In Germany, the ID 3 First will be offered in three trim levels – basic, Plus and Max – although only the mid-level version will intially be offered in the UK.
The ID 3 First cars offered in the UK will feature 19in alloy wheels, 30-colour ambient lighting, heated seat and steering wheel, and matrix LED front and LED rear lights. The First models will feature an Exterior Style Silver pack featuring a silver roofline and grey sills and bumpers. Buyers can choose from four exterior colours and three interior schemes.
The UK-bound models will also come with a rear-view camera as standard, along with automatic cruise control, rear privacy glass and an anti-theft alarm. Notably, the mid-level ID 3 First models that will be offered in the UK at launch don’t come with the top-level cockpit infotainment system that includes the head-up display. That means the only software upgrade UK buyers will require will be for the full App Connect features.
In continental Europe, buyers of the first cars to be delivered will be given membership of a ‘First Movers’ club, which will include the eventual software update, with those leasing cars not paying any rates for the first three months. It’s not yet known whether any of these initiatives will be offered to UK buyers.
General ordering for the ID 3 for those who haven’t pre-booked will open four weeks after the car first goes on sale. Volkswagen has yet to outline trim levels and pricing for those models, or when various power levels and battery sizes will be introduced.
Volkswagen offered a pre-ordering service for the ID 3 First, with more than 35,000 customers worldwide placing a refundable deposit. Those who placed a deposit in continental Europe will be able to buy their cars from 17 June onwards. The delay in the UK was due to the extra time required to gain type approval for right-hand-drive versions.
Volkswagen sales boss Jürgen Stackmann also insisted that ID 3 deliveries remained on track to begin this summer, despite the extended production suspension at Volkswagen’s Zwickau plant due to Covid-19.
“The focus of the company now is on ID 3,” said Stackmann. “We’re almost ready, and we just need a few more weeks to get the software to where we need it to be. The entire team are working on this topic, and we want to deliver a great quality product on time – and that time is this summer.”
Stackmann added that Volkswagen was still aiming to meet its target of building 100,000 ID 3s this year but that it might be unable to fully recover from the extended shutdown in the second half of the year.
Prices for the ID 3 in the UK will eventually start from around £27,500 before the government grant for the entry-level 45kWh Pure version.
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