Volkswagen ID.3 – Electric and surprisingly good looking

When the teasers and commercials were going on with the neon pink and cyan paint scheme, it felt like I was in the 80s. The ID.3 was certainly small, but how different would it be compared to the existing lineup? I got the answer at the Frankfurt auto show.

It is one great looking car, especially the rear. Hats off to the designers at Volkswagen. I hope that this car will show a new design language for Volkswagen. The car is actually slightly bigger than the Golf whereas the wheels have been dragged to the corners of the car to give an increased wheelbase. Good for cornering capabilities and space inside. Speaking of which, the steering wheel can be traced back to previous cars. Except for the buttons on the previously mentioned and the lower part of the infotainment screen, the interior is simplified so much that it looks like a Scandinavian home. One cool feature is the touch screen on the left side of the steering wheel, which seems to control defrosting of the window and the lights. However. Why not take one step further? With analogue gauges being a thing of the past. Why not just use the now digital screen for all of the information?

There will be three range options to choose from. 330, 420 (no, it is not a joke) and 550 km. There is a lot of tech behind how this is achieved, but it won’t affect you as a buyer when regarding loading capacity, since the limiting factor is the charging station itself. The top model has 204 hp with a top speed of just 160 km/h. Slow. But the acceleration of an over 1.5 ton small car is promised to be quick, which is a major thumbs up. It is, after all, what you need for a car of this caliber. The lower range will get 150 hp, and to compare with the existing lineup of petrol cars, they are churning out 1.0 L, 3 pot engines with 100 hp. If that isn’t a step in the right direction, I don’t know that is.

The price in Sweden will be under 35 000 euros, excluding eventual subventions from the state. Should you get a bit better quality interior for that price? The seats seems very basic. Which is, right now, my biggest letdown. The interior is nice and a big breath of fresh air. The power train is moving forward with more respectable performances. But the very freely usage of fabric looks cheap.