cooperate.

The boot failed the golf-club test, reminding me that my old Honda Jazz is still a miracle of design, allowing a golf bag, minus the driver (the club, not me), to fit crossways in the boot. The VW required a rear seat to be folded.   

VW says this about the ID.3 improvements.

“Volkswagen’s best-selling electric model now boasts a sharper exterior design – 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. The new model also has a more sumptuous interior with intuitive features and state-of-the-art technology”.  Intuitive? Hum…….  

There is a bigger, 77 kWh battery available which offers a theoretical 347 miles of range. Prices start at £37,115.

What to buy?
I must ask VW why this has rear-wheel drive, which seems to defy all known handling wisdom that favoured front-wheel drive for decades. This is not a great time for the private buyer to go electric, because there is nothing on the market that justifies such high prices. I still dream of the £10,000 little electric town car which will perform 90% of most motoring needs. Most of the EV buying so far has been down to well-heeled early adopters. Because of the tax incentives, most current buying will be for corporate fleet use. That requires the best possible range and there is only one contender, Tesla. The Tesla Model 3 and Y have the best range by far, in this category and the best charging network, although that is soon to be opened up to everyone else.

Volkswagen ID3

Volkswagen ID3