VW brings further updates for the ID.3

While the model range of the ID.3 was previously quite simple, VW has now increased the complexity again: after the body and quality were improved in the 2023 facelift and the drive options remained the same across the board, the ID.3 Pro S is now getting more power – increasing it from 150 to 170 kW. In the German market, the ID.3 Pro S now has this output as standard; in other markets, customers can decide after purchase whether they want to increase the output from 150 kW to 170 kW via function-on-demand – however, VW does not specify how expensive this will be.

Two big buts: Firstly, the Pro S continues to use the old electric motor, internally called APP310. Despite the 20 kW more power, the torque remains at 310 Nm. At least efficiency has improved somewhat, so the ID.3 Pro S now achieves 559 WLTP kilometres – compared to 546 kilometres with the facelift a year ago. And secondly, the ID.3 Pro S continues to use the 77 kWh battery. With the ID.3 GTX presented in March 2024, the German carmaker announced a slightly improved battery with an energy content of 79 kWh (net, 84 kWh gross). However, this battery for a range of more than 600 kilometres is only available in the GTX; customers will still have to make do with the 77 kWh version in the ‘regular’ ID.3.

Even if the energy content remains the same, at least the latest version of the charging and thermal management system is available. That means the ID.3 Pro S can now also be charged with up to 175 kW if the software brings the battery into the optimum temperature window before the next DC charging stop. “This enables the charging time to be reduced by several minutes, particularly in winter,” says VW. The battery is either heated automatically when the next (interim) destination is a charging station – or after the driver manually activated the function via the charging menu. One can plan routes with up to ten charging stops and ten interim destinations on the smartphone or online and then transfer them to the infotainment system.

However, there are no changes to the ID.3 Pro – here, the 150 kW output and 58 kWh battery remain unchanged. It means there will be three drives for the series: the APP310 with 150 kW, the improved APP310 with 170 kW, and the APP550 with two power levels for the GTX versions. As is now clear, the 79 kW battery from the GTX does not replace the 77 kWh model but complements it. So, things are getting more complex for the MEB model built in Zwickau. The situation is different at Hyundai: the Koreans presented an advanced 84 kWh battery in the sporty Ioniq 5 N. Still, they are also bringing this version to the weaker drive variants and replacing the previous 77.4 kWh battery.

*Preliminary value

Back to VW: further facelift measures affect the interior. For the 2023 facelift, the previously installed ten-inch display was replaced by a twelve-inch touchscreen. However, this is already being replaced again, as VW is now announcing a 12.9-inch touchscreen – which also runs the new menu structure introduced in the ID.7 for simplified and more intuitive operation. Incidentally, it also affects the speedometer display: until now, the gear selector switch directly attached to the display prevented a larger touchscreen from being installed. Now, the gear selector has been detached from the ‘Digital Cockpit’ housing and designed separately – as in the ID.7 or ID. Buzz – as a steering column lever. And: the touch slider below the touchscreen is now also illuminated.

Other new features in the ID.3 include the IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT integration. It enables the control of many vehicle functions and answers questions by accessing online databases such as Wikipedia. Furthermore, the wellness app introduced in the ID.7 is now also available in the ID.3 for “increased well-being while driving or during breaks,” according to VW. This app uses ambient lighting, the bung and the air conditioning to create special moods – ‘Fresh Up’ (refreshment), ‘Calm Down’ (relaxation) and ‘Power Break’ (break). The multifunction steering wheel has also been customised in the interior hardware, but the touch surfaces remain the same.

In terms of assistance systems, the enhanced ‘Travel Assist’ with swarm data usage is available as an option, enabling assisted longitudinal and lateral guidance across the entire speed range and assisted lane changes on the motorway. Park Assist Plus has been extended to include a remote function for remote-controlled parking via a smartphone app. And the exit warning system is new in the ID.3: as an extension of the ‘Side Assist’ lane change assistant, it can prevent one of the doors from opening if a vehicle is approaching from behind within the system limits. The system issues an audible and visual warning and briefly prevents the door(s) in question from opening in the event of acute danger.

The ID.3 Pro is still listed in the configurator at prices starting from 39,995 euros in Germany. The revised Pro S with 170 kW and 559 kilometres WLTP range starts at prices from 47,595 euros. The GTX models are not yet available to order, so there are no prices for these variants yet.

“The ID.3 Pro S represents the consistent further development of our product portfolio based on the needs of our customers,” says Imelda Labbé, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. “For example, the model now has an improved e-route planner and the option of preconditioning the battery. These are functions that have already been very well received by drivers of the other ID. models.”

volkswagen-newsroom.com