VOLKSWAGEN ID 3
Autocar UK|May 24, 2023
TESTED 17.5.23, STUTTGART, GERMANY ON SALE NOW - Have the hatchback's frequently highlighted flaws been fully fixed with this facelift?
GREG KABLE
VOLKSWAGEN ID 3

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.

Denne historien er fra May 24, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

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Denne historien er fra May 24, 2023-utgaven av Autocar UK.

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