Volkswagen has announced UK prices and specifications for its new ID.3 GTX electric hot hatchback.
Revealed earlier this year, the GTX is the flagship model in the ID.3 range, and will cost from £46,225.
It becomes the latest vehicle in Volkswagen’s ID lineup – which now includes the ID.7 saloon and ID.Buzz MPV – to receive the sporty GTX treatment.
Volkswagen is making bold claims for the ID.3 GTX, saying that it should be considered as the ‘electric counterpart to the Golf GTI Clubsport’.
The electric Volkswagen GTI?
Earlier this year, Kai Grünitz, member of the Volkswagen board in charge of technical development, said: “Of course, an electric drive and a turbocharged petrol engine each have their own unique character. Yet the ID.3 GTX and the Golf GTI Clubsport share the same fascinating lightness when they accelerate.”
The ID.3 GTX certainly has the on-paper power to support Volkswagen’s assertion about its hot hatch credentials.
A total of 326hp, complemented by 402lb ft of torque, allows the rear-wheel-drive GTX to accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. That makes it only 0.1 seconds slower than the recently revised Golf GTI Clubsport.
For the first time in a VW ID model, the GTX’s top speed is not limited. However, a 124mph maximum is still well short of the 155mph achieved by the Clubsport.
Progressive-rate steering and sports suspension featuring Volkwagen’s DCC adaptive dampers are both included as standard.
GTX on sale soon
A 79kWh battery pack means the ID.3 GTX can cover an officially tested range of up to 369 miles. Recharging from 10 to 80 percent takes 26 minutes with a 185kW charging device.
Exterior changes for the GTX include bespoke front and rear bumpers, along with redesigned side sills and a set of 20-inch ‘Skagen’ alloy wheels.
Sports seats, trimmed in a mixture of cloth and leatherette, are found inside. There is also a GTX-specific steering wheel, Harman Kardon sound system and plenty of decorative red stitching.
Prices in the UK start at £46,225, and UK orders can be placed from today: Thursday 29 August 2024.
