Say hello to the ID.3. This is VW’s first bespoke electric car but no longer it’s only one since the launch of the larger ID.4.

The 3 in its name actually highlights the importance of this model to VW because it represents what the company considers to be their third major launch after the Beetle ( I don’t need to tell you that applies to the original, do I?) and the still-going-strong Golf and, indeed, replaced the electric version of that car.

Buyers get a choice of battery sizes offering different performance figures, different ranges and different prices. At the lower end of the market it faces competition from the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe and MG 5 while at the other extreme it’s taking om the world’s most popular electric car, the Tesla Model 3.

So will the ID.3 charge to the front of the pack? Let’s find out.

Climbing into the cabin and the first thing that struck me was how sparse it looks. My first impression was of a cabin devoid of any switches or buttons but, as it turned out, that’s something of an illusion. There’s a cluster of capacitive buttons beneath the 10.5in infotainment screen which is mounted on top of the dashboard.

I’m always grateful for physical buttons to access oft-used controls – such as the air-con – because trying to navigate your way through a series of menus on a touchscreen to adjust the cabin temperature while you’re driving can be a fiddly affair but, in reality, the use of capacitive controls isn’t significantly easier, particularly when they’re not even illuminated.

While I’m touching, quite literally, on the infotainment system it looks lovely. The graphics are crisp, clear and designed to enhance the impression that you’re driving the future but it’s rather let down by its confusing menu system and sluggish responses.

All models are equipped with natural-speech voice control that does, a large part of the time, help make some tasks easier to accomplish but really, in order to be of real benefit, it needs to work flawlessly every time otherwise it just becomes a frustrating distraction.

There’s an instrument binnacle, but not as we know it. It’s a 5.3in LCD display that shows the speed, range and sat-nav instructions. Despite its diminutive dimensions it’s easy to read in all conditions. On the side is a rotary gear selector.

The driving position is excellent. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake but adjustable lumbar support is only available on the range-topping Max or Tour trim. The seats are comfortable, regardless, and I suffered no long-term ill-effects even after a couple of hours behind the wheel. The only issue – and perhaps VW it’s an indication of how VW is positioning the ID.3 – is a lack of side support which leaves you clinging on a little when you’re tackling the tight and twisty stuff.

Drivers have a great view of the road out of the front and sides. The windscreen is large and the A-pillars slim – though their steep angle might present a problem for taller drivers at junctions. At the back the pillars are thicker and the rear screen quite shallow but the standard-fit front and rear parking sensors and the included on all models except the entry-level Life models rear-view camera should go some way to mitigating that small problem.

There’s very little wrong with the quality of the build but there’s an awful lot of hard, cheap-feeling plastics in use around the cabin. In fact, the only place where you’ll find a soft, plush, tactile surface is across the top of the dashboard. Everywhere else is a disappointment, particularly when you take into account the cost of owning an ID.3 at the top end of the model range where it’s competing with premium executive models.

Front-seat passengers will not be found wanting for space: There’s plenty of room for heads, arms and elbows even if you’re taller than six feet. The rear offers about the same room as the Golf – unsurprising as the ID.3 is very similar in length – which translates into space to accommodate taller passengers travelling in tandem without being squashed but there’s little head or leg room to spare.

Storage options are pretty decent with a good-sized glove box and door bins, a pair of cup holders and a number of small cubbies built into the centre console in the front and (smaller) door bins, map and mobile phone pockets – unless you’ve opted for Life trim – sewn into the backs of the front seats.

The rear seats fold flat in a 60/40 configuration, which isn’t an especially flexible combination, but there is a ski hatch should you need to carry longer loads without being forced to dump passengers at the out-of-town DIY store. Again, you’ll miss out on this handy feature if you choose Life trim.

The boot, like the passenger space, is comparable with what you’d see in a Golf. You get an adjustable boot floor as standard on Family, Max, Style and Tour trims, which is just another way of saying that you don’t get one with the Life trim, that reduces the load lip and gives you a flat floor when the seats are folded and it’s in its highest position.

The space beneath is also handy for stowing the charging cables.

The entry-level ID.3 battery is the Pure Performance 45kWh which is good for 217 miles, 148bhp and a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds.

Next up is a 58kWh battery with either 143bhp labelled the Pro or, reviewed here, 201bhp, a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds and called the Pro Performance. It’s not blisteringly quick but it still has that instant responsiveness we’ve come to expect from electric cars. VW claims a range of 258 miles is theoretically possible but, in the real world, you’ll quickly see that reduced to about the 220-mark.

The final battery in the line-up is the Pro S’s 77kWh battery which produces the same 201bhp but, because of the additional weight, takes 7.9 seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start. It can, though, travel up to 336 miles on a full charge and in a perfect world.

The suspension is stiff because batteries are heavy. The ride doesn’t offer as much comfort as a Golf but it’s far from troubling. Around town and at lower speeds the ride can feel a little sharp but once the pace picks up it starts to smooth out less frequent peaks and troughs but it can get a little fidgety.

The steering is light and its turning circle tiny – just 10.2m – and that makes tackling tight spaces, narrow roads and car parks a doddle. Take it for a dash across country and, while there’s very little feedback. The steering is accurate and nicely judged so it’s relatively easy to pick your way along tricky routes with some confidence. If you want to add a little more weight to the steering you can pop the car into Sport mode.

There’s a decent amount of grip and the ID.3 uses what’s available well, serving up a reasonably engaging drive. The rear end will give a nervous little shimmy if you take your foot off the fast pedal mid corner or apply too much power too quickly s you exit a tight, damp corner but, don’t be fooled, this is no driver’s car.

It’s electric, the ID.3, and so you’d expect it to be quiet and it doesn’t disappoint. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop? Maybe a knitting needle. And at urban speeds at least. Once the pace picks up the ID.3 starts to generate a degree of tyre and suspension noise and, disconcertingly, the wind whistles through the air vents.

Braking is smooth and pleasantly progressive. No mean feat in an electric car that, as well as slowing the car down, is also using its brakes to harvest energy that would have otherwise been lost as heat in order to top up the battery and eke out a few more miles.

You can turn up the regenerative braking enough to slow down simply by lifting your foot from the accelerator but the system isn’t as effective as the one-pedal driving found in, say, the Volvo XC40 Recharge which will bring you to a full stop.

While the interior quality might not quite be up to the standards you’d expect from VW – especially on the higher-spec versions – and the infotainment system is a bit laggy the ID.3 is a talented machine. It’s genuinely fun to drive – for an EV – thanks to well-judged steering and fabulous body control, and it feels nippy too. Equipment levels are generous, even in basic versions, so if you’re looking for your next Golf, you might want to ask for ID first.

VW ID.3 Max Pro Performance

Price: £38,810

Powertrain: 58kWh Lithium-ion battery/electric motor

Max power: 204PS

Max torque: 310Nm @ 16,000rpm

Max speed: 99mph

0-62mph: 7.3sec

WLTP range: 258 miles

WLTP consumption: 4.2miles/kWh

Charging time (DC): 100kw rapid charge 30 min to 180 miles / 35 min to 80%

Charging time (AC): 7.2km 1-phase, 9hr 30min to 100%

For more information visit www.vw.co.uk