Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance review

Does the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX have the performance to meet its electric hot hatch ambitions and compete with growing pool of rivals?

The Volkswagen ID.3 GTX feels like it has been a long time coming.

The ID.3 first arrived in 2019, but we’ve had to wait until 2024 and an entire model facelift before getting this more performance-focused option.

The GTX badge is intended to be the electric equivalent of the petrol GTI, and the ID.7 and ID Buzz have also both just received the GTX treatment. But VW’s head of technical development says the ID.3 GTX is the star of the show and claims it is the electric counterpart to the potent Golf GTI Clubsport.

That’s quite a statement and one that this first electric hot hatch from VW is going to have to work hard to live up to.

Design, interior and technology

Last year’s facelift brought minor changes to the overall appearance of the ID.3 but didn’t add a whole load of character to the sensible five-door hatchback look. The GTX enhances the basic looks with some sharper arrowhead running lights, a bespoke lower bumper with diamond pattern and 20-inch diamond-cut alloys. Exterior trim including the air intakes, front spoiler, side skirts mirror caps and rear diffuser are finished in gloss black, adding a slightly more aggressive appearance.

The 2023 upgrade definitely improved the interior, especially in the material quality, but the ID.3’s cabin is still not the most inspiring of places. The GTX touches help a little but they’re quite subtle – limited to a specially designed steering wheel with GTX badge, a GTX-specific dashboard finish, some red trim on the upholstery and a red ambient light in sport mode.

And there are still some strange carry overs from the standard car. This is the first hot hatch I’ve driven that has armrests built into the seats like a Range Rover.

The rest of the cabin is a fairly featureless affair with a broad plain dashboard dominated by a 12.9-inch touchscreen, with a smaller digital instrument pod floating above the steering column. It is, at least, better quality than early ID.3 and spacious, too. There’s plenty of legroom for four adults to get comfortable, generous headroom and decent width for four as well. And a boot of 385 litres is plenty for a weekly shop or a few suitcases.

The new infotainment screen is bigger and brighter than before and the interface is better thought and more responsive too. There’s still too much reliance on the screen and haptic controls, but it has ironed out a lot of the initial problems and better shortcuts make accessing important functions easier.

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX battery, motor and technology

As befits the performance variant of the range, the ID.3 GTX gets a power boost over regular versions of the car.

It’s still rear-wheel-drive only but in Performance models the motor has been turned up to 322bhp and 402lb ft. That’s a healthy additional 121bhp and 203lb ft and results in a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds – a whole two seconds quicker than the next closest ID.3.

The ID.3 GTX certainly has punch. All that torque gives it instant pick-up and the car surges forward with the kind of pace you want from a hot hatch. Thanks to the nature of electric motors, that punch is also available immediately whenever you want it.

On the handling front, the GTX gets a bespoke chassis setup and progressive steering as standard. The Performance also comes with adjustable sports suspension as part of the DCC adaptive chassis control. Unlike older hot VWs which had three simple suspension settings, the GTX has a sliding scale of stiffness with 15 options, from comfortable to, well, uncomfortable. It’s nice to have the adjustability but I wonder how many buyers will simply stick it somewhere around 8 or 9 and leave it at that.

At 15 it’s a touch too fidgety but dialled back a couple of dots and the chassis is firm and controlled and mated to responsive if slightly lifeless steering. You can press on with confidence that the car will change direction quickly and stay pretty flat, but the whole package just lacks a little bit of flair or aggression. It feels a bit like the Golf R – fast, capable and able to cover long cross-country runs with ease but just not involving enough.

I drove the ID.3 GTX a day after testing the Abarth 600e and the Italian crossover felt more like an old-school hot hatch than this hatchback from the godfathers of hot hatches. I confess part of that is down to being able to explore the Abarth’s abilities on track while being restricted to mediocre Midlands roads in the VW, but the Abarth feels like it has more character than the capable but slightly sanitised VW.

On the more humdrum front, the ID.3 GTX gets a 79kWh battery for a commendable 369 miles of range, and 185kW DC charging will get it from 10 to 80% in less than 25 minutes.

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX price and specification

There’s only one version of the ID.3 GTX on sale in the UK right now, and that’s the Performance model. Priced from £46,315, it’s just over £6,000 more expensive than the Pro S Match model. For that, you get a bigger battery as well as the substantial uplift in performance. You also get heated front seats, an augmented reality head-up display and 30-colour ambient lighting, as well as a Harman Kadron stereo and park assistant plus. However, the closely related Cupra Born VZ, which offers the same performance, starts at under £45,000. And the more lively Abarth 600e is just over £42,000 in its most potent form. 

Verdict

The ID.3 GTX is a definite step in the right direction for Volkswagen. It’s a more convincing ‘hot’ proposition than any of the other GTX models, but it still feels like there’s more to be squeezed out of it.

Viewed as a quick and capable family car rather than the electric equivalent of a GTI Clubsport, it’s a winner. It drives better than the rest of the ID.3 family and the extra performance and improved looks help elevate it too.

However, with existing rivals such as the Abarth and Cupra Born VZ, plus the arrival of cars like the Alpine A290, it feels like VW still needs to do some work to restore its hot hatch credentials.

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance

• Price: £43,345
• Powertrain: single-motor, rear-wheel-drive
• Battery: 79kWh
• Power: 322bhp
• Torque: 402lb ft
• Top speed: 124mph
• 0-62mph: 5.7 seconds
• Range: 269 miles
• Consumption: 4.4m/kWh
• Charging: up to 185kW