VW ID.3 gets a refresh with better infotainment and more power for the Pro S

Today Volkswagen announced a refreshed ID.3, which comes with a revamped infotainment system, addressing what was probably the biggest pain point of its predecessor. Of course, VW's press release doesn't mention the myriad issues people had with the previous-gen infotainment system, but it's pretty clear that it's been listening. That obviously won't do anything for current ID.3 owners, but at least those who buy the new model should in theory have less issues.

The refresh also brings more power to the Pro S model, now reaching 170 kW / 231 PS and a range of 347 miles WLTP. Furthermore, the new ID.3 gets up to 175 kW DC fast charging and can pre-condition its battery to reduce charging times even more. You can plan routes with up to 10 charging stops and 10 stopovers on your phone and then transfer them to the infotainment system.

But wait, there's some small print here. The new power output will be delivered in Germany, while customers in other markets "can decide after purchase whether they want to increase the basic output from 150 kW to 170 kW via function-on-demand". Translation: you'll need to pay for it, since this is another component in VW's "development of digital business models".

If you do pay (or are lucky to be living in Germany), then the 170 kW power output improves 0 to 62 mph acceleration to 7.1 seconds.

Pre-sales for the Pro S model with five seats and a 77 kWh net battery capacity are now open, with more variants promised to be available for order shortly.

The new ID.3 comes with a larger central touchscreen (now 12.9"), and what VW says is a more intuitive menu structure (at last!). The multifunction steering wheel has also been enhanced to deliver simplified and more intuitive operation, apparently.

The driving mode selector is no longer placed inside the housing of the Digital Cockpit and it's now designed as a separate steering column switch, like in the ID.7.

The touch sliders used to control the interior temperatures and volume are unfortunately still present, located underneath the touchscreen. If you hate using them, VW implies you should use the IDA voice assistant, which can be "operated with natural language". This not only lets you change car controls but can also answer questions by accessing online databases like Wikipedia, and it supports ChatGPT too.

There's a new Wellness app in the car, which you might need to use multiple times a day if the touchscreen controls are as convoluted as the last generation's were. It's billed as providing "increased well-being while driving or during breaks", and uses background lighting, sound, and air conditioning to achieve that. Three wellness modes will be available upon launch: Fresh Up, Calm Down, and Power Break. They can be customized with, for example, a Spotify playlist instead of the pre-programmed sounds.

Speaking of which, the ID.3 Pro S now has an optional 480W Harman Kardon 12-channel sound system, with four presets and a customizable EQ.

New systems include remote parking via a smartphone app, enhanced Travel Assist with swarm data utilization which enables assisted longitudinal and lateral guidance over the entire speed range and assisted lane changing on motorways, and an exit warning system which can briefly prevent a door from being opened if a vehicle is approaching from behind.