{"id":152535,"date":"2020-09-09T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=152535"},"modified":"2020-09-09T11:00:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T15:00:01","slug":"new-volkswagen-id-3-slammed-by-influential-german-auto-magazine","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/reviews\/new-volkswagen-id-3-slammed-by-influential-german-auto-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"New Volkswagen ID.3 Slammed by Influential German Auto Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The new ID.3 was harshly criticized by German magazine Auto Motor und Sport for a variety of issues during an early review of the new EV.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new Volkswagen ID.3 battery-electric vehicle has been slammed hard by Germany\u2019s most influential automotive magazine, Auto Motor und Sport laying in on a variety of issues including faulty fit-and-finish and electronics problems \u2013 though reviewers did praise the BEV\u2019s driving dynamics.<\/p>\n

The review is just the latest setback for VW\u2019s multi-billion-dollar push into electrification, the launch of the ID.3 previously being delayed because of significant onboard electrical issues. The subcompact hatchback is the first long-range offering by the Volkswagen brand which hopes to have about 50 BEVs in production by mid-decade. It already has launched models under the Audi and Porsche badges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inner side of the hood looks like it was painted with a spray can,\u201d the magazine said in its first review of the ID.3, noting that the battery car does not meet VW\u2019s traditional build quality standards.<\/p>\n

(Volkswagen running into problems with ID.3 production.)<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The battery car is the first model to be produced at VW\u2019s big factory in Zwickau, Germany, which recently underwent a complete makeover to exclusively focus on electric vehicle production. The ID.3 hatchback will shortly be followed by the ID.4, the larger crossover set to become the Volkswagen brand\u2019s first long-range EV targeting the U.S. market.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The magazine called attention to multiple panel gap issues with the new ID.3.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Auto Motor und Sport\u2019s lengthy review, the ID.3 suffered from a variety of issues, most notably mismatched panel gaps. Its infotainment system was slow to fire up after starting the car and its navigation system was defective.<\/p>\n

The test car also proved to deliver less range than promised, only 260 kilometers, or 161 miles, during a mix of spirited local and highway driving. It scored better when driven cautiously, about 359 km \u2013 or 223 miles \u2013 before needing a recharge. Range has been a sore point with reviews of Volkswagen AG\u2019s other new battery-car models, including the Audi e-tron and Porsche Taycan.<\/p>\n

The ID.3 has had a troubling drive from concept to showroom. Last December, the automaker confirmed reports of \u201cmassive\u201d software issues, though it didn\u2019t offer specific details. The problem was believed to impact some of the first production models being built at Zwickau and required changes to both the ID.3 and the ID.4 models.<\/p>\n

(VW launches ID.4 production ahead of U.S. sales.)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The problems continued in 2020, the automaker\u2019s labor union chief faulting the company for letting the ID.3 project slip behind schedule. VW officials subsequently acknowledged there were fixes needed before bringing the car out to the public.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
It wasn’t all bad in the review of the ID.3 as the magazine praise its driving dynamic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But they have subsequently tried to play up the results. And at least one competitor had kind words to offer, Tesla CEO Elon Musk pronouncing the ID.3 \u201cpretty good\u201d after a drive in Berlin. VW CEO Herbert Diess, in turn, complimented the Tesla Model Y he drove at the same time, calling it \u201ca reference \u2026 for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Auto Motor und Sport review of the new ID.3 wasn\u2019t entirely negative. The magazine praised the performance of the powertrain, most notably.<\/p>\n

“The drive and chassis, on the other hand, work perfectly,” reviewers said. “The equally natural and agile handling of the compact is one of the strengths of the ID.3.”<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen how the magazine\u2019s review will impact sales of the new ID.3, but Auto Motor und Sport is closely followed in Germany and other parts of Europe.<\/p>\n

(VW begins taking reservations for ID.4 EV next month with emphasis on online ordering.)<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

VW can\u2019t afford to take such serious hits if it is to meet long-term electrification goals. The company wants to have 50 BEVs in production by 2025, generating 1.5 million annual sales. It hopes to increase the tally to 79 models by the end of the decade. To get there it is spending tens of billions on product development and billions more setting up factories to produce those various products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The launch of the new VW ID.3 has been a troubled one and the battery car has now taken a sharp hit in a review by an influential German magazine which found a variety of problems, reports TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":139489,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"category_reviews":[27],"make":[113],"post-state":[],"category_old":[118,150,151,123,131,319,289,155,299,132,125,122,120,139,291,278,232],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/152535"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152535"},{"taxonomy":"category_reviews","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_reviews?post=152535"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=152535"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=152535"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=152535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}