Volkswagen ID 3 facelift confirmed for March launch

The facelifted Volkswagen ID 3 will arrive in March with upgraded infotainment software, a better-quality interior and a subtle design refresh.

Coming two-and-a-half years after the first customer deliveries of the electric family hatchback, the mid-life changes weren’t originally planned for this year, but its release was brought forward in reaction to well-publicised issues with software.

As such, the updated ID 3 will arrive with the latest generation of Volkswagen's ID software package, which is claimed to provide improved reaction times and a smoother user experience.

It's displayed on an upgraded, 2in-larger (now 12in) touchscreen, which is mounted on a restyled dashboard and features illuminated controls within its base, as the old climate controls which were difficult to see in the dark.

Following similar criticism of the interior quality of the original ID 3, more upmarket materials will also be used inside.

It could get push-button steering-wheel controls, which Volkswagen confirmed would be returning to some models in reaction to customer feedback.

However, the feature will be rolled out in the new Volkswagen Passat and Volkswagen Tiguan, arriving this year, with no date set for when it will make its way into ID models.

The facelift also brings an optional Travel Assist system, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and emergency assistance, based on swarm data. The optional Park Assist Plus system also receives a new memory function. 

Pictures of the car testing in colder climates shows that it will also receive a new-look front bumper with new vertical air ducts on either side of a redesigned central air duct, plus lightly revised LED headlights.

The bonnet has also been reworked, with the black panel at the base of the windscreen replaced by a new colour-keyed panel with greater contouring. At the rear, the 2023-model-year ID 3 adopts altered LED lights.

Together with changes to the appearance and interior of the ID 3, Volkswagen has confirmed production of the facelifted ID 3 will be extended beyond the existing sites in Dresden and Zwickau to include its home city of Wolfsburg.