Volkswagen ID.3 Review 2026

The Volkswagen ID.3 is the first of many new electric vehicles being launched by Volkswagen Group in the coming years. While it lacks the gimmicks of rivals, it’s a thoroughly convincing all-round package that could make it the perfect introduction to electric cars. A wide choice of trim levels and battery sizes means there’s an ID.3 to cater to all buyers, too - from the budget-conscious to high-mileage would-be Tesla buyers. Get the full lowdown with our VW ID.3 review.

What would you convince you to buy an electric car? Maybe the ability to play Mario Kart via the infotainment system, perhaps - or ludicrously quick acceleration. Being able to travel as far as you would in a diesel vehicle would be another selling point, or a price tag that puts it in-line with petrol models.

The ID.3 doesn’t do any of these things, yet Volkswagen claims it’s revolutionary. Ready to have the same impact on motoring as the original Beetle did, the brand reckons, with the ID.3 launched as the first in a long line of ID-badged electric vehicles.

It certainly looks pretty cool. From its smiling face without a front grille to the polka-dot decals and bold colour palette, there’s no mistaking this for the eighth-generation Golf. But neither will it turn heads in the same way as the Honda E or even the (now venerable) BMW i3.

It’s similarly modern - yet inoffensive - inside. You’ll find a digital instrument cluster tacked onto the steering wheel column, while a gear selector is positioned alongside it. There’s a 10-inch navigation system in the centre of the dash which is smart but unrevolutionary (and, just like the latest Golf, it’s a little too reliant on touchscreen controls for our liking).

Things start to become a little more impressive when you start the VW ID.3 up and go for a drive. Of course, you don’t actually have an engine to start up and, unlike other EVs, you don’t even have to press a start button. Just select ‘drive’ on the twisty gear selector, hit the accelerator pedal and away you go.

It’s all the things we’re used to from electric cars: easy, relaxing, even surprisingly fun. The ID.3’s electric motor is positioned in the back (a nod to the aforementioned Beetle), driving the rear wheels. That means the front wheels don’t have to handle anything other than steering; it’s incredibly nimble around town and surprisingly agile out of it.

The ID.3’s performance isn’t a match for the Tesla Model 3, but instant acceleration means it’ll feel lively enough for the majority of buyers. Of course, heavy use of the accelerator will impact range, so you’ll soon learn to get your enjoyment from driving conservatively and eeking out as many miles from a charge as possible. Not that you really need to do that with a 205-mile range (from the mid-range model).

While we don’t quite buy into the hype that the Volkswagen ID.3 is going to change the automotive landscape (the Nissan Leaf has been on sale since 2011 and offers broadly the same package as the ID.3), we do think the ID.3 is one of the most appealing electric cars on sale today. It follows the same format as the Volkswagen Golf - it may not excel in any particular area, but its gimmick-free approach and generally excellent all-round package means it’s an ultra desirable electric car.

Looking for a second opinon? Why not read heycar's Volkswagen ID.3 review.

The Volkswagen ID.3’s electric motor is positioned in the back, powering the rear wheels. This leaves the front wheels to handle the steering, so it’s extremely agile in and out of town. A tiny turning circle, means you can perform loop-the-loops on city streets if you so wish.

Excellent all-round visibility from the large windows helps when negotiating narrow spaces, too, as well as the rear-view camera and parking sensors (both standard on First Edition models).

Out of town, you’re not going to chuck it around like a Golf GTI, but it’s perfectly civilised on rural roads and motorways. Refinement is one thing it does particularly well - there’s no engine noise, obviously, but sometimes this can expose a lack of polish in other areas. You won’t notice much in the way of clonks and bangs from the suspension, though, and wind noise is fairly well hushed.

Like a lot of electric cars, the Volkswagen ID.3 is pretty heavy, which means the suspension’s quite firm and you’ll have to slow down for speed bumps. It’s no worse than in rivals, though.

The Volkswagen ID.3 is initially sold with just one motor: a 204PS unit that thrusts the ID.3 to 62mph in 7.3 seconds. It’s not the quickest electric car on the market but we doubt many people will find it lacking in day-to-day driving. It certainly has the instant get-up-and-go that surprises many people when they first drive an EV - as soon as you hit the accelerator, it’ll surge forward. There’s no waiting for the turbo to spool up or the automatic gearbox to change down a gear, it just goes.

Like other electric cars, you can adjust the amount of regenerative braking to suit your desires. The greater the regen, the more it will automatically slow down (without having the press the brake pedal) when you lift off the accelerator. It’s not as severe as the Nissan Leaf’s e-Pedal, though, and having to reach to the rocker switch feels less convenient than having paddles behind the steering wheel.

If you’re on a budget, a lower-powered 146PS derivative is expected in the near future.

Euro NCAP hasn’t crash-tested the Volkswagen ID.3 yet, but we’d be surprised if it achieved anything less than the full five stars. It wouldn’t be a strong look for VW’s new electric vehicle sub-brand if it was anything less than perfect in terms of safety.

Standard equipment on the First Edition model includes a rear-view camera and parking sensors for both the front and rear. Lane Assist will nudge the steering if you venture from your lane on the motorway, while the Front Assist and city emergency braking systems can apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision.

There are also ISOFIX child-seat fixing points in the rear and on the front passenger seat.

Although the Volkswagen ID.3 isn’t much bigger than a Golf, it feels surprisingly spacious. There’s loads of headroom up front (as well as a range of useful storage pockets), while access to the rear is easy thanks to wide-opening doors.

There’s enough room for a pair of adults in the back, while Isofix points are fitted to the front and rear passenger seats. There’s plenty of useful stowage areas in the cabin for your odds and ends. 

With 385 litres of luggage space, the ID.3 isn’t as capacious as the Nissan Leaf or Kia e-Niro, but its boot is as big as most family hatchbacks. There’s a bit of a lip for lifting heavy items over and a dog won’t be eager to jump in, while the underfloor storage area is too small to be of much use. Dropping the rear seats increases luggage space to 1267 litres.

In terms of its compact exterior size versus its Tardis-like interior space, it's one of our favourite electric family cars on sale. 

You might expect a lot of plush finishes and feel-good fabrics in the Volkswagen ID.3 but, if you look closely, you’ll find a few surprisingly flimsy materials. Having to manually adjust the seat and steering wheel feels a bit sub-premium, too, but then you have to do the same on pricier Audi models.

That said, few people will be disappointed with the overall quality of the ID.3’s interior. It feels better finished than a Tesla Model 3 and it’s in a different league to the dated Nissan Leaf.

All Volkswagen ID.3 models come with the same 10-inch touchscreen navigation system. It’s similar to the unit used in the eighth-generation Golf, with buttons replaced by irritating touch-sensitive ‘sliders’. While it has sharp graphics and responds quickly to inputs, it’s borderline dangerously distracting on the move.

You can get around this, to an extent, by using natural voice inputs. It’ll respond to indirect commands like “I have cold feet”, but it’s all a bit gimmicky. Oddly, the ID.3’s media system wasn’t available with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto from launch - something the brand says will soon be fixed free-of-charge with an over-the-air update.

The Volkswagen ID.3 starts in the region of £30,000 (after the government’s plug-in car grant) for the entry-level ID.3 Life. That’s a bit more expensive than a Nissan Leaf but it’s clear to see where the extra money goes. It’s also only marginally more expensive than smaller electric vehicles like the Vauxhall Corsa-e and Honda E, while it undercuts the Tesla Model 3 by more than £10,000.

We’ll see more affordable versions in the near future, including a 45kWh model with a more affordable price tag, while the ID.3 Tour - with its 77kWh battery and 336-mile range - has a retail price of just over £39,000. That’s close to the most affordable Tesla Model 3 and a bit more expensive than long-range versions of the Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul - neither of which can’t travel as far as the ID.3 Tour between charges.

There will eventually be three different battery sizes available in the ID.3: 45, 58 and 77kWh. The popular option is likely to be the 58kWh model, which has an official range of up to 260 miles. If you can charge a car at home (i.e. you have off-road parking with access to electricity), you’ll be looking at around £8 for a full charge depending on your electricity tariff. That works out at around 3p per mile.

On a longer journey, the ID.3 can be rapid charged at a suitable public car charger. A 100kW charger will be able to provide 180 miles of range in around half an hour, usually at a rate of around 30p per kWh.

If you regularly plan to travel further afield, you’d be better with the range-topping 77kWh model. This will be able to travel up to 336 miles between charges. The 45kWh model, meanwhile, will have an official range of around 205 miles.

The Volkswagen ID.3 is initially sold only as a First Edition variant. It can be distinguished by unique First Edition badging on the front wings, steering wheel and dashboard, and it additionally features the distinctive ‘Play & Pause’ design pedals. First Edition buyers also receive 2000 kWh of free charging up to £500 with We Charge.

Standard equipment also includes adaptive cruise control, Discover Pro 10-inch navigation, IQ light matrix headlights, keyless entry and start, ambient lighting (with 30 different colours to choose from), heated front seats, parking sensors, a rear-view camera and 19-inch wheels.