SAIC Volkswagen ID.3
Is it the most anticipated electric car of the year?
I am delighted to have had intimate contact with the test car before the ID.3 is launched. There are three points that attract me most: avant-garde design, appropriate size, and maturity in driving experience, all from Volkswagen. Currently, the test car of ID.3 cannot obtain a license plate and cannot be driven on the road for experience. This makes me very much looking forward to future road tests.
It doesn’t matter if the flow is not abundant. The class representative has marked the key points for everyone.
First of all, it is essential to clarify a concept. The size of the ID.3 is similar to that of the Golf, with a length of over 4.2 meters, but its wheelbase reaches 2765 mm, basically exceeding one level compared to the 2636 mm of the Golf. This enables the ID.3 to provide spacious interior space while maintaining a small body, which is the advantage of the MEB pure electric platform.
How can it achieve such a long wheelbase? Because its front and rear overhangs are significantly shorter than those of the same size fuel car. Shorter overhangs also have another benefit, which is more flexible for parking and walking in small alleys in the city. Additionally, since the MEB is a dedicated electric vehicle platform, the body and structure of the vehicle models based on it are designed from scratch, which is safer and has a higher space utilization rate than many oil-to-electric vehicle models.
When it comes to ID.3, the design cannot be ignored. It looks like it was running out of a science fiction movie, with a large area of front windshield and a short front hood, streamlined overall, and symmetrical proportions. Coupled with the emotional headlights, the entire front face looks fierce.Opening the car door, you are greeted with a minimalist and avant-garde ambience created by the black, white, and gray splicing. The interior design of ID.3 follows the style of the ID. family, with all the functions integrated in the central control screen and only the most important information displayed on the compact instrument panel, while the dazzling display effects are left to the oversized HUD head-up display in front. Moreover, the instrument panel is linked to the steering wheel, ensuring that the view is unobstructed regardless of the steering wheel’s adjustment.
As for the gear lever next to the instrument panel, it is right in front of you, making it easy to shift between D-mode and B-mode, which improves safety.
Due to the simplicity of the interior design and the fact that electric cars do not have as many space-consuming items as gasoline cars, the storage space of ID.3 is very abundant. There is a large storage compartment in the center, where small items such as mobile phones, wallets, water bottles, and other small items can easily find a place to be stored.
The rear space is equally impressive. Compared to gasoline cars of the same size, ID.3 has a considerable advantage, with an almost flat floor, ensuring the comfort of passengers in the rear even when fully loaded. Additionally, the rear seat cushions are relatively high, which is good news for tall people.
So, those are the key features of ID.3 in terms of design and interior layout. In China, the ID.3 is equipped with a 57.3-degree battery and a motor output of 170 Ps, with a NEDC range of 430 km. Combined with previous experiences of driving the ID.4, this range should be practical. So, you can expect a driving experience similar to that of ID.4. After all, ID.4 is such a large car, yet its chassis vibration filtering and body attitude control are both very good.
According to the manufacturer, the price of ID.3 may be around 180,000 yuan (certainly lower than ID.4), which is much lower than the starting price of 30,000 pounds in Europe (where ID.3 is the sales champion) and much lower than Tesla Model 3, making it more appealing to a wider range of people. Over the past few decades, Golf has been Volkswagen’s star product, and now it appears that ID.3 also has the potential to become a star product in the field of electric cars.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.