2023 Volkswagen ID.3 Facelift Spied For The First Time

The ID lineup of dedicated electric vehicles based on the MEB platform has blossomed to include six models if we were to include the upcoming ID.7 sedan. It all started with the ID.3, a compact hatchback that was unveiled in September 2019 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. However, it wasn’t until about a year later that deliveries to customers started, so the already-announced facelift is arriving relatively early in the life cycle.

It seems to be a minor update for the small EV since the teaser sketches released in early December 2022 showed discreet tweaks. Fast forward to today, our spies have caught a prototype of the revised EV testing in the cold with changes limited to the front fascia. The honeycomb structure of the bumper has been eliminated in a bid to give the ID.3 a more conventional appearance akin to VW’s combustion-engined cars.

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The newly gained vertical air curtains should help with aerodynamics and improve efficiency. That lower air intake is cleverly camouflaged to give the illusion it extends upwards at the corners when in reality it has a flat design. Its lower section is also different than what the prototype suggests as the official teaser showed the air intake is gradually narrower at the bottom.

Although VW went as far as to say this will be a second-generation model, clearly that’s not the case. Our spies were not able to take a peek inside the cabin, but the German automaker has already announced it will replace the 10-inch touchscreen with a bigger 12-inch display. In addition, the center console will incorporate two cup holders and there’s also going to 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 make up for the teething problems that also plagued the Golf Mk VIII at launch. This facelifted version should bring something for enthusiasts as well since the ID.X hot hatch concept has been repeatedly confirmed to go into production.

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Because VW has enough orders for the pre-facelift model to keep the factories busy for a while, those who place a new order in Germany will receive the updated version in the fourth quarter of 2023. The mildly changed ID.3 is available in its domestic market from €43,995 in pre-configured Life, Business, Style, Max, and Tour trim levels.

To keep up with strong demand, VW intends to assemble the EV in Wolfsburg as well. Production originally started in late 2019 at the Zwickau plant before the electric hatch was also added to the assembly line in early 2021 at the Dresden factory where the Phaeton used to be made.