2020 VW ID.3 videos show brand's 'third most important car' ever

VW wants the electric hatchback to have the same impact as the Beetle and Golf.

10 September 2019 at 07:24

Hot on the heels of last night’s big debut, the 2020 Volkswagen ID.3 is being featured in a series of videos putting the spotlight on what the company argues is its third most important car after the Beetle and Golf. The compact five-door hatchback adopts a new design language reserved for the upcoming ID family of pure electric models, ushering in a fresh visual identity to separate the EVs from the conventionally powered VWs.

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It’s rarely a case when an automaker correctly uses the term “all-new,” but the ID.3 was truly developed from the ground up. Even the oh-so-familiar VW logo has a mildly updated look to signal the wave of the future as Wolfsburg is heavily investing in electric vehicles to make us forget about the Dieselgate ordeal. This zero-emissions hatch has just about the size of a Golf and is just the tip of the iceberg, with a whole fleet of ID cars planned for production in the next decade.

Looks may be subjective, but there’s no denying the ID.3 stands out among the ICE-powered cars offered by the VW core brand. The exterior represents a significant departure from the e-Golf it replaces, while the minimalist interior is also a first for the German brand. In case you haven’t noticed already, “pause” and “play” logos have been embedded into the brake and accelerator pedals, respectively.

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The adjacent videos are showing not only the regular ID.3, but also the upscale limited-run launch edition for which VW has already received 30,000 preorders. It comes with the mid-range 58-kWh battery and offers 201 bhp of power, with an instant torque of 229 pound-feet channelled to the rear wheels.

Carrying a starting price of under €30,000 in Europe (approx. £26,850 at the current rates), the ID.3 1^st is going to be offered in three fixed configurations, with the range topper being a “Max” version featuring everything from a head-up display and Beats sound system to a panoramic sliding roof and 20-inch wheels.

Production of the 2020 VW ID.3 will commence in November, but the first customer deliveries won't be made until next summer.

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