VOLKSWAGEN ID 3

TESTED 17.5.23, STUTTGART, GERMANY ON SALE NOW - Have the hatchback's frequently highlighted flaws been fully fixed with this facelift?

- GREG KABLE

Things have rarely looked rosy for the Volkswagen ID 3. Initially delayed due to problems with its software and lack of over-the-air update capability, then roundly criticised for its lacklustre interior quality and niggles with its charging and infotainment software, all while coming under fire from a number of cheaper but better-equipped rivals, the first of Volkswagen's dedicated EVS got off to a rather inauspicious start.

But now, some three and a half years after its introduction, the MEB-platform-based, MPVshape hatchback has received a new lease of life with a facelift that is aimed at rectifying its early weaknesses and driving sales.

Among the changes is a light reworking of the exterior, which to these eyes gives the ID 3 a more cohesive appearance, without many of the black plastic elements of the original model.

The updates inside are much more important, though. Included is a new-look dashboard with a synthetic leather covering on the Pro S model driven here, as well as higher-grade plastics and upholstery in other places.

Then there's a standard 12.0in infotainment touchscreen in place of the 10.0in item used before.

It receives Volkswagen's latest software package and with it a new digital menu structure, higher resolution, faster responses and slicker operation. However, to our dismay, Volkswagen hasn't added illumination to the sliders used to control the volume and climate.