The ID 3, Volkswagen's first bespoke electric car, has received a massive update - and a revised name - as part of an effort to right the wrongs of the six-year-old hatchback and increase its appeal.
The EV has been given fresh exterior styling, bigger batteries and, most significantly, a completely new interior that features an array of physical buttons, which will be shared with the soon-to-be-revealed ID Polo and ID Cross siblings.
Volkswagen is moving away from using number designations for its EVs (the ID 4 is set to be rebranded as the ID Tiguan when it receives a major update shortly), but the ID 3 will keep its number, due to the brand equity it has built up. It will, however, now be called the ID 3 Neo - a nod to the ID 3's original development codename and intended to emphasise that this is more than a standard mid-life refresh.
According to Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer, the changes, especially those inside, are designed to address the shortcomings of the brand's first wave of bespoke EVs, which started with the ID 3 in 2020 and continued with the ID 4, ID 5, ID 7 and ID Buzz. This is the second facelift for the ID 3, after an update in 2023 to resolve well-publicised issues with software and usability.
Schäfer said the ID 3 Neo, which will arrive in July, is the first in a new series of "true Volkswagen" cars, adding that the brand has a "clear goal: to build real Volkswagen models again". He said that "Volkswagen has always been about cars that become part of people's lives, cars that you can rely on, cars that work, cars you understand" but when he took over in 2022 "it was clear we were losing our core, what Volkswagen really stands for".
Schäfer said the ID 3 Neo is the first car to benefit from a complete change in the way that Volkswagen develops cars. He explained: "In the past, we had engineers who created long lists of features and requirements [and then] we wondered why everyone didn't feel comfortable using it.
Today we start differently: we start with people. Who's actually driving this car? It became very clear, and that changed everything in the way we did development faster, more focused and much closer to reality."
Inside is where the "biggest jump forward" has been made, according to Volkswagen tech boss Kai Grünitz, with changes that "address many of the criticisms our customers had about the first ID 3" and "finally make it a true Volkswagen".
"The ID 3 got really positive feedback for its sense of space and for its driving performance and precision, but there were also aspects that had to be improved," said Grünitz. "We already fixed many issues but not all of them, and that's why we took the next step with the new generation of the ID 3."
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It's taken two facelifts, but VW have finally arrived at the car they should have launched in the first place. Should keep it competitive until the ID Golf comes along. I would rather they kept the two window switches: I never have to roll down the rear windows and it stops me pressing the wrong button when I am in a hurry.