A free software update will be offered once the systems are available. Early buyers can also choose to delay receipt of their ID 3 until the systems are fully ready.
The ID 3 will eventually be sold with three battery capacities and two power outputs. The First edition, which was offered to people who pre-booked a car, will use the mid-sized 58kWh battery for a claimed range of 261 miles. It will have 201bhp, 229lb ft and a 100mph top speed. It can be charged via a 100kW DC connection or a 11kW AC system.
The ID 3 First will feature three trim levels – basic, Plus and Max – although only the mid-level Plus version will be offered in the UK when sales start in mid-July. While the exact UK trim has yet to be confirmed, it’s set to include 19in alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, a rear-view camera and ‘dynamic’ LED lights.
ID 4 SUV to be followed by electric saloon and MPV
Following the ID 3 into UK showrooms will be the larger ID 4 SUV, whose external dimensions will mirror those of the soon-to-be-facelifted second-generation Tiguan, with seating for up to five.
The ID 4 will be revealed in late August before UK deliveries start in the second quarter of 2021. Two versions will be offered: a standard model with an upright tailgate and an emphasis on versatility and a sportier version with a coupé-like profile, potentially using the Cross suffix.
At launch, the ID 4 will be exclusively rear-wheel drive, with a single electric motor offering up to 201bhp and 229lb ft. A more powerful, four-wheel-drive GTX model running two motors with a combined 302bhp and 332lb ft will join the line-up within the first 12 months of sales.
The ID 4 will be sold with a range of batteries up to 83kWh, giving a range of as much as 311 miles. All models will also offer charging at up to 125kW.
Production of the ID 4 is scheduled to take place in Germany, China and the US.
Autocar sources confirm development is already well progressed on production versions of the ID Roomzz, ID Buzz and ID Vizzion concepts, with all three set to make their debuts by the end of 2022.
The production version of the ID Roomzz large SUV, conceived primarily for the Chinese and US markets, will retain the seven-seat layout of the concept. It shares the MEB platform with the short-wheelbase ID Buzz MPV/ van and is likely to be sold exclusively with a twin-motor, four-wheel-drive set-up.
Also under development are commercial vehicle derivatives of the ID Buzz, as previewed by the ID Cargo concept. The production version will offer two wheelbases and battery sizes from 48kWh to 111kWh – the latter claimed to enable a 342-mile range.
Welsch has denied reports that the ID Vizzion saloon will replace the Passat. Similar to that combustion-engined model, it will be sold as both a saloon and an estate and with rear- and four-wheel drive.