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Auto Express
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Citroen e-C4 vs Volkswagen ID.3: which affordable EV is best for the family?
There's a new buzzword in the world of electric vehicles – affordability. It seems that with each new model that's launched, prices become cheaper, while those EVs that have been around for a bit longer have seen a steady fall in their prices over time. Take the Citroen e-C4 as an example. This electric crossover hatchback has been on the market since 2020, and during its time on sale it has gone through a number of revisions to keep it competitive. Most recently, the e-C4 benefited from a facelift to incorporate Citroen's latest family look, but the French firm also took the opportunity to knock around £4,000 off its list price, too. Advertisement - Article continues below Volkswagen is another company that has constantly tinkered with its model line-up, and the ID.3 hatchback has been updated with the arrival of a new entry-level variant. Called Essential, it does exactly what it says by offering the smallest battery and lowest power output in the range, but still has enough kit to make it an attractive option. So which model makes the best case for itself? Does the e-C4 offer great value? Or does the ID.3 deliver enough to justify its price tag? Model: Citroen e-C4 50kWh Plus Price: £27,650 Powertrain: 50kWh battery (50kWh usable), 1x e-motor, 134bhp 0-62mph: 10.0 seconds Test efficiency: 3.6 miles/kWh Official range: 219 miles Annual VED: £195 The Citroen e-C4 uses the same platform as cars such as the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa superminis, but its dimensions are more like a compact hatchback's. As with those models, it also comes with petrol and hybrid powertrains, but here we're concentrating on the all-electric version. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View 3 Series View Grandland X View Q4 e-tron Prices start at £27,650, which is around £4,000 less than the pre-facelift model. This gets you a car with a 50kWh battery, while the top-spec Max model is the only one with the larger 54kWh pack. Tester's notes The e-C4's three drive modes are selected via a rocker switch next to the drive selector on the centre console, but as with other Stellantis models with this set-up, they seem a bit superfluous to me. The system defaults to Normal when you start the car, so you stick with that most of the time. Advertisement - Article continues below Eco mode cuts the power, so it feels as if you need to work harder to maintain the same speed. Power adds a snappy throttle response that requires you to adjust your driving style to compensate. It feels at odds with the car's character. One place where the e-C4's roots as a combustion-engined vehicle are most obvious is beneath the boot carpet. Lift it up and you'll find a circular recess for a spare wheel, but while the petrol C4 has a completely round indentation, the e-C4's is squared off to make space for the battery. Ironically, not even the petrol version of the C4 has the option of a spare wheel – you'll just have to rely on the tyre pressure warning system and standard repair kit to keep you going if you suffer any damage. Model: Volkswagen ID.3 Essential Price: £30,860 Powertrain: 55kWh battery (52kWh usable), 1x e-motor, 168bhp 0-62mph: 8.2 seconds Test efficiency: 4.1 miles/kWh Official range: 241 miles Annual VED: £195 It's been five years since the Volkswagen ID.3 kicked off the electrification of VW's line-up, and since then it has been joined by a range of models that use largely the same running gear. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The ID.3 itself was given a facelift in 2023, while the Essential model tested here has helped lower the overall starting price of the line-up. At £30,860, it falls between the 50kWh and 54kWh versions of the e-C4 on price, while the battery is rated with a usable capacity of 52kWh, which VW says is enough for a range of 241 miles. Advertisement - Article continues below Tester's notes I think Match trim adds enough extra to the ID.3 to justify its mark-up over the Essential version. Alloy wheels look smarter than the plastic trims on the base spec, while the reversing camera, navigation and main beam assist are all useful features to have. Another handy addition is the two-zone climate control. All ID.3s have two bars beneath the main display that you slide your finger across to adjust the temperature. On Essential cars they keep the dash symmetry intact, because they have the same function. Adding options involves paying for some pricey packs instead of individual items. VW's smart-looking head-up display comes with either the £1,175 Driver Assistance Pack or the Assistance Package Plus (£2,240), which also adds semi-autonomous driving tech that can change lanes. It also includes a memory function and a remote parking operation. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below If you want improved driving dynamics, the £955 Sports package adds Volkswagen's DCC Dynamic Chassis Control and progressive steering for sharper responses. On the road As with other Citroens, the e-C4 is geared towards comfort over sporty handling. Grip is good and the electric powertrain is responsive to a point, but the soft ride encourages you to take things easy and revel in the cosseting feel. The ID.3's rear-wheel-drive set-up and responsive electric motor sound like a recipe for fun, and it's certainly more engaging than the Citroen, but the ride is fidgety at lower speeds. Advertisement - Article continues below Tech highlights All versions of the e-C4 come with a 10-inch touchscreen. Plus and Max trims feature navigation and voice control, but all variants include wireless smartphone connectivity. The ID.3 also features this tech, while adaptive cruise control is included as standard too. Neither car comes with a heat pump as standard, but it's a more affordable extra on the Citroen at £450; it costs £1,150 to add to the VW. Price and running There's an overlap in prices between the highest-spec versions of the e-C4 and the entry point to the ID.3 line-up, but both models feature a similar amount of kit. The VW proved to be more efficient on test, with a return of 4.1 miles per kWh compared with 3.6mi/kWh for the Citroen. Combine this with the bigger battery, and the ID.3 can travel more than 210 miles between charges. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Practicality The Citroen looks rakish next to the upright VW, but these two cars offer a similar amount of space inside. The ID.3 has more headroom and legroom, but both cars are equally wide, and boot space is pretty much comparable between them, too. The VW's bay is longer and wider, but there's a high load floor because of the rear-mounted electric motor that takes up space beneath the boot. Advertisement - Article continues below Charging Volkswagen offers a faster DC charging rate than Citroen. A 10-80 per cent top-up can take as little as 25 minutes from a 145kW source, but the e-C4 maxes out at 100kW, and Citroen quotes a 20-80 per cent charge time of half an hour. If you can take advantage of 11kW three-phase charging, you'll need to pay £300 to upgrade the e-C4 to use it – it's a standard feature on the ID.3. Ownership Both models come with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, while VW includes three years of roadside assistance to Citroen's one. Servicing costs are very similar between these two models, with the annual price of Citroen's £508 four-year package working out nearly the same as VW's £384 three-year deal. Citroen was fifth out of 32 in the last Driver Power brands' survey, well ahead of VW in 29th. While the Volkswagen Golf set a benchmark in the compact hatch class, the Volkswagen ID.3 hasn't quite had the same impact in the EV sector. Updates have improved the car, though, while the latest Pure-battery variant delivers good value for money while still offering a decent range. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below We'd go as far to say that this model in Match trim is the sweet spot in the range. It offers all the kit you could possibly want at a price that makes higher-spec variants look expensive. The roomy cabin and decent driving manners help it to slot easily into family life. Advertisement - Article continues below Latest Volkswagen ID.3 deals Picking between these two cars is difficult because they both have key strengths. There's lots to like about the Citroen e-C4, especially its comfortable ride and plush seats, while the reduced list prices make it even more tempting. As a family car, the C4 ticks the right boxes for space and practicality, while the choice of petrol, hybrid or EV powertrains means there should be a model for most buyers. As an EV, it's a refined machine, but the range and slow charging capability mean it's a little behind the curve when compared with the ID.3. Latest Citroen e-C4 deals Citroen e-C4 Volkswagen ID.3 Our choice e-C4 50kWh Plus ID.3 Pure Essential Price from/price of our choice £27,650/£29,310 £30,860/£33,135 Powertrain and performance Powertrain 1x electric motor 1x electric motor Power 134bhp 168bhp Torque 260Nm 310Nm Transmission Single-speed auto/FWD Single-speed auto/RWD 0-62mph/top speed 10.0 seconds/93mph 8.2 seconds/99mph Battery capacity/usable 50/50kWh 55/52kWh Official range 219 miles 241 miles Test efficiency/range 3.6mi/kWh/180 miles 4.1mi/kWh/213 miles Charging 100kW (20-80% in 30 mins) 145kW (10-80% in 25 mins) Dimensions Length/wheelbase 4,355/2,670mm 4,264/2,770mm Width/height 1,800/1,520mm 1,809/1,564mm Rear kneeroom 585-830mm 637-869mm Rear headroom/elbow room 910/1,445mm 956/1,444mm Boot space (front/seats up/down) 380/1,250 litres 385/1,267 litres Boot length/width 800/1,005mm 852/1,013mm Boot lip height 725mm 774mm Kerbweight/towing weight 1,571/454kg 1,712/548kg Turning circle 10.9 metres 11.5 metres Costs/ownership Residual value (after 3yrs/36,000 miles) £9,899/35.8% £15,708/50.9% Depreciation £17,751 £15,152 Insurance group/quote/VED 22/£757/£195 20/£601/£195 Three-year service cost £508 (4yrs) £384 Annual tax liability std/higher rate £166/£331 £185/£370 Annual fuel cost (12,000 miles) £832 £732 Basic warranty (miles)/recovery 3yrs (60,000)/1yr 3yrs (60,000)/3yrs Driver Power manufacturer position 5th 29th NCAP Adult/child/ped./assist/stars 80/83/57/63/4(2021) 87/89/71/88/5(2020) Equipment Metallic paint/wheel size £595-£720/18 inches £810-£965/18 inches Parking sensors/camera Rear/yes Front & rear/no Spare wheel/Isofix points Repair kit/two Repair kit/three Keyless entry & go/powered tailgate No/no Yes/no Leather/heated seats No/no/£450 No/no/£1,150 Screen size/digital dashboard 10.0 inches/yes 12.9 inches/yes Climate control/panoramic sunroof Two-zone/no Two-zone/£795 USBs/wireless charging Three/no/£400 Four/no/yes Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Yes/yes Yes/yes Blind-spot warning/head-up display No/yes No/no Adaptive cruise/steering assist No/yes Yes/yes Citroen Most extras are reserved for the top-spec Max model. This includes the Techno Pack, which adds 360-degree cameras, adaptive cruise control and a wireless phone charger for £500. A sunroof costs £790 on Max trim. Volkswagen As well as having more kit, the ID.3 has more options, too. Alloys (£1,310) can replace the standard wheel trims, there are trick LED lights (£1,725) and a tow hitch (£1,105), but this is just for mounting a cycle carrier. Looking for your next car? You can now search our nationwide dealer network for a choice of great cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results The best new cars to own in the UK right now according to the people who already do. It's the 2025 Driver Power results! New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving
Auto Express
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New Cupra Born spotted with a fresh face...but you'll need to look closely
The Cupra Born has been spied testing with a new look, ahead of an unveiling some time in the next six to 12 months. The Born was the first all-electric model for the brand, sharing many of its key elements with the Volkswagen ID.3, but is now a little off the pace given the technical advances made by the larger Tavascan and forthcoming Raval. The key exterior changes relate to the front and rear design. At the front, fresh headlights with Cupra's new three-point daytime lighting signature look to be on the cards, along with a redesigned bonnet and lower bumper. Advertisement - Article continues below At the back, Cupra's new three-dimensional lightbar should provide fresh appeal, accompanied by an illuminated badge and triangular lighting elements. Beneath the camouflage, there's also likely to be a new rear bumper, but one that's in keeping with the Spanish brand's more eccentric design language. What's less certain are what changes will be made under the skin, both inside the cabin and in terms of powertrain and battery tech. Volkswagen's ID.3 went under a very light facelift last year, gaining upgrades to some interior elements and the infotainment system – only some of which made their way on to the Cupra. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below However, the VW is in the process of going through a more significant redesign for 2026, which will see major alterations to the exterior design and cabin. With this Cupra prototype already out and about, it would appear that the Born won't get such extensive changes, and will therefore be offered for sale before the new ID.3. The MEB platform itself has been through a couple of major upgrades, both in terms of efficiency and power, yielding better range and performance. This was reflected on the Born VZ, which picked up a new 79kWh battery pack and high-performance 321bhp electric motor. There's unlikely to be any substantial changes to the Born's layout, though, with an under-floor battery pack paired to a rear-mounted motor still in place. Inside, we expect to see more improvements made to the digital interfaces, but we'll have to wait to see if VW's promise to bring back key physical controls in its future models extends to Cupra's sportier, more distinctive offerings. Before this new Born arrives, the all-new supermini-sized Raval will give us clues to Cupra's future thinking in terms of design and interior ergonomics. While we don't yet know when the new Born will be ready for launch, it's expected to be revealed later this year or early next. Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from... Find a car with the experts New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet New BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort review: the best BYD yet The new BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort is arguably the Chinese brand's most convincing model in its range New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results Best cars to own: Driver Power 2025 results The best new cars to own in the UK right now according to the people who already do. It's the 2025 Driver Power results!
NZ Autocar
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Kia commits to hatchbacks with EV4 and K4
Against the general trend, Kia is committed to launching more hatchbacks and saloons, rather than going all-in on SUVs. Its EV4 and K4 are rivals for Volkswagen Golf and ID 3. Kia executive vice-president, Ted Lee, recently told Autocar UK that there was still 'big volume' for hatchback models in Europe. He confirmed that the firm would continue to offer them and indeed launch all-new models. Lee co-ordinates Kia's global business outside of Korea. Read our review of Kia EV3 here. The first of these newcomers is EV4, set to dot down in New Zealand soon. It will be built at Kia's plant in Slovakia, and will also be offered as a saloon built in South Korea. The EV4 will be joined by the K4, a hatchback that debuted at the New York motor show. It replaces Ceed and will be built at Kia's plant in Mexico in both hatch and saloon forms. An estate version is on the cards too. Lee said that Kia currently has a 'strong position in Europe, especially in the UK.' Kia sales have grown more than 30 per cent since 2020 in the EU. In the UK, Kia has sold more than 100,000 cars for three years running. It is the third best-selling brand in 2025, less than 300 units behind second-placed BMW. However, Lee said increased competition in Europe from Chinese brands makes for a 'difficult market '. Kia will further strengthen its aftersales, parts supply and customer journeys in response. However, it will not become embroiled in a price war in Europe in the face of new lower-cost competition. Instead, it will maintain its focus on residual values, which it credits as partly responsible for the 'sustainable growth' the brand has enjoyed. Lee said Kia has done this by maintaining demand. Cars are not pushed to dealers and onto customers at discounted rates but are built and sold according to demand. Describing this as a 'healthy cycle', Lee said: ' It might sound very easy, but in reality it requires a very strong determination and sense of principle.'
Top Gear
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Volkswagen ID.3 Interior Layout & Technology
Interior What is it like on the inside? The ID.3 designers didn't expect you to play with its electronic settings. And to be fair the majority of drivers don't. Most things – climate, regenerative braking, driver assist, energy consumers – are automatic. You can change those parameters, but to do so you don't get hardware switches. The auto-regen brake system as we mentioned is just one of many such. Most of the time you have to dive deep into menus, or in some cases you'll now be able to access shortcuts by pulling down from the top of the centre screen. That 12.9in tablet screen on the ID cars is basically the same as in the combustion VWs, and it's far quicker to both load and react to your inputs than when the ID.3 first launched. Unfortunately, you also get VW's goofy volume/temperature sliders beneath the screen. The window switches, mounted on the driver's door with a touch sensitive button to control the rears, are absurdly hostile too. The steering wheel controls are too easy to activate with an accidental brush. Why wasn't that stuff fixed for the facelift? Advertisement - Page continues below The driver's screen is smaller than in those VWs with an engine, which is a further irritation. But software updates have allowed that small screen to carry more info now, so at least you can see battery percentage, navigation arrows and driver assist all at once on that screen. But not music track. YOU MUST HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR US? Oh but we do. The driving position is superb and highly adjustable, with wonderfully supportive seats and just-so pedal and steering wheel positions. It's a glassy airy place, and the forward pillars are thin enough not to ruin visibility at roundabouts. You sit slightly elevated above the battery, which helps you place the car. One surprisingly effective innovation is the 'ID' light. What at first appears to be a gimmicky strip of lights wrapped around the cabin is in fact a driver alert system. It'll subtly gesture its firefly-esque glow in the direction the nav is pointing you, or flash red if you need to brake suddenly. WHAT ABOUT PASSENGER AND BOOT SPACE? There's more rear room than a Golf, if not the Passat-sized accommodation VW claims. To make more foot space behind, the front occupants need to raise their seats a little, but that's EV-normal because of the battery beneath the floor. Advertisement - Page continues below Storage in the cabin is super-generous and versatile, with a cannily designed centre console. Pockets behind the front seats don't only hold a road atlas (remember those?) but also has pockets for phones and similar. You get a 385-litre boot – four litres up on the Golf - and a better stereo now compared to when the ID.3 first launched, even in the base spec car. No charge-cable compartment under the bonnet though, as that's full of aircon and space for the optional huge head-up display.
Top Gear
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Volkswagen ID.3 Review 2025
This is Volkswagen's mainstream electric family hatch. First deliveries of the ID.3 only started in late 2020, but even so it was given an early facelift at the beginning of 2023. Which... it rather needed. Why? Well, firstly because having arrived among the vanguard of hatches this size, it inevitably found itself surrounded by newer rivals stealing some of its thunder. And second, because the original ID.3 just wasn't quite Volkswagen enough. It didn't have the necessary feeling of interior quality. Plus, it was in many ways quirky or just plain irritating. The facelift was supposedly the fix. Advertisement - Page continues below Those new hatchback rivals? The Renault Megane electric, MG4, Vauxhall Astra Electric and Peugeot e-308. Plus the Cupra Born on the same platform as the ID.3. You might also be cross-shopping with any number of compact-ish electric crossovers such as the Kia EV3, Volvo EX30, Hyundai Kona Electric or anything from the Stellantis stable. Fiat 600e, anyone? WHAT CHANGES DID VW MAKE FOR THE FACELIFT? The 2023 update made the ID.3 slightly less oddball. VW pitched the first generation as the car to pick up the baton from the Golf. But it wasn't that. Whereas a Golf always feels comfortingly conventional, the ID.3 looked a bit radical and its operation took a bit of learning. You could imagine people taking half an hour's headscratching before they managed to drive a rentacar ID out of the airport multi-storey. The bonnet now looks longer, because its old half-black split paint treatment has gone. So the ID.3 looks more like a car and less like a future spacepod. Changes to the front bumper make it look wider as well as helping some air slip past the wheels more easily. The front wings look longer because they're no longer broken up by a badge plaque. The tail lights are wider and more detailed. The original ID.3 was sparse inside, with acres of angular and hard-surfaced plastics. Maybe this was VW telling us we'd arrived in a new world. Maybe it couldn't afford soft mouldings in the aftermath of the dieselgate scandal. Advertisement - Page continues below But whatever, VW's customers rose up with one voice: if this was supposed to replace the Golf, they wanted the same sense of premium quality please. VW has now acquiesced. The dash and doors are now clad in soft-touch and stitched surfaces. And much nicer it is in here too. Like the furniture, the original screens and software felt like they'd been done in a rush. Software updates have improved the screen systems. Although perhaps not enough. AND WHAT'S THE SAME? It's a purpose-built electric platform. Unusually, it's rear-drive, the motor and its inverter being tucked under the boot floor. 'Rear-engined like a Beetle,' as they say in Wolfsburg. This means a long wheelbase, with the slab battery tucked under the passenger cell. Thus the roof is taller than you'd expect. Still, it's a roomy family car, more so than a Megane or electric Astra, thanks to better leg space for the back passengers. RWD means a tightish turning circle, but it also means the regenerative braking is fairly meek, to avoid the danger of rear-wheel skids on slippery surfaces. That's why FWD or AWD e-cars can extract more regeneration and have the potential to be more efficient in variable-speed driving. What are the specs? They've changed a bit over the years too, but at the time of writing in mid-2025 the useable battery sizes are 52kWh (ID.3 Pure), 59kWh (ID.3 Pro) and 79kWh (ID.3 Pro S or the hotter GTX). The entry level Pure cars get a 168bhp motor, while the Pro and Pro S both get 201bhp. The sporty GTX Performance gets a hefty 322bhp, and we've gone into more detail on that particular car here. We'll drop the hot hatch and focus mostly on the standard ID.3 here, so it's the Pro that's the quickest of the bunch. That'll do 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds compared to the 8.2 seconds of the less powerful Pure and the heavier Pro S. Although frankly, compared with the Renault Megane all ID.3s are too heavy. The biggest battery Pro S just sneaks under two tonnes. The WLTP range figures are 241 miles for the Pure, 269 miles for the Pro and an impressive 351 miles for Pro S. For extra info on range, charging and energy consumption, click through to the 'Buying' tab of this review. HOW IS IT TO DRIVE? A Golf is comfy and refined, but also has a gently amusing side. You might expect the ID.3 to be similar, especially as rear-drive has the potential to add a little cheekiness. But no. VW has doubled down on the comfort and refinement. It's stable, smooth-riding and wonderfully quiet – not just in its absence of engine sound of course, but also the limo-like hush of tyres, suspension and wind. It's stable, relaxed and precise in its steering, accelerator and brakes. But there's no feedback or engagement. The Megane, MG4 and Astra are all more fun. For more details click the 'Driving' tab. Want to know what the best electric cars are? Click here for the top 20 Volkswagen 107KW Life Pro 62kWh 5dr Auto £30,880 'More fun than a crossover, roomy, comfortable, efficient and importantly, it's got character and is likeable' Although the Nissan Leaf was a decade ahead of it, the ID.3 was quite a radical car for VW. The shape, software and interior were admirably brave, but in hindsight maybe a bit too much. It was a massive engineering effort, but shoved on sale in a tearing rush as an atonement for dieselgate. The cutting of corners – cheap cabin furniture and rough-edged software – was painfully obvious. The facelifted car's control systems can still be infuriating, but their actual logic and graphics have been steadily improving with OTA software updates. The facelift addresses the too-radical-for-some exterior, and bare cabin. It's a nice place to sit now. The ID.3's best qualities haven't been messed with. It's roomy, quiet, comfortable and soothing. It's efficient and has a good range. It's satisfying to drive, just not much fun for a hatchback. Albeit more fun than the crossovers you might be cross-shopping with. All of which gives it a definite character and likeability among an increasingly busy lineup of rivals.
