ID.3 – a milestone EV for its manufacturer, Volkswagen – is finally hitting the showroom floors after its announcement last year. But before you reach for your wallet, we would recommend checking out the first reviews. By the sound of it, things are quite bad.
The automaker openly admitted issues with the car’s software and electronic systems early this summer, but it looks like this is by far not the only issue. German reviewers from Auto Motor und Sport obtained a battery hatchback in the topmost trim called 1st Edition Max and found the €48,735 asking price (before subsidies) ridiculous.
The first issue is build quality. Reportedly, parts are poorly aligned both on the outside and inside, the reverse side of the hood sports some seriously sloppy painting, the hard plastic in the cabin feels cheap and gets dirty easily, and the upholstery somehow manages to feel worn and soiled even in a brand-new car.
Things are even worse with the electronics, Auto Motor und Sport reports. The systems take way too long to load up and feel sluggish, satellite navigation keeps losing track of satellites, online services flicker in and out of availability, and only select voice commands are recognized properly. The reversing camera did not work at all in the tested example, and the touchscreen display was mounted so far away from the driver’s seat, the driver had to strain himself reaching out for it.
The one upside of the new ID.3 is, apparently, its road performance. The e-hatch was pleasant to drive and easy to accelerate and brake. The driving range, however, proved to be disappointingly small. The 58-kilowatt-hour battery the car comes with is WLTP-rated for up to 440 kilometers (273 miles) of uninterrupted driving, however, the reporters only managed to squeeze 359 km (223 mi) out of it using Power Saving Mode. In real-life conditions, drivers could be looking forward to as little as 260 km (161 miles) of city range.
The verdict was predictably harsh: the Volkswagen ID.3 is an unfinished vehicle that is not worth its asking price and must be recalled for troubleshooting ASAP.