Volkswagen presented the sporty ID.3 GTX – the new flagship model in the product line. The ID.3 GTX is a powerhouse that is available with a choice of two different outputs, starting with the new high-efficiency drive in the 210 kW version (286 PS). The ID.3 GTX Performance with 240 kW (326 PS) brings even more power into play – the electric compact sports car therefore has the most powerful Volkswagen electric drive motor to date. Both GTX versions effortlessly convert their power into traction at the rear axle. The body and chassis layout offers significant benefits here: with the new 79 kWh battery (net) located in the sandwich floor and precisely in the centre of the vehicle, this design offers a sporty low centre of gravity and ideal axle load distribution. Visually, the GTX models are characterised by an individualised exterior and interior. The range of standard equipment has been expanded significantly. At the same time as the GTX debut, the product line will launch with a completely newly developed infotainment system generation.
79 kWh battery and 175 kW charging capacity
The ID.3 GTX uses the same new high-efficiency drive that also powers the latest generation of the ID.4 and ID.5 as well as the all-new ID.7 – an APP550 permanent magnet synchronous motor (PSM). The special feature for the ID.3 GTX is that the drive motor is not only offered with an output of 210 kW, but also with 240 kW for the first time. The electric drive motor produces a maximum torque of 545 Nm for both output ratings – thus exceeding the drive power of the most powerful Volkswagen V6 turbocharged engines. These motors accelerate the ID.3 to 100 km/h with a noticeable punch in just 6.0 (GTX) and up to 5.6 seconds (GTX Performance) (forecast values); the speed is electronically limited to 180 km/h (111 mph) and 200 km/h (124 mph) respectively. The drive motors are powered by a new 79 kWh (net) lithium-ion battery, which can be charged with up to 175 kW of energy at DC quick-charging stations (forecast value). With this power, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent again in about 26 minutes (forecast value). The combined WLTP range of the ID.3 GTX is expected to be about 600 km (forecast value).
GTX exterior
The ID.3 GTX stands out from all other models in the product line thanks to its individualised exterior design. The GTX-specific front bumper features a new independent black air intake in a diamond-style design. The bumper has new daytime running lights on the right and left sides – they comprise two LED triangles positioned on top of each other to create an arrowhead shape and are now part of the visual insignia of all the new GTX models. The black elements of the body have a high-gloss finish. This additionally applies to the newly designed side sills and the new lower area of the rear end equipped with a diffuser. Also new are the 20-inch Skagen alloy wheels that come as standard. Matching the GTX style, the wheels feature black-painted inner surfaces and bright diamond-cut outer surfaces. The 20-inch Skagen GTX wheel will be available completely in black as an option.
GTX interior
Numerous GTX-specific features also individualise the interior of the ID.3 GTX. Premium sport seats (in fabric and leatherette) come as standard and underline the sporty character of the most powerful ID.3 models with their ergonomic form, red decorative stitching and perforated GTX lettering in the front backrests. Customised ergoActive seats in GTX design are optionally available. In this case, the seats are finished with the dark ArtVelours Eco microfleece, while the outer seat surfaces are covered in textile fabric and a high-quality leatherette. The seat backrests feature integrated red GTX lettering. The front seats are electrically adjustable. Red seams as well as a red application on the bottom steering wheel trim and the chrome GTX lettering integrated there characterise the sporty multi-function steering wheel in all GTX versions. The high-quality cockpit surface is GTX-specific.
New infotainment system and ChatGPT
Parallel to the debut of the new GTX models, the ID.3 model series will receive a new cockpit landscape. The infotainment system has been completely revamped: the new generation features a significantly larger touchscreen (diagonal: 32.8 cm/12.9 inches) and a new, intuitive menu structure. The driving mode selector has been removed from the housing of the enhanced Digital Cockpit and designed as a separate steering column switch – as in the ID.7, for example. This creates space for the larger infotainment display. The new IDA voice assistant is operated using natural language. This not only enables the control of many vehicle functions, but also answers specific questions on all conceivable subjects by accessing online databases such as Wikipedia and has ChatGPT integration (artificial intelligence, AI) as a new feature. Another new feature is a Wellness app that uses preconfigured programmes to adjust various vehicle functions to improve well-being while driving or charging.
Front with GTX bumper
The ID.3 GTX is recognisable from the front by its distinctive bumper. This has an A-shaped air intake in the centre with a diamond-style grille. This diamond-style grille is a characteristic feature of the sporty Volkswagen models. The upper end of the grille continues on the left and right into a horizontal strip, which is framed at the sides by new daytime running lights. They comprise two LED triangles positioned on top of each other to create an arrowhead shape and are now part of the visual insignia of all the new GTX models. The air intake extends down to the front spoiler. All add-on parts of the ID.3 GTX – such as the air inlet grille, horizontal strips and front spoiler – are finished in high-gloss black. The otherwise optional IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights are part of the GTX equipment as standard; the headlights are visually connected by a horizontal LED strip beneath the bonnet.
Silhouette with new GTX wheel rims
The exterior mirror caps, side roof trim strips and the new, distinctive side sill panels of the ID.3 GTX are in high-gloss black as sporty differentiating features. In comparison, the ID.3 equipment lines Move, Pro and Pro S have mirror caps in the vehicle colour, roof trim strips in anthracite and side sills in matt dark plastic. The GTX models are additionally equipped with tinted rear windows as standard. The ID.3 GTX is further characterised by the newly designed 20-inch Skagen standard wheels with black inner surfaces and bright, diamond-cut outer surfaces. The ID.3 GTX is equipped with size 215 tyres, the ID.3 GTX Performance with size 235 tyres. The new 20-inch Skagen GTX wheel will be available completely in black as an option.
Rear end with GTX diffuser
The ID.3 GTX is characterised at the rear by a new diffuser with the same high-gloss finish as all the black body elements. Instead of the ID.3 lettering, the letters GTX are affixed under the Volkswagen logo. Both ID.3 GTX versions are equipped as standard with the top-of-the-range LED tail light clusters. These have a dynamic turn signal function and additionally feature an independent night light design with illuminated LED strips in the boot lid.
Five colours
As a characteristic GTX colour, the Kings red metallic paint finish will be available for the most powerful ID.3. The red is a tribute to the paintwork of the Golf GTI, as the colour composition references the classic Solid Tornado red of the icon. The roof of all ID.3 models is generally in high-gloss black. As an alternative to Kings red metallic, the ID.3 GTX can be ordered in the following four colours: Moonstone grey, Grenadilla black metallic, Glacier white metallic and Scale silver metallic.
GTX-specific features
Premium sport seats in GTX style as standard underline the sporty character of the ID.3 GTX, with their ergonomic form, red decorative stitching and GTX lettering in the backrests. The seats are upholstered with the new Lurus fabric (made from 100-per-cent recycled material) and an elegant and sustainably produced leatherette (ArtTex). The individualised interior features include red decorative seams on the door trims and a distinctive dash panel surface. Red stitching, a red application on the lower steering wheel trim (at six o’clock) and the chrome GTX lettering integrated there characterise the easy-grip multifunction steering wheel. The optionally available ergoActive seats are GTX-specific with red contrasting seams and piping. Their features include integrated headrests, electric adjustment, memory function and adjustable thigh support. The dark ArtVelours Eco microfleece is used here on the inner seat surfaces; this consists of 71-per-cent recycled material – a secondary raw material that is obtained by recycling plastic waste. The outer seat surfaces are covered in high-quality leatherette. The seat backrests feature integrated red GTX lettering. The contrasting stitching and piping on the seats are also in red. The red colour is a combination of the early Golf GTI colours Tornado red and Flash red and is thus a tribute to this Volkswagen icon.
New infotainment system, ChatGPT and Wellness app
Parallel to the debut of the new GTX models, the ID.3 product line will receive a new interior landscape. Volkswagen has further developed the Digital Cockpit – the digital instruments. At the same time, the driving mode selector lever has been removed from the housing of the Digital Cockpit and designed as a separate steering column switch. This creates space for the 32.8 cm (12.9-inch) diagonal display of the newly developed infotainment system. A completely new menu navigation design makes operation simple and almost self-explanatory. For this purpose, the display has two permanently visible touch bars at the top and bottom edges and a central home screen between these. The touch sliders for air conditioning and volume control at the bottom of the visually freestanding screen are now illuminated. The new IDA voice assistant is operated using natural language. This not only enables the control of many vehicle functions, but also answers specific questions on all conceivable subjects by accessing online databases such as Wikipedia and has ChatGPT integration (artificial intelligence, AI) as a new feature. Another new feature is a Wellness app that uses preconfigured programmes to adjust various vehicle functions to improve well-being while driving or during breaks. The optionally available augmented reality head-up display has been further enhanced. The predicted remaining range and average consumption are now displayed in addition to the conventional information.
12.9-inch infotainment system in detail
The top bar of the display features a new menu button on the left for direct access to all apps. Next to this is a button for the new Car Control Centre, which offers direct access to the most important vehicle functions and can be configured individually by the driver. The main menu and Car Control Centre are always visible and can be accessed immediately without having to close the active app. On the right of the Car Control Centre, there are four additional direct access buttons to which the available apps can be assigned as freely configurable favourite functions. The home screen in the middle combines the content of the most important apps on differently sized tiles in the overview display. Alongside classic content such as navigation and telephone operation, the tiles offer new functions such as suggestions from the IDA voice assistant. The bottom bar contains the air conditioning and ventilation functions as well as the seat heating. The central home button is also integrated in the middle here – the user can use this to return to the home screen at any time. The air conditioning menu and temperature settings are therefore always directly accessible. Located underneath is an illuminated control strip with the hazard warning light switch and sliders for controlling the interior temperature and audio volume.
IDA voice assistant in detail
With the help of the new IDA voice assistant, it is now easier than ever before to operate many functions of the ID.3 using natural speech. New functions include adjustment of the driving profiles or background lighting, for example. Also new is access to cloud-based information. The latter includes, for example, the weather, flight status of commercial airlines, current status of sports events or the news. In addition, questions on all kinds of topics imaginable can be asked thanks to the online integration of Wikipedia. In general, it is enough to use natural sentences such as: “What is the latest news?” Another new feature is that spoken commands are visualised on the infotainment system screen. The integration of ChatGPT in the IDA voice assistant is new.
ChatGPT in the ID.3 in detail
In future, the drivers and passengers of all new ID. models and the new Tiguan and Passat can use the voice assistant to access the database of artificial intelligence offered by ChatGPT, in order to have researched content read out while driving. The integration of ChatGPT offers a host of new possibilities that go far beyond the previous voice control. Nothing changes for the person at the wheel during use – there is no need to create a new account or install a new app. The voice assistant is activated with ‘Hello IDA’ and the request is forwarded to the AI in anonymised form only if the previous systems are unable to provide an answer. ChatGPT does not have any access to the vehicle data. Questions and answers are also deleted immediately in order to ensure the best possible data protection.
New Wellness app
The optional Wellness app is a new development. This allows various vehicle functions to be adjusted via preconfigured programmes to enhance well-being during the journey or breaks. In the ID.3 GTX, the app uses features such as background lighting, sound and air conditioning for this. Sound composers have specifically developed acoustic sound tapestries for the Wellness app. The new In-Car App is launched on the infotainment system. The following three wellness modes will be available in the launch phase of the app: Fresh Up, Calm Down and Power Break. An example: with just one click, Fresh Up activates a stimulating sound, refreshing air conditioning as well as blue and turquoise zones of the background lighting, which thus takes on a fresh colour appearance. A blue light animation runs in parallel in the ID. Light below the windscreen. If wished, the mode can be customised according to individual preferences: a Spotify playlist can be used instead of the pre-programmed sound, for example. When the Volkswagen is stationary, the infotainment system screen shows animations to complement the mood. Fresh Up and Calm Down are automatically deactivated after 10 minutes, Power Break after 20 minutes.
GTX power
The newly developed Volkswagen APP550 high-efficiency drive is used in the ID.3 GTX. The special feature for the ID.3 GTX is that the drive motor is not only offered with an output of 210 kW, but also with 240 kW for the first time. The electric drive motor produces a maximum torque of 545 Nm for both output ratings – thus even exceeding the drive power of the most powerful Volkswagen V6 turbocharged engines. The motors accelerate the ID.3 GTX to 100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds and in up to 5.6 seconds for the ID.3 GTX Performance (forecast values). A fascinating feature of both GTX versions is control of the power requirement. In contrast to a combustion engine, it is possible to vary the response characteristics almost infinitely with an electric drive motor. In the ID.3 GTX and ID.3 GTX Performance, an extremely sporty configuration was developed that immediately converts the maximum system output and the highest torque of the drive into propulsion within milliseconds at the start of an acceleration phase – creating a noticeable punch. Volkswagen has also modified the top speed of both models thanks to the increased power and efficiency of the electric drive motors. Instead of 160 km/h as for the familiar models in the model series, the ID.3 GTX is electronically limited to 180 km/h (111 mph) and the ID.3 GTX Performance to 200 km/h (124 mph). The GTX drive motors are powered by a new lithium-ion battery with a net energy content of 79 kWh (gross: 84 kWh).
GTX drive
The APP550 electric drive powers the rear axle and essentially consists of the following modules: a permanent magnet synchronous motor, the two-stage one-speed gearbox and the inverter (power and control electronics). In contrast to the less powerful versions of the product line, the increased power and efficiency of the GTX motors are the result of details such as a rotor with strong permanent magnets that offer a high thermal load capacity, a further-developed stator with a large effective number of windings in combination with maximum wire cross-section, a water heat sink for the outside of the stator, and a combined oil and water cooling system that ensures high thermal stability. The thermal stability is safeguarded by a new inverter generation, and the high thermal load capacity is an elementary contributing factor to the increased efficiency of the new drive. Numerous gearbox components have also been friction-optimised and reinforced, and thus adapted to the high power and torque values. In conjunction with the 79 kWh battery, the combined WLTP range of the ID.3 GTX will be about 600 km according to the forecasts.
Faster charging on the go
On journeys, a new and innovative charging and thermal management function makes sure the battery is pre-conditioned ahead of the next DC charging stop. Thanks to this pre-conditioning, the ID.3 GTX and ID.3 GTX Performance are supplied with new energy again as quickly as possible on long journeys with one or more charging stops. The battery is heated to the optimum temperature before the car stops so it can be charged at maximum power. This enables the charging time to be reduced by several minutes, particularly in winter. When route guidance by the navigation system with the Electric Vehicle Route Planner is active, pre-conditioning is started automatically on the way to the next quick-charging station. Without active route guidance, the function can be activated manually using the charging menu in the infotainment system. Routes with up to 10 charging stops and 10 stopovers can be planned on a smartphone or on the web portal and then transferred to the infotainment system.
Agile running gear and precise steering
The running gear with new GTX-specific tuning is equipped with strong stabilisers and is matched to the very high performance of the drive system. The basic layout consists of a MacPherson front axle and a five-link rear axle with a sophisticated guidance system. The progressive steering system adapted to the ID.3 GTX is used as standard – this offers greater steering precision, among other things.
Sports DCC for the top-of-the-line version
The ID.3 GTX Performance is equipped as standard with the modified DCC adaptive chassis control. The sports DCC is controlled via a newly parametrised Vehicle Dynamics Manager, offering a wide range of customisation options for vehicle handling. As a result, the spread between high comfort and maximum dynamic response has been further increased. The DCC controller is equipped with new Volkswagen software and uses more vehicle sensor signals than before. The system is therefore able to better detect how the wheels and body are moving in order to control the shock absorbers accordingly by means of refined algorithms. As before, the sports DCC offers the driver the option of using a slide control to adjust the running gear to a more comfortable or sportier setting by means of the selected Eco, Comfort, Sport or Individual driving profile.
Standard systems
The ID.3 GTX already has a wide range of state-of-the-art assist systems on board as standard. These include the cruise control system (can be extended to Adaptive Cruise Control ACC by an upgrade), Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist) with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, lane keeping system Lane Assist, oncoming vehicle braking when turning function and Dynamic Road Sign Display. Also included as standard: the Car2X traffic hazard alert function.
New and enhanced systems
Equipment options include innovative systems such as Travel Assist with swarm data utilisation. This enables assisted longitudinal and lateral guidance over the entire speed range as well as assisted lane changing on motorways. Park Assist Plus and the memory function for the system (automatic execution of a previously stored parking manoeuvre over a distance of up to 50 metres) are available as optional equipment. With the debut of the ID.3 GTX, Park Assist Plus has been expanded to include a remote parking function for parking using a smartphone app. The exit warning system is a completely new development as an extension of the Side Assist lane change system. Within the system limits, it can prevent one of the doors from being opened if a vehicle approaches from behind. The system issues an acoustic and visual warning and, in the event of acute danger, briefly prevents the door(s) in question from being opened.
