The cabin is unlike that in any other Volkswagen, and spectacularly bucks the trend for increasingly large dashboard screens ahead of the driver to display more and more information. The one in the ID.3 has the absolute basics, and all the trip and efficiency information, for example, is moved to the central information system. It doesn’t exactly give the car a premium feel, and that’s not helped by VW’s latest infotainment software, which, as experienced elsewhere in the group’s portfolio of products, has the ability to cause frustration in performing some basic functions.

But that’s not to say the ID.3 isn’t clever. For a start there’s a light bar under the windscreen that sweeps in the direction of a turn when the navigation is set, and illuminates in red to highlight dangerous situations. It will also indicate battery level during charging.

The car will also communicate wirelessly with other Volkswagen models fitted with the Car2X technology that launched on the new Golf last year, to warn of hazards in the local area.

Volkswagen’s claim of Golf GTi-rivalling off-the-line acceleration is instantly apparent from the first pull-away, and it’s clear that this ID.3 has more power than price-matched rivals with a bigger footprint, such as the new Citroen e-C4, Hyundai Ioniq or the Kia e-Niro. All offer slightly different strengths in terms of packaging and range, but all have prices within just over £1000.

While doing the sensible things well enough, with a decent-sized 385-litre boot and perfectly acceptable rear space for passengers, the ID.3’s real strength is in the performance it offers. It’s more than two seconds faster from 0-62mph than any of its £33,000-ish electric rivals, and feels significantly perkier.

It also controls body roll very well, and feels like a lighter and smaller car than it actually is, given it weighs more than 1700kg, which is more than the Kia, Hyundai or Citroen electric rivals. However, the quick steering isn’t completely conducive to faster driving, and the ride quality deteriorates at higher speed.

Still, the ID.3 is good over speed bumps and lower-speed imperfections, but seems to develop a bounciness at higher speed that can almost have you out of your seat over crests or big lumps in the road. But in town the light steering and really very excellent turning circle are boons, as is the big and airy windscreen and what it does for forward visibility.

As mentioned, rear space is good considering the compact dimensions, and Volkswagen has done a great job of packaging the car to maximise practicality. Boot space is five litres up on the Golf and beats the larger-footprinted e-C4 and Ioniq, although the e-Niro and Nissan’s Leaf both offer significantly larger luggage areas, if that’s a major consideration.

All cars get a decent amount of standard equipment, including wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, single-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and heated front seats and steering wheel. The step up from the entry Life trim driven here (although the pictures show the special 1st Edition model) is at least £3730 to the next model, but all others add keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, rear privacy glass and a host of other kit. The entry-level car isn’t exactly sparse, but its appeal is very much in the performance it can offer for the lower price, rather than its lavish kit.

Running cost are any electric car’s forte, and the ID.3 lives up to this. Next to a 150hp Golf R-Line mild hybrid, the company will save almost £3500 in company National Insurance over three years, as well as the obvious fuel benefits, although the Golf is significantly cheaper to insure. And then there’s the driver Benefit-in-Kind, which goes from zero to 1% in April, giving 40% taxpayers a monthly bill of just under £11, while the Golf will be £285.

Obviously the same equation applies to the growing band of more affordable electric vehicles that are coming through.

Still, the ID.3’s performance, decent practicality and, in the entry trim level at least, cost-efficient status, all make it a car that will undoubtedly grab fleets’ attention. It’s right in the heart of the Venn diagram of pricing, practicality and range, and with the very perky performance likely to enhance the appeal for some drivers moving across into electric for the first time, there’s plenty to be positive about with this first of a family of electric Volkswagen ID models.