VW ID.3 SUV (ID.3 X) will compete with the Kona EV & Niro EV [Update]

Update: ‘U.S. launch’ section updated.

Volkswagen has confirmed plans to introduce ten new electric vehicles by the year 2026, and one of them will likely be the VW ID.3 SUV. Positioned below the ID.4 (and above a future electric small SUV), the ID.3 SUV will be something like the T-Roc that today sits between the T-Cross and Tiguan in the European lineup.

Confirmation

On October 26, 2022, Thomas Schäfer held a conference in Berlin to outline the new strategy for Volkswagen as he completed his first 100 days as the CEO of the company. After that event, he wrote on LinkedIn that Volkswagen is considering a compact SUV based on the ID.3. He said, “In addition, we are looking into creating a compact SUV based on the ID.3.”

The same day, Autocar cited Schäfer saying that the VW ID.3 SUV would look dramatically different from the ID.3 hatchback and arrive before 2026. That evening, Automobilwoche quoted Schäfer saying the German automaker is working “intensively” (translated) on the new compact SUV, clarifying the project is beyond the evaluation stage and that the wheels are in motion.

Features

While the exterior of the ID.3 SUV will be quite different from the hatchback, the interior could be quite similar. It may download all the improvements of the new ID.3. Expect it to have an updated infotainment system that’s finally stutter-free, a revised steering wheel with physical buttons, higher quality materials, and other fixes the media and customers have asked for in the electric hatchback.

Specifications

The targeted release date suggests that the VW ID.3 SUV will sit on the updated version of the MEB platform – MEB+. On April 12, 2022, at the UBS Paris Electric Car Day event, Dr. Silke Bagschik, Head of Marketing & Sales, Product Line e-Mobility, Volkswagen Group, revealed the planned improvements for the MEB platform. She said that Volkswagen is working on increasing the maximum DC charging input of MEB platform-based EVs to 200 kW and their range (WLTP) to up to 700 km (435 miles) and reducing their 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time to as low as about 5.5 seconds.

The ID.3 SUV may get the same battery pack and motor options as the new ID.3. Volkswagen could launch the ID.3 SUV with 58 kWh and 77 kWh battery pack options and 110 kW and 150 kW (147 hp and 201 hp) rear motor options. A GTX variant that sports two motors with a combined power of 220 kW (295 hp) and offers an all-wheel drive drivetrain layout may follow soon after the launch. A VW ID.3 GTX (hatch) is already on the way.

U.S. launch

In January 2023, Volkswagen decided to manufacture an electric compact SUV, a model smaller than the ID.4, in the U.S., Handelsblatt reported on the 31st of the month. The German publication said the company plans to manufacture it locally at the Chattanooga plant or the Puebla factory in Mexico starting in the middle of the decade. This model will likely be the VW ID.3 SUV.

The VW electric compact SUV coming to the U.S. around 2026 will likely have a battery pack manufactured in Ontario, Canada, Handelsblatt reported. We’re confident the main motive behind sourcing the battery pack from a North American production facility would be to ensure the model is eligible for America’s Clean Vehicle Tax Credits of up to USD 7,500.

Speaking at the Reuters Events Automotive USA 2023 conference in Detroit in November 2023, Reinhard Fischer, SVP, Strategy for Volkswagen North America and VW Group, said that the company plans to build a sub-$35,000 EV in the U.S. or Mexico in the next 3-4 years. He reportedly also mentioned that the company is considering the local assembly of battery packs to qualify for incentives. While Reinhard did not identify the car, it is likely that he is referring to the ID.3-based SUV.

While the VW ID.3 never made it to the U.S. due to its size and primarily European design, the ID.3 SUV could have a chance in the U.S., as a sub-USD 35,000 model. European production of the new model will likely take place in Wolfsburg, Germany.

TopElectricSUV says

As the world increasingly turns to high-riding cars, the ID.3 SUV is likely to be more appealing than the ID.3 hatchback. It promises more passenger and cargo space, as well as added ground clearance, which improves practicality and usability. The ID.3 SUV will offer customers an all-electric alternative to the Tiguan that’s smaller and cheaper than the ID.4.

Also See: New VW e-Golf (VW ID. Golf) could be a cheaper alternative to the ID.3

VW ID.3 SUV (VW ID.3 X) FAQs

Featured Image: TopElectricSUV’s rendering of the VW ID.3 SUV. The rendering is for illustrative purpose only.