Tag Archives: Volkswagen ID.3

NEW CARS

The Volkswagen ID.3 Is Getting a Do-Over—and This Time VW Means It

Volkswagen is preparing to give the ID.3 something it’s arguably needed since day one: a proper rethink. The Golf-sized electric hatchback is due for a substantial refresh later this year, bringing with it a redesigned exterior, a reworked interior, and meaningful upgrades to tech and hardware. We first caught wind of the changes last year, but fresh late-stage spy photos now offer a clearer look at how serious VW is about fixing its early EV missteps.

When it lands, the updated ID.3 will be thrust back into the thick of the C-segment EV fight, squaring up against rivals like the Cupra Born, Skoda Elroq, Renault Megane E-Tech, Kia EV3, and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 3. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but expect it to hover around today’s entry point—roughly £30,860—keeping the ID.3 squarely in the mainstream electric conversation.

A Sharper Face for VW’s Electric Hatch

Volkswagen isn’t throwing away the ID.3’s basic proportions, but it is giving the car a much-needed facial adjustment. The most noticeable changes are concentrated at the front and rear, where revised lighting, reshaped bumpers, and new wheel designs aim to make the ID.3 look less like a design experiment and more like a proper Volkswagen.

The headlights now appear to sit lower and stretch visually toward the VW badge via a larger central graphic. There’s a strong chance this panel will be illuminated, and it may also conceal the brand’s latest matrix-beam LED tech. Below that, the front bumper gets more sculpting, larger outer vents to help airflow, and a small central opening—subtle on paper, but far more assertive than the barely perceptible 2024 update.

The goal is clear: pull the ID.3 back toward the brand’s new design language, previewed by the ID.2all concept. Expect cleaner lines, more confidence, and a more traditional two-box hatchback shape in place of the current car’s near-monovolume silhouette.

Inside, Buttons Are Back (Yes, Really)

If the exterior tweaks are evolutionary, the cabin changes promise to be closer to revolutionary—at least by VW standards. The ID.3’s minimalist, touch-heavy interior was widely criticized for sacrificing usability in the name of futurism, and Volkswagen seems ready to admit that experiment didn’t quite land.

The updated car will introduce a redesigned dashboard and interfaces, including the return of physical buttons, much like those previewed in the ID.2all. Expect higher-quality materials as well, with more texture and soft-touch surfaces intended to elevate the ID.3 beyond its current, slightly austere feel.

VW’s development boss Kai Grünitz has been blunt about the direction change:

“We will bring a re-skin for the ID.3, with a completely new design language going back to where we originally came from, and return to what Volkswagen is known for.”

Better Batteries, Better Value

The improvements don’t stop at the surface. Volkswagen is also targeting meaningful gains under the skin, particularly when it comes to battery performance and cost efficiency.

According to Grünitz, the company has made progress on battery costs, performance, and driver-assistance features—changes that should benefit both VW’s bottom line and the customer experience. In current form, the ID.3 is offered with battery packs ranging from 52 kWh to 79 kWh, the latter delivering a claimed 369 miles of range in GTX trim. Expect that figure to improve slightly as new battery tech filters in.

Crucially, the ID.3 will retain the core strengths of the MEB platform, including rear-wheel drive and a multi-link rear suspension. Front-drive layouts and simpler hardware will remain reserved for smaller, entry-level EVs.

GTI, GTX, and the Question of Electric Fun

One of the bigger unanswered questions surrounds performance variants. Volkswagen has softened its stance on what qualifies for a GTI badge in the electric era, suggesting it’s open to the idea—as long as the car feels right.

“Bringing performance to battery-electric vehicles is easy,” Grünitz said. “But creating fun-driving vehicles is much more difficult.”

That philosophy hints at more than just raw power figures. VW is reportedly exploring ideas such as simulated gear changes—similar to what Hyundai has done with the Ioniq 5 N—to inject character and driver engagement into future GTX and GTI models.

“We have a lot of ideas about what to do with this,” Grünitz added. “You will see this, both for GTI and GTX.”

The ID.3, Rewritten

Taken together, the changes suggest Volkswagen is treating the ID.3 refresh as more than a mid-cycle facelift. This is a course correction—one that acknowledges where the brand overreached and attempts to bring its electric hatchback back in line with the values that made cars like the Golf enduring benchmarks.

If VW delivers on its promises, the updated ID.3 could finally feel less like a concept car that escaped into production—and more like the electric Volkswagen it should have been from the start.

Source: AutoExpress

News

VW reduced the number of employees at the Zwickau plant

Volkswagen records good sales results when it comes to cars with internal combustion engines. However, when it comes to VW electric cars, the results are not so good. This caused a certain number of workers to be laid off at the Zwickau plant.

Chinese car manufacturers are increasingly conquering the European and other electric car markets, which has a great impact on the business results of big brands such as VW. How serious a problem it is for the German manufacturer, is shown by the recent news that the factory in Zwickau reduced the production of electric cars and also reduced the number of employees.

Zwickau plant was founded on 26 September 1990 and it produced cars with internal combustion engines, such as the legendary Trabant. Later, the factory was transformed into an electric car production plant, where models such as: Volkswagen ID.3, Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron, Volkswagen ID.5 and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron were born. . It had 10,700 employees with an annual production capacity of 330,000 cars.

Meanwhile, falling demand for VW electric cars forced Volkswagen to temporarily lay off 269 employees for a period of 12 months.

Source: Volkswagen

EV, News

Mercedes-Benz EQA more spacious and luxurious

German company Mercedes-Benz plans to develop a platform for small electric cars by 2025, which would provide a direct replacement for the hatchback A-Class and other electric vehicles in that class, and their currently smallest model Mercedes-Benz EQA crossover is electric a version of the GLA model with which it shares a platform.

It is one of four electric cars alongside the existing EQB, EQC and EQV, which uses a modified version of the existing platform designed for internal combustion engines. In this way, Mercedes will be competitive primarily with the Volkswagen ID.3 model, both in terms of passenger space and range with a single battery charge. The battery will be slightly smaller compared to other models, but it will still provide a range of quite a decent 425 km (264 miles). All thanks to a greater focus on weight reduction as well as improvements in aerodynamics.

Due to the absence of a central ridge and a thin battery, the new EQA will provide passengers with a more spacious and airy, but also more luxurious interior compared to entry-level models. Also, the car will be closer to the ground and thus avoid the crossover feature.

Source: Autocar