When Volkswagen announced the ID.3 electric car in 2019 there were immediate concerns about the interior and its heavy use of white plastic and touch-sensitive surfaces.
Although those show cars were given a pass, the production car arrived in 2020 with an infotainment system that has been widely criticised. Touch controls on the steering wheel can easily be activated by mistake; the infotainment system is slow; a touch-sensitive strip for adjusting cabin temperature is not illuminated, so can’t be seen at night.
Mercifully, these details are all expected to be addressed with a facelifted ID.3, and now Volkswagen has said when the electric car will be revealed.
In a post on the Volkswagen LinkedIn page, written in German, the company said the updated ID.3 will arrive on 1 March. VW said how the new car will have revised rear lights, while images of cars undergoing winter testing show changes to the front lights too; VW describes lights as being part of “the sharpened, even more distinctive design.”
According to Autocar, the new ID.3 will also receive a larger dashboard display, now 12 inches and 2in larger than before, plus a restyled dashboard with illuminated climate controls. It is also claimed the interior will receive a boost in material quality, in response to the original ID.3 being criticised for its use of cheap-feeling plastics.
Volkswagen has previously said how it will begin to replace its controversial touch-sensitive steering wheel controls with physical buttons, although it isn’t clear if this transition will start with the facelifted ID.3 or a different model. The redesign will also come to the VW Passat and Tiguan later in 2023.
