The Volkswagen ID hatchback due to go on sale in Europe this year, at last, has a name: ID 3. And in Europe, as of today, it’s available for order.
The hatchback, which is an evolution of the first Volkswagen ID Concept, from 2016, says that it’s “the third major chapter of strategic importance” in the history of the brand, following the original Beetle and the Golf—thus the 3.
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Volkswagen also clarified that ID “stands for intelligent design, identity and visionary technologies.”
It’s also announced that in Europe it has started accepting 1,000 euro ($1,120) deposits in order to secure a spot for an initial limited run of 30,000 special-edition ID 3 cars, to be offered in four colors and three versions. The ID 3 1ST includes voice control and a navigation system; the 1ST Plus has lighting upgrades and a two-tone interior and exterior, and the 1ST Max has a panoramic glass roof and augmented-reality head-up display.
Volkswagen says that there will be three different battery sizes available, equating to WLTP ranges of 205 to 340 miles. WLTP ranges are consistently higher than EPA ratings, though there’s no direct conversion as they’re different driving cycles.
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Teaser for 2020 Volkswagen ID 3 debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto show
“The ID.3 is to be delivered to customers in carbon neutral form,” states a release from VW, noting again that both battery cell production and vehicle production are positioned for that goal.
VW is including a year of DC fast charging on the Ionity network, up to a maximum of 2,000 kwh, at no additional charge.
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VW also offered a slightly different timeline for the ID 3 than had been previously suggested. Although production will start late this year, as VW has said all along, it now says that first deliveries won’t be made until mid-2020.
Binding orders for most countries will start in September, after the reveal of the production version at this year’s Frankfurt auto show. It will be offered for 29 European markets, with the most important being Norway, Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Although the U.S. isn’t due to get the ID 3, this sets the stage for the rollout of a model based on the ID Crozz concept in 2020. Now will that model be called the ID 4, ID 5, or ID 3X?
