Everything you need to know: The new 2020 VW ID.3

In a nutshell - VW ID.3:

Initial cars will be high-spec 1ST Edition models
The full line-up should be available to order later this summer.
Seven-plus pre-configured models and two battery sizes set to be available.
Futuristic VW Golf is major rival to the Nissan Leaf , Honda e, Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro.
Prices start at £32,244 - Lease prices available on our VW ID3 page.
European ID.3 ‘Tour’ version boasts impressive range of 341 miles.

Make no mistake, the all-electric ID.3 is an important car - hailed as the most vital in the illustrious, 80 year history of Volkswagen.

And with stats that make envious reading, it’s every inch the rival to other cars in the market.

In just a few days, the new era will be well and truly ushered-in.

As of July 22, the high-spec ID.3 ‘1st’ version will be available in the UK, priced at around £39,000 (before any subsidies) with deliveries and the full range to follow later in the year.

The ID.3 is, to all intents and purposes, a futuristic Golf - a dependable, family-orientated vehicle that should appeal to countless people across the UK. It’s almost identical in size to a Golf, too.

The ID.3’s trump card is, of course, the fact it’s swapped combustion engines for battery powered motors, promising a means for all motorists to join the green revolution.

And while it might not be the cheapest of the mid-size electric cars available, it scores exceptionally well in a couple of key categories - chiefly range and charging times.

In a rousing statement, Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, said: “I am convinced that e-mobility will now make its breakthrough.

“Our model names like Family, Style, Tech and Tour already reveal that we will have the right ID.3 for everyone – at an attractive price. This way, we are realizing our vision of enabling emission free mobility for all.”

So let’s examine the different offerings that should follow the ‘1st Edition’, judging by plans being made across Europe. Although UK spec could vary, the European details released this week should give some idea as to what we can expect.

The base model, costing around £32,244, is the ID.3 ‘Pro Performance’.

Here you get a 58 kWh battery with 148 hp and a range of up to 261 miles (420 km) courtesy of the 150 kW Performance rear-wheel-drive system.

With maximum torque of 310 Nm, the Pro Performance can reach 60 km/h (37mph) in around 3.4 seconds, according to VW.

Even this base model comes with a navigation system, Adaptive Cruise Control and the ‘Comfort’ telephony function with inductive charging on board.

The ID.3 ‘Life’, priced from £34,253, ups the ante when it comes to comfort. Here you get heated a steering wheel and seats, plus two additional USB ports.

The ‘Style’ model, which costs from £37,109, does what is says on the tin - makes the car look better. That means, among other things, LED matrix lights all round and a panoramic glass roof.

Like cricketer Freddie Flintoff, the ‘Business’ version of the ID.3 is the ultimate ‘all-rounder’, with starting prices at £37,420.

If you mean Business, you can expect LED matrix headlights, tinted windows, a rear-view camera and keyless access.

As the price increases further, you hit the ‘Family’ marque - costing from £38,342. Here VW has promised better use of the interior space, a two-zone ‘Air Care’ air conditioning system, as well as LED lamps, the glass roof, and the rear-view camera.

One of the major rivals to the ID.3 is the strikingly good-looking Honda E, a car that’s bristling with gadgets and whose dashboard looks like something out of Star Trek.

The ID.3 ‘Tech’ goes some way to combating that, which features Travel Assist, Side Assist ad Emergency Assist, as well as the full infotainment package which includes a Head-up Display and full-on sound package.

The ID.3 ‘Max’, priced at £39,587, is said to offer the ‘maximum’ when it comes to ‘design, technology, sport and comfort’, according to VW.

That means an electric massage seat, progressive steering and Dynamic Cruise Control.

And finally we have the ID.3 ‘Tour’ - arguably the most important in the range and the priciest, too, starting at £41,611 on the Continent.

The Tour enjoys a bigger 77 kWh battery which boosts the range to 341 miles (550km), the power to 201hp, and it also takes advantage of super-quick 125 kW DC charging.

To complete the full ‘Tour’ package, owners also get premium 19-inch aluminium wheels.

All in all, the ID.3 represents a sea change for VW.

A spokesperson points out: “Volkswagen is seeking to become the world market leader in e-mobility over the coming years and is therefore investing €33 billion throughout the Group up to 2024, €11 billion of which is earmarked for the Volkswagen brand alone.

“For 2025, the Volkswagen brand expects to produce 1.5 million electric cars.”

The real dilemma for consumers will be having to choose from the many all-electric cars now being introduced to the marketplace.

While not really in the same ballpark, the Tesla Model 3, for example, costs from around £42,500, just a shade more than the top-spec ID.3.

View VW ID3 Lease Prices

Read Our VW ID3 Review

Here we take a quick look at how the other rivals stack up:

Honda e: