Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review

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Wolfsburg brings some GTI attitude to the EV equivalent of the Golf, creating its first electric hot hatch

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Volkswagen's history of hot hatches stretches all the way back to the 1975 Frankfurt motor show, where it unveiled the original Golf GTI.

So much as mention 'hot hatch' and the first thing that comes to most enthusiasts’ minds is that Volkswagen badge: GTI.

In fact, the badge is so iconic that the company’s boss has made it clear that, had he been in charge at the time, he wouldn’t have created a new GTX badge especially for hot EVs – and indeed it will be retired.

For the time being, though, the new Volkswagen ID 3 GTX is as close as we’re going to get to an electric Golf GTI.

The ID 3 GTX is the first Volkswagen hot hatch powered entirely by an electric motor and the first to be sold exclusively with rear-wheel drive. 

But is the ID 3 GTX superb or soulless? Read our review below for our full verdict.

Volkswagen ID 3 GTX range at a glance

There are two ID 3 GTX models, both featuring a rear-mounted electric motor. The entry-level car gets 282bhp while the GTX Performance, the only variant to go on sale in the UK, is uprated to 321bhp.

Both cars feature an 84kWh battery with a 79kWh usable capacity, with a range figure rated at 369 miles. 

Model Power
ID 3 GTX 282bhp
ID 3 GTX Performance 321bhp

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Volkswagen ID 3 GTX rear cornering

In the UK, the ID 3 GTX is sold exclusively in range-topping Performance guise, with 322bhp and 402lb ft of torque, at a price of just over £46,000.

Even with a kerb weight of 2000kg, that’s sufficient to provide the most powerful ID 3 variant with a 0-62mph time of 5.7sec and a governed top speed of 124mph, placing it in direct competition with the heavily related Cupra Born VZ.

Even with 102lb ft more torque to make up for its 42bhp-per-tonne deficit, the ID 3 GTX fails to match the Golf GTI Clubsport's 0-62mph time of 5.6sec, albeit by a scant 0.1sec.
Greg Kable
European editor

With the milder 282bhp and the same 402lb ft of torque, the regular GTX has a 0-62mph sprint of 5.9sec and a top speed of 112mph. For reference, the regular Golf GTI also achieves 0-62mph in 5.9sec.

The ID 3 is the sixth Volkswagen EV to receive the GTX badge, following the four-wheel-drive ID 4 and ID 5 crossovers, ID Buzz MPV, ID 7 saloon and ID 7 Tourer estate.

Like them, the ID 3 GTX receives a number of unique styling touches, including a restyled front bumper with a high-gloss central black air intake and arrow-shaped LED daytime-running lights.

Further back, there are reshaped sills and a redesigned diffuser element within the lower section of the rear bumper - again, both in high-gloss black. The standard 20in alloy wheels feature a black inner section, but they can be ordered in all black as an option.

Aside from that, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this high-performance variant and a regular ID 3.

INTERIOR

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Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review front interior

The sporting accents continue inside – most prominent being a flat-bottomed steering wheel with red highlights and GTX identification within the lower spoke.

The Premium seats that are usually an option in the ID 3 are standard here. Offered in either fabric or synthetic leather, they receive red stitching and perforated GTX logos within the backrests. More heavily bolstered Ergoactive seats with red GTX lettering within the backrest are optional.

Further highlights include a new centrally mounted 12.9in Infotainment touchscreen featuring a revised menu structure and natural-language voice control with ChatGPT-based AI integration.

The gear controller from earlier models has been removed from the end of the digital instrument binnacle and is now integrated into a steering wheel column stalk.

The interior of the ID 3 GTX is solidly built. However, the quality of some materials used within the dashboard and other areas of the interior, particularly the areas of hard, high-gloss black plastic, leaves a lot to be desired in a car at this price.

The flat floor of the MEB platform that underpins all of Volkswagen’s EVs also positions you quite high, in both the front and rear, even with the seats set in their lowest position. Combined with a low waistline, this gives you the feeling that you're sitting on the car, rather than in it, which isn't ideal for high-performance driving. 

As with all other ID 3 models, there's 385 litres of luggage space at the rear, expandable to 1267 litres when the rear seats are folded down, but no 'frunk'.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review hard cornering

Power comes from Volkswagen's AP550 electric motor and a single-speed gearbox mounted within the rear axle assembly.

First unveiled on the ID 7 saloon, this synchronous motor offers noticeably stronger acceleration than the older APP310 motor used in the ID 3 Pro. It provides the ID 3 GTX great response and a good turn of speed on a planted throttle, despite its significant weight.

In keeping with the philosophy that Volkswagen has taken with the Volkswagen Golf GTI for almost half a century, the ID 3 GTX isn't over-endowed with power, even in Performance guise. However, the drivetrain changes do succeed in conveying an extra sense of performance.

The GTX Performance produces 321bhp, but it doesn't feel all that much faster than the standard GTX. Outside of its rather abrupt Sport driving mode, which can make the car lunge and thrust uncomfortably, it's not exactly blistering. 

The drivetrain is much better suited to long-distance driving. It will comfortably soak up the miles, and with great efficiency too. 

The lack of a raspy exhaust note will possibly leave some potential customers to question its outright sportiness. It's superbly refined, though, with seamless and silent qualities no matter how hard you wring its motor.

Coupled with the new motor is an equally new 79kWh lithium ion battery that’s claimed to provide the ID 3 GTX with an overall range of up to 375 miles – 28 miles more than the old 77kWh battery gives the ID 3 Pro S.

It also has a 15kW-faster charging capacity, at 185kW, allowing a 10-80% refill in 26 minutes on a high-powered DC charger, according to Volkswagen.

RIDE & HANDLING

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Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review rear cornering

The suspension of the ID 3 has been reworked with retuned springs and dampers in a bid to provide the GTX with a sporting edge. There are subtle tweaks to the steering and brakes too.     

It's rewarding in that the steering is direct and very precise, giving the ID 3 GTX inherently agile and responsive handling.

Upgraded 215/45 R20 Bridgestone Turanza tyres provide plenty of front-end grip while the rear end remains stable, without any premature interference from the stability control system when you begin to push.

The heavily damped suspension helps to suppress body movements well on more challenging roads and there is no noticeable deterioration in ride quality compared with the ID 3 Pro S. It’s a pleasing and untaxing car to drive over long distances.

What you don’t get, though, is the sort of meaningful feedback that you would traditionally expect in a hot hatch. There are impressive qualities to its on-road character, but the ID 3 GTX isn't a terrifically involving car to drive.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review front cornering

The ID 3 GTX Performance is priced at just over £46,000 in the UK, which makes it slightly more expensive than the Cupra Born VZ. It's also £6000 more than the Golf GTI and £4000 more than the Golf GTI Clubsport.

That price will be a hard pill to swallow for many drivers. It's even £3000 more than the range-topping Golf R, which brings four-wheel drive and even higher performance. 

The range is rated at 369 miles and Volkswagen claims you'll achieve around 4.4mpkWh. We found this to be pretty accurate in the GTX Performance, which returned 4.3mpkWh during our test drive. 

VERDICT

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Volkswagen ID 3 GTX review full front parked

As EVs evolve, we’re beginning to see some clever measures to enliven their driving experience. 

The new N Active Sound+ and N e-Shift functions developed by Hyundai for the Ioniq 5 N are just two examples of how software solutions can serve to heighten the interaction between car and driver. Such measures are missing here.

Ultimately, the ID 3 GTX fails to generate the sort of engagement that characterises its petrol equivalent, the Golf GTI.

Buyers will get a very mature car with plenty of pace, impressive energy efficiency, secure handling, a roomy interior and Volkswagen’s latest digital functions.

But the ID 3 GTX and the GTX Performance both fail to offer a significantly more sporting feel than the ID 3 Pro S.