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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.