Volkswagen ID.3


Debut: 2020
Maker: Volkswagen
Predecessor: No



 Published on 10 Nov 2020
All rights reserved. 


Not quite the new Beetle or Golf, but the ID.3 is going to turn Volkswagen into a EV leader by 2025.


Volkswagen compares the launch of ID.3 to that of its legendary Beetle and Golf, implying how important it sees the company entering the era of electric vehicles. The ID.3 is not exactly the first electric VW, not even the first affordable electric VW – that should be the e-Golf, produced since 2014 – but unlike all the previous attempts, it is built on a dedicated EV platform called MEB (Modular Electric Matrix). This should bring significant cost savings and take the company’s EV program into a new stage. Some 33 billion euros will be invested into its EV program, which includes ID.4 crossover and more variants for Skoda, Seat and Audi. The Zwickau plant in Germany has been converted to build MEB cars exclusively, and it has a capacity of 330,000 units a year. Then it will be followed by the plants in China and USA. By 2025, the VW brand alone will be producing 1.5 million electric cars annually, or 3 million units for the whole group. For comparison, Tesla targets to deliver 500,000 cars this year. Among all the giant car makers, Volkswagen group has the most ambitious EV plan. For an organization so huge, especially a German one, you can’t help admiring the courage of its CEO Herbert Diess.

While the plan is revolutionary, the car is not so. From technical point of view, MEB has no innovation to speak of. It follows Tesla’s approach to use a “skateboard” floorpan which houses all the battery modules under a flat floor. This keeps center of gravity low and contributes to structural strength as well. An AC induction motor is placed at the rear axle and drives the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission. It produces 204 horsepower and 229 pound-foot of torque, good enough to propel the mid-range ID.3 from rest to 60 mph in just under 7 seconds and reach an electronic-regulated 99 mph top speed. In other words, about the same as Nissan Leaf or BMW i3. Unlike the revolutionary i3, its body structure is made of steel to keep cost down, so the car weighs in excess of 1700 kg.



From technical point of view, MEB has no innovation to speak of.


That’s for the mid-range model with 58 kWh battery. Two more battery options are available: a base 45 kWh battery to realize the promise of €30,000 entry level price, and a long-range model with 77 kWh battery. Their ranges are 330, 420 and 550 km, respectively, or 205, 260 and 340 miles, measured under the more realistic WLTP cycles. The long-range model is expected to top €50,000, not exactly a “People’s car” as we hope for, and its 140 kg of extra weight extends 0-60 sprint by 0.6 seconds, accompanied with inevitable loss in handling agility.

However, being a Volkswagen its mechanical aspect is still more premium than a Nissan Leaf. Rear-wheel drive aside, it rides on multi-link suspension at the back, while electronic adaptive dampers are available. You can opt for up to 20-inch wheels, but they won’t be too wide, at 215mm the maximum in order to reduce friction and drag.

Speaking about drag, aerodynamics is a crucial area to improve energy efficiency and extend its range. The ID.3 has an MPV-like silhouette, with fast-angle windscreen and a teardrop rear spoiler. The front grille is sealed, as is most area of the underbody. It achieves a Cd of just 0.267, good for a hatchback. However, such an MPV shape looks rather soulless to me. The nose of the car is almost characterless. The sides look better, at least the thick C-pillar has some Golf in it, but otherwise the ID.3 is just a safe design – not too conservative as some VW cars, but not too distinctive or avantgarde either.


50:50 balance, rear-drive and typical Volkswagen dynamic qualities set it apart from rivals like Nissan Leaf.


Clearly, the tallness of the car has some effect to its MPV looks. Owing to the thick skateboard floorpan (no one can rival Tesla for minimizing the floor height), the ID.3’s cabin is raised together with its roof, which is 112 mm higher than that of a Golf. Otherwise, the car has a similar footprint. It is 20 mm wider but 23 mm shorter than its conventional sibling. Since there is no need to accommodate an engine up front and exhaust system at the rear, its overhangs can be massively shortened, resulting in a vast, 2771 mm wheelbase, or 135 mm longer than Golf.

Inside, the sense of space is more obvious than that of Golf, thanks to not least the forward placement of windscreen but also the vast glass area, especially with panoramic roof. You sit high like a crossover and have a commanding view on the road. It is not as spacious as a Passat, but passengers on both rows enjoy generous head and leg room. At 385 liters, luggage space is slightly more than Golf, although access is hampered by a high lip – the motor is mounted under the boot floor, remember. The dashboard design is fashionable – minimalist, colourful and very dependent on touchscreen to operate everything. Some physical controls have been sacrificed to look “modern”, unfortunately at the cost of convenience. More disappointing is the lack of typical “Volkswagen quality”. For those used to soft touch plastics covering almost every surface since Golf IV, they will be shocked to find out most surfaces here are hard ones, including the shinny hard plastics on the door panels. For a launch model costing considerably more than a comparable Golf (the ID.3 launches in UK at £35,000 even after the £3,000 government grant), its value for money is doubtful, even with lower running costs considered. VW has already started the downgrade of interior plastics (and lost of tactile switches, by the way) in the latest Golf. The expensive batteries on ID.3 calls for even more drastic measures to cut costs elsewhere. It also implies the change of strategy under the leadership of Diess – the group has finally left the influence of Ferdinand Piech.


For those used to soft touch plastics covering almost every surface since Golf IV, they will be shocked to find out most surfaces here are hard ones...


In terms of usability, the ID.3’s interior should be good enough, although some software glitches hamper the response of its infotainment system on early cars, and some functions are disabled before problems are to be fixed, which will be updated over the air. The digital instrument is a nice touch, as it is fixed to the steering column and adjust together with the steering wheel.

On the move, the ID.3 does not set any new standards, but it is matured enough for Golf buyers to consider switching to EVs. As in most electric cars, performance feels unusually strong, stronger than figures suggested, while refinement is excellent when driving in town, with little mechanical noise generated from the powertrain. At motorway speeds, it suppresses road and wind noise better than most rivals, worthy of the VW badge. The structure feels sturdy, too,  noticeably more so than Nissan Leaf. The ride is more refined, hampered by only sharp bumps.

Despite the tremendous weight to carry, the ride and handling balance is well judged. Due to the high sitting position, the roll in corner is more pronounced, but the car corners fluently with a stable and predictable manner. 50:50 weight distribution gifts it a good chassis balance, and the rear-wheel drive allows better traction out of corner and no corruption of steering feel under power. The steering actually lacks feel, but it is otherwise precise and linearly weighted. Back into town, its remarkably short turning circle – made possible by lacking an engine up front - allows the ID.3 to steer and park easily on narrow streets.

As a relatively affordable EV, the ID.3 is hard to fault. It is better than its rivals from Nissan and Renault, unquestionably, thus is Europe’s best affordable EV to date. However, it does not break any new ground like Tesla Model 3, and its value for money is still no match for a Golf, which is just as usable, but is significantly cheaper to buy (if not to run) yet feels more premium in build quality. The big time for EV is finally coming, but that is mainly driven by policy rather than the development of technology. Yes, charging still takes a life. Even if you can find a 100kWh charging station empty, it will take half an hour to charge to 80 percent full. We should have been waiting for solid state battery to revolutionize the world, but our planet and our governments run out of patience.
Verdict: 
 Published on 29 Oct 2021
All rights reserved. 
Cupra Born


More a reskinned ID.3 than a dedicated product, though that skin looks more stylish.


When Volkswagen group was overseen by Ferdinand Piech, it launched the biggest platform sharing in the industry, PQ34. This gave birth to Golf Mk4, Bora, New Beetle, the first generation Audi A3, TT, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and the second generation Seat Toledo. Over the years, Volkswagen refined its platform sharing strategy, making the platforms modular, flexible in sizes and powertrains. This allowed cars to differentiate, giving them different style, functions and personalities. It became a model that many others copy today.

However, when it comes to electrifying its cars, the platform sharing strategy seems to take a backward step. Perhaps because the current boss Herbert Diess spent his entire career in production and supply chain management instead of product development, he chases economy of scale harder than ever. To offset the high cost of battery, he needs to build 15 million cars on the MEB platform that underpins ID.3. And that’s just the first wave of products. While the old strategy gave brands and models sufficient unique parts and variations to differentiate them, the MEB cars seem to have far higher commonality. Cupra Born is an example.



Slightly quicker and sportier, but it shares the ID.3 numb steering and soft brake pedal.


At the first glance, the Cupra Born looks far more stylish than its VW sibling ID.3. In fact, the car is a reskinned ID.3. Not just the floorpan, the monocoque is also carried over intact. Ditto all the glass, doors and roof. The clever designers at Seat/Cupra gave it a sportier nose and tail, adds tasteful bronze detailing, sporty wheels up to 20-inch and stylish graphics at the C-pillars. Well done. I think it is the prettiest MEB cars to date, but you are still aware of its roots, because you won’t confuse the ID.3’s tall and monospace shape with other cars.

Inside, the Spanish brand again gives it a smarter look and feel. Although equipment like instrument and touchscreen infotainment system are shared, the Cupra does enjoy different dashboard and transmission tunnel moldings as well as softer trims made of recycled materials. Bronze accents lend it a more tasteful look. The seating position and space are familiar though. You sit higher on the raised floor. The rear passengers sit higher still, so headroom is not quite as generous as a 1540mm-tall car should have been.



The interior gets tasteful bronze accents and softer recycled materials.


Cupra is supposed to be a sporty premium brand, so although the Born shares the same hardware with ID.3, including 3 battery sizes (45, 58 and 77kWh), rear-mounted motor (either 150hp or 204hp), suspension (struts and multi-link) and a rather slow charging rate of 125kW, it adds an e-boost option which can lift the output of the 204hp motor to 231hp for up to 30 seconds, cutting 0-60 mph by 0.6 second. It feels quick, but that sensation fades quickly as well once you are arriving highway speed. Top speed is only 99 mph.

Brilliantly, even though it rides on lower profile tires of 215/45R20 and has its ride height dropped by 10-15mm, the ride remains very good, smooth and quiet. Optional adaptive dampers lend it respectable body control, while 50:50 weight distribution gives it a neutral handling. Nevertheless, the car is not as sporty as you would expect for something wearing the Cupra brand. The steering is lifeless (sport mode and Cupra mode add weight without more feel). The brake pedal feels soft. The handling attitude does not change according to throttle. When you push it to the limit, it just gives up, refusing to rotate. A safe and obedient car it certainly is, but not very playful.

If these characteristics are familiar, it is because ID.3 shares them. The Cupra is a tad better to drive and better to look, but fundamentally it is in the same ballpark of the Volkswagen. If you look for a ground-breaking electric car, the Korean duo of Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are clearly better options.
Verdict:

Specifications





Year
Layout
Chassis
Body
Length / width / height
Wheelbase
Engine
Capacity
Valve gears
Induction
Other engine features
Max power
Max torque
Transmission
Suspension layout
Suspension features
Tires
Kerb weight
Top speed
0-60 mph (sec)
0-100 mph (sec)
ID.3 (58kWh)
2020
Rear motor, RWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4261 / 1809 / 1568 mm
2771 mm
Electric motor
58kWh battery
-
-
-
204 hp
229 lbft
1-speed
F: strut / R: multi-link
Adaptive damping
215/50R19
1719 kg
99 mph (limited)
6.9 (c)
-
ID.3 (77kWh)
2020
Rear motor, RWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4261 / 1809 / 1568 mm
2771 mm
Electric motor
77kWh battery
-
-
-
204 hp
229 lbft
1-speed
F: strut / R: multi-link
Adaptive damping
215/50R19
1859 kg
99 mph (limited)
7.5 (c)
-
Cupra Born e-boost (58kWh)
2021
Rear motor, RWD
Steel monocoque
Mainly steel
4322 / 1809 / 1540 mm
2766 mm
Electric motor
58kWh battery
-
-
-
231 hp
229 lbft
1-speed
F: strut / R: multi-link
Adaptive damping
215/45R20
1749 kg
99 mph (limited)
6.3 (c)
-




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AutoZine Rating

ID.3


Born



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