Is the rear wheel drive hot hatchback back? While the other members of the GTX range use dual motor setups with all-wheel drive, the ID3 GTX relies on one powerful rear-mounted motor that gives birth to Volkswagen’s first rear-wheel drive hot hatchback.

The motor offers 322 bhp and 402 lb ft (545 Nm) torque, capable of propelling the car from 0-62 mph in 5.7 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 124 mph. The motor has been taken from the larger ID7 but given a bespoke tune to suit brisk driving with a focus on instantaneous response. 

It’s not just a case of adding a more spritely motor, as the car features new adaptive suspension known as Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) as standard. This sees presets for the ride in each driving mode, while allowing the driver to pick from 15 - yes fifteen - levels of firmness or fairness in the car’s Individual setting. Such a high number of adjustment levels may seem excessive, but in my recent drive of a Mk8 Golf R, it allowed me to find the precise blend of stiffness and compliance that I wanted from the chassis as opposed to having to compromise.

Between the axles sits an enlarged 79 kWh capacity battery that can rapid charge with a maximum input of 185 kW. This allows for a 10-80% top up in 26 minutes, while a full charge would take around 11 and a half hours using a home wallbox. Whether charged quickly or slowly, the maximum WLTP range is a claimed 369 miles. 

What that translates to in the real world will depend on how much time you spend silently zipping along B-roads making full use of the 322 bhp available, but it’s interesting to me that the fastest ID3 also has the longest range.

The ID3 GTX Performance has been given a visual makeover inside and out, with restyled bumpers that feature arrow-shaped LED running lights at the front, and a modified diffuser insert at the rear. As is the case with the regular ID3, my favourite design feature is the forward-facing C-pillar. High-gloss black trim is found across the exterior, being found on the roof, mirror caps, window surrounds, side sills and the model badges. 

The 20” 5-spoke wheels are also painted black, and upon closer inspection they appear to be shrouding drum brakes at the rear, suggesting that the friction braking system has been carried over from the standard model, forcing the car to rely on the enhanced regen offered by the uprated electric motor.

Luckily, the interior has been elevated from the base ID3 with the use of sports seats, red highlights and contrast stitching along with a bespoke GTX steering wheel that comes with red inserts and GTX lettering, but lacks paddles to quickly adjust the energy recovery levels through multiple stages. 

An updated and enlarged infotainment system sits proudly on the dashboard and is angled towards the driver, running enhanced software that has a redesigned menu layout, enlarged icons and more prominent shortcuts for key functions like vehicle settings, and four customisable shortcuts that can be set by the driver. 

Following all the work that went into fixing what wasn’t really a terrible system to begin with, most drivers will have a more user-friendly three minutes using the new software before activating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and forgetting about the VW system completely.

The new Volkswagen ID3 GTX Performance has gone on sale in the UK from £46,255 with standard equipment including DCC adaptive suspension, matrix LED headlights, keyless entry, privacy glass, wireless smartphone integration, the Harman Kardon sound system and an augmented reality head-up display. Five exterior colours can be chosen at no extra cost, although there are two things that I was not expecting to see on the options list: a heat pump and floor mats.

The starting price for the ID3 GTX Performance puts it above both the new Golf GTI Clubsport and the Golf R, although the price gap narrows when specifications are matched up, and a cheaper non-Performance model will follow with 282 bhp and slightly less standard equipment in the not too distant future.

Having driven both the ID3 and the related Cupra Born in their standard guises, I could tell that the chassis was waiting to have some quicker steering, uprated suspension and a more powerful motor attached to it. While the ID3 GTX Performance won’t magically cut the height of the floor in half to give a true low-slung driving position, the upgrades seem to be what the car was waiting for. It just remains to be seen whether the ID3 GTX can hold a candle to a Golf GTI on a British B-road.