The ID line of dedicated electric vehicles based on the MEB platform has grown to include six models if we include the upcoming ID.7 sedan. It all started with the ID.3, the compact hatchback that was unveiled in September 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. However, it wasn’t until about a year later that customer deliveries started, so the already-announced facelift arrived relatively early in the lifecycle.
This appears to be a minor update for the small EV since a teaser sketch released in early December 2022 shows a nondescript change. Fast forward to today, our spies have captured a revised EV testing prototype in the cold with limited changes to the front fascia. The honeycomb structure on the bumper has been removed in an attempt to give the ID.3 a more conventional look similar to VW’s combustion engine cars.
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The newly acquired vertical air curtain will help aerodynamics and improve efficiency. That lower air intake is cleverly camouflaged to give the illusion that it extends upwards at the corners when in fact it has a flat design. The undercarriage also differs from what the prototype suggests as the official teaser shows a gradually narrower air intake at the bottom.
Although VW says this will be a second-generation model, that’s clearly not the case. Our spies weren’t able to peek inside the cabin, but the German automaker has announced it will replace the 10-inch touchscreen with a larger 12-inch display. Additionally, the center console will incorporate two cup holders and there will also be a removable compartment floor in the cargo area.
The Wolfsburg-based company says the 2023 ID.3 will have a higher-quality interior and improved software to address the gearing issues that also plagued the Golf Mk VIII at launch. This facelift version should bring something to the fans as well as the ID.X hot hatch concept has been repeatedly confirmed for production.
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As VW has enough orders for the pre-facelift model to keep factories busy for a while, those placing new orders in Germany will receive the updated version in the fourth quarter of 2023. The slightly altered ID.3 is available on the domestic market from €43,995 in levels pre-configured Life, Business, Style, Max, and Tour trims.
To meet strong demand, VW also intends to assemble EVs in Wolfsburg. Production initially started in late 2019 at the Zwickau factory before electric hatches were also added to the assembly line in early 2021 at the Dresden plant where the Phaeton was built.
