The Volkswagen ID.3 has been given a major update just three-and-a-half years after the car originally went on sale. The new ID.3 is set to deal with many of the criticisms faced by the old model, covering areas like interior quality, infotainment and charging speeds.
Update: Since this guide was published, we have driven the all-new facelifted Volkswagen ID.3. Click here to read our full Volkswagen ID.3 Review
2023 Volkswagen ID.3: price and release date
The updated Volkswagen ID.3 is set to go on sale in the spring, with prices expected to start from around £40,000, significantly more than the MG 4 EV, a direct rival that starts from just £26,000. One of the main objectives of the ID.3’s update was to improve perceived quality against much cheaper rivals like the MG.
2023 Volkswagen ID.3: exterior design and updates
The new Volkswagen ID.3 has a happier face than the old model as VW tries to plug into the charm of previous ‘people’s cars’ like the Volkswagen Beetle.
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What’s actually changed is difficult to put a finger on, but compare old and new ID.3 side-by-side and you’ll see the new car has a cleaner lower bumper and a new bonnet – without the black band under the windscreen found on the old model – that somehow makes the car look more cheerful than before.
New ‘air curtains’ (vents ahead of the front wheels) provide a practical purpose, helping guide air around the nose of the car. Volkswagen predicts a 0.263cd drag coefficient (about the same as BMW’s eco-friendly hybrid i8 supercar).
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Around the sides, you’ll find new alloy wheels with an aero-friendly flat-face design, and at the back, there are new, two-part tail lights that stretch onto the boot lid. Volkswagen has also added Dark Olivine Green to the ID.3 paint options: its warm gold pearl effect stands for “exclusivity and premium value”, according to VW.
2023 Volkswagen ID.3: interior design and changes
While there was little to complain about on the outside of VW, there was plenty not to like on the inside.
Owners who had come to expect a VW interior to feel like a cut above the mainstream competition found the old ID.3 – with its predominantly hard and brittle plastics – felt anything but. That’s changed for the new car, which now comes weighed down with the sort of foamy interior trims – on the dashboard as well as the front doors – that VW used to be famed for.
It’s relatively sustainable, too, with the door trims and seat fabrics finished in Artvelours Eco – a microfibre material that feels like suede – that is 71 percent recyclable. Larger armrests on the doors complete the posher new look.
2023 Volkswagen ID.3: revised infotainment
One of the biggest criticisms of the old ID.3 was its buggy, poorly organised infotainment, which could be tricky – or downright antagonising – to use when you were driving.
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Out goes the old 10.0-inch centre touchscreen, and in its place, you’ll find a new 12.0-inch system with clearer menus. It has been reorganised so that important features, such as charging, sit at the top of the menu journey and the system’s colloquial voice recognition system has also been improved, making it quicker and more accurate.
The satnav has also received a major update. It now features augmented reality (technology nicked from the ID.4), which makes it appear like the satnav’s instructions have been painted onto the road ahead using the car’s head-up display.
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The ID.3’s Electric Vehicle Route Planner – essentially sat-nav that factors in the charging stops for EVs – has also been revamped and is more intelligent. For example, it may suggest making two quick stops – where you can make best use of the VW’s fastest charging speeds – rather than making one stop that will ultimately take longer.
2023 Volkswagen ID.3: charging speeds, battery capacity, range and driving
Volkswagen has streamlined the ID.3’s range so the entry-level Pure model – with a 45kWh battery – is, for now at least, no longer available. You just get Pro (58kWh) and Pro S (77kWh) models to choose from, offering a range of 265- and 340 miles, respectively.
As before, both versions are powered by a 204PS motor that powers the rear wheels. Volkswagen has increased charging speeds, up from 125kW to 170kW.