The new Volkswagen ID.3 is coming 1 March and this is what we’re most excited about

When Volkswagen announced the ID.3 electric car in 2019 there were immediate concerns about the interior and its heavy use of white plastic and touch-sensitive surfaces.

Although those show cars were given a pass, the production car arrived in 2020 with an infotainment system that has been widely criticised. Touch controls on the steering wheel can easily be activated by mistake; the infotainment system is slow; a touch-sensitive strip for adjusting cabin temperature is not illuminated, so can’t be seen at night.

Mercifully, these details are all expected to be addressed with a facelifted ID.3, and now Volkswagen has said when the electric car will be revealed.

In a post on the Volkswagen LinkedIn page, written in German, the company said the updated ID.3 will arrive on 1 March. VW said how the new car will have revised rear lights, while images of cars undergoing winter testing show changes to the front lights too; VW describes lights as being part of “the sharpened, even more distinctive design.”

According to Autocar, the new ID.3 will also receive a larger dashboard display, now 12 inches and 2in larger than before, plus a restyled dashboard with illuminated climate controls. It is also claimed the interior will receive a boost in material quality, in response to the original ID.3 being criticised for its use of cheap-feeling plastics.

Volkswagen has previously said how it will begin to replace its controversial touch-sensitive steering wheel controls with physical buttons, although it isn’t clear if this transition will start with the facelifted ID.3 or a different model. The redesign will also come to the VW Passat and Tiguan later in 2023.