Currently reading: Volkswagen ID 3 facelift priced from £37,115 in UK

Electric hatchback gets revised tech and subtle redesign; orders open 27 April

Orders for the facelifted Volkswagen ID 3 will open on 27 April after the keenly anticipated revisions to the electric hatchback were brought to market earlier than planned.

Well-publicised issues prompted Volkswagen to take "a significant and noticeable leap forward in terms of quality, materials and system stability”, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told Autocar in October last year. He added: “We’ve listened very carefully to the ID 3 community. [The facelifted ID 3 is] a car that delivers what the Volkswagen brand promises.” 

Prices will start at £37,115 for the standard ID 3 Pro and £42,870 for the Pro S. In a bid to streamline production, the ID 3's line-up has been slimmed to just those two models. 

Volkswagen id3 facelift interior

Both versions of the ID 3 now feature the latest generation of Volkswagen’s ID software package, with revised menus that are intended to reduce complexity and make it easier to operate. 

The previous car's 10.0in central touchscreen has now been replaced with a 12.0in screen, and the optional cloud-based speech recognition system has been upgraded to provide it with faster reaction times. The optional head-up display now supports augmented reality functions, giving the driver live directions and traffic information when they are due to make a turn. This was first seen on the Volkswagen ID 4

Higher-grade materials and re-patterned better-quality plastic are also used inside. Upper-trim models also receive new materials for the top section of the dashboard. 

Volkswagen id3 facelift front three quarter

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The ID 3’s exterior has also been given a refresh, with a reprofiled front bumper, vertical air ducts and a reshaped bonnet combining to give the ID 3 an elongated appearance and slightly improved drag coefficient to boost range.

The tail-light designs are all-new as well, including distinctive X-shaped daytime-running lights and refreshed scrolling indicators. The car is still based on the MEB platform, so it retains the same rear-mounted motor and batteries as before. 

The update is aimed at increasing the appeal of the hatchback, which has accounted for a claimed 300,000 sales since the start of deliveries during the third quarter of 2020. 

The problems that plagued the previous ID 3 – concerning usage of the safety features and touch-sensitive icons, in addition to charging issues and range discrepancies – are so significant that they are widely rumoured to have been the reason for Herbert Diess stepping down as Volkswagen CEO last year. 

Software development delays led to early examples of the ID 3 using basic versions of the ID operating system, but this proved to be an “absolute disaster”, according to company insiders

Volkswagen has since been trying to rectify the wide-ranging issues. As such, the updates were brought forward to take place just three-and-a-half years after the ID 3 was first revealed, at the last Frankfurt motor show. 

Volkswagen id3 facelift rear three quarter

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Both specifications are available with 204bhp and 228lb ft, with the Pro and Pro S delivering 0-62mph times of 7.3sec and 7.7sec respectively. The Pro S features a 58kWh battery, giving it a range of 265 miles, and the Pro has a 77kWh pack for 339 miles. 

In line with changes made to the larger ID 4, Volkswagen has increased the ID 3’s maximum DC rapid-charging rate from 125kW to 170kW. 

Volkswagen says there are plans for a successor to the previous price-leading ID 3 Pure, which had a 148bhp electric motor and a 45kWh battery, but it won’t form part of the initial facelifted line-up.

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macboy 27 April 2023

I always love the casual way that VW talks about improving the ID quality, interior trim and software like they didn't realise it was poor when they launched it. "We've listened to our customers" actually means we sold them a half-finished, cost reduced car that they complained about so the next customers will get a better one and the early adopters can continue to suck a lemon. Our ID3 was by far the worst new car we've ever had. I wouldn't trust that this was in any way better especially as so many issue come from fundamental design decisions and a lack of software development talent and investment. I would buy virtually any new EV over an ID3.

Jeremy 27 April 2023

Scrolling indicators! Woowww! I wonder how many complained about the old ones?

Whereas plenty of complaints about the old controls and what changes? Nothing 

xxxx 27 April 2023

'old controls and what changes, nothing' emmm I suggest you read the article

Dozza 26 April 2023

VW advertised this as as sub-£25k model when they were developing it. I fail to see £37k when it has the interior finish of a Dacia.