Volkswagen's ID.3 will be available from under £35,000 as UK specs are revealed

The Volkswagen ID.3 has been heralded as a game changer – an 'every man' EV from the original people's car manufacturer. However, at over £35k for the 1^st Edition, it was far from this goal. Now, however, VW has revealed the full UK spec and price list and the good news is that you can have an ID.3 for less than £30,000.

If you've been out EV spotting, there's a chance you'll have already seen a 1^st Edition Volkswagen ID.3 on the road. This limited run version sold out quickly, but as of October 22 it will possible to order an ID.3 from the 'regular' range and potentially be driving it before the beginning of November.

A total of seven variants will be reaching the UK, six of which will have the 58kWh battery and 201bhp motor combination which made its debut in the 1^st Edition. The final version gets a larger 77kWh battery for extended range but more enticingly, from next year we will get lower-spec cars with a 45kWh battery and less power. Crucially, these will cost much less.

The promise of new variants aside, the exciting news at this time is that you'll be able to pick up and ID.3 for under £30k – which is even less than the newly launched Golf GTE PHEV.

Standard equipment

Before we break down the spec levels available on the ID.3, it's worth noting that the car gets a decent level of kit as standard. All will feature LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, Car2X functionality, voice control, front and rear parking sensors and 18 inch alloys. They'll also all get a 10 inch touchscreen, keyless start, drive profile selection, climate control, interior alarm and the ID.Light function which helps with navigation and other driving functions.

Furthermore, all cars will get over-the-air updates to ensure that the latest software – whether it be for infotainment or system management – is installed as it becomes available. An initial update in Q1 2021 will enable wireless smartphone charging and App Connect in all ID.3 models.

Two equipment packages are standard on all seven models. The Infotainment package includes Discover Pro navigation with Europe-wide data, 2D and 3D map view, speed limit display, Bluetooth connection for up to two devices simultaneously, DAB radio and two USB sockets up front. A 'Plus' package adds a subwoofer and head-up display.

The Comfort package features electric folding mirrors with projection light, auto-dimming rear view mirror and rain sensor, two rear USB sockets, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. A 'Plus' package adds two-zone climate control and a variable boot floor.

Prices and specs

So, onto the interesting part and the prices for the seven ID.3 spec levels. The first six are considered 'Pro Performance' and get the 58kWh battery. The final car is 'Pro S' spec and gets the larger 77kWh battery.

First up is the ID.3 Life which, at £29,990 after the £3000 plug-in car grant, is arguably the most important car in the range. It includes all of the above, with cloth seats and an interior solely in black. It has the longest range of all the models (thanks, we imagine, to its lower weight) at 263 miles on the WLTP cycle.

The ID.3 Business can be yours for £33,720 and comes with the 'Plus' version of Comfort package noted above as well as additional, non-standard Design and Assistance packages. Its range drops one mile to 262 miles.

Next up is the ID.3 Family which, at £34,650, has the same spec as the Business variant save for the 'Plus' version of the Design package. You can knock a further two miles off the range to total 260 on the WLTP test.

Strangely, VW considers the ID.3 Style to be the next up the range, despite coming in at £34,180. It has the Design Plus package as well as standard Infotainment and Comfort packages. It'll do 261 miles.

The ID.3 Tech costs £36,190 and majors on the technology packages available for the car, and has a 260 mile range.

Finally (for the standard battery cars) is the ID.3 Max which for £38,220 comes with all the bells and whistles. It gets all 'Plus' packages as well as the Sport package, which adds progressive steering and sports suspension. Being maxed out in spec sacrifices a couple more WLTP miles, at 258.

Finally, the ID.3 Pro S Tour spec car costs £39,290 and comes with the 77kWh battery, offering a range of 340 miles. It gets the Design package as well as 'Plus' versions of the Infotainment, Comfort and Assistance packages. It also gets larger 19 inch wheels as standard.

Availability

Order books open on 22 October with the first customer cars expected to be delivered before the end of the month. This has been made possible thanks to the fact that for several months now, VW has been churning out ID.3s in all spec levels ready to hit the road, rather than suffering the same issues Hyundai and Kia had when they couldn't make their EVs quickly enough to fulfil demand.