New Volkswagen ID.3 coming with "completely new design language”

• Big mid-life update for the Volkswagen ID.3 coming soon
• New battery tech could bring more range and performance
• Tweaked styling with "completely new design language”

The Volkswagen ID.3 is in line to receive a big update, bringing a “completely new design language” that harks back to the brand’s historic hatchback lineup, Carbuyer can confirm. Other changes are likely to include a revised interior with a return to physical controls and updated battery tech, possibly improving its range.

The refreshed ID.3 will arrive as part of Volkswagen’s new hatchback strategy, which will kick off with the launch of the production-ready ID.2all towards the end of 2025. This small electric hatchback – which is rumoured to be called the ID.Polo – will sit below the ID.3, offering buyers a more affordable EV to rival the Renault 5, Fiat Grande Panda and Citroen e-C3. 

While the ID.Polo will set the design direction, the updated ID.3 will follow in its footsteps, picking up similar styling when it lands next year. Our exclusive images provide an idea of what the ID.3 could look like…

What will the new Volkswagen ID.3 look like?

A bit more conventional, in short. The new ID.3 will take inspiration from the ID.2all, as well as VW’s back catalogue of Golf models, to come across a bit more like a traditional hatchback. Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen’s head of technical development, explained:

“We will bring a re-skin for the ID.3, with a completely new design language going back to where we originally came from, and return to what Volkswagen is known for.”

The task of redesigning the ID.3 falls to Andreas Mindt, who has headed up VW’s design department since 2020. The first all-new model penned under his watch will be the ID.Polo, so the new ID.3 is very likely to follow the same themes laid out by this car. 

In our preview image, the biggest change for the ID.3 will be the return to a more traditional, ‘two box’ body design, with a bonnet that’s distinct from the passenger compartment. Like lots of EVs, the current ID.3 is shaped more like one single volume, as it doesn’t have a big engine to contain under the bonnet.

But the ID.2all concept shows that VW is preparing to go back to a more conventional hatchback shape. The new ID.3 is likely to sport a similar profile, with a more upright windscreen and a longer bonnet, providing a better visual connection to the Golf. We could even see deeper, black painted sills and bumpers to help disguise the height of the ID.3, making it look less upright and more like a traditional hatchback.

The connection to the ID.Polo will be more obvious with the front end design. The new ID.3 is likely to pick up a new pair of headlights similar to those seen on the ID.2all concept, along with a lightbar across the nose and a new front bumper.

At the rear, we expect VW to ditch the current ID.3’s black-painted contrasting tailgate for a more traditional, body-coloured item. The separate tail-lights could also be swapped for a new full-width light bar, which is a theme used across the rest of VW’s electric ID range.

What else do we know about the new ID.3?

Volkswagen won’t stop at just tweaking the exterior of the ID.3. We expect there will be big updates to the interior and underlying EV tech, too, although details remain a bit unclear for now.

One of our biggest gripes with the ID.3 when it launched was the reliance on the big touchscreen for controlling pretty much everything. However, that could change for the updated model if VW is to follow the trend previewed in the ID.2all concept.

That car used physical controls for the cabin temperature, media volume and the heated seats, marking a big change from VW’s existing ID lineup. We expect these controls to find their way into the production-ready ID.Polo, so it would make sense for the new ID.3 to get them, too.

The new ID.3 is set to get some improvements under the skin, as well. The underlying ‘MEB’ architecture won’t be changed – this is an update after all, not an entirely new car – but new batteries could see range take a leap. Grünitz told us:

“We also have a lot of improvements in terms of battery costs and performance, [and will] bring new features and driver-assistance functions. So there will be a huge improvement, both in terms of the cost for us, but also benefit for the customers.”

Currently, the entry-level ID.3 with its 52kWh battery tops out at 241 miles of range, while the ID.3 GTX can manage 369 miles from its 79kWh unit. We expect both figures to get a healthy boost following next year’s update.

Speaking of the GTX, Volkswagen has confirmed that the badge will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. It will be used for VW’s sporty EVs, while the iconic ‘GTI’ badge will be reserved for cars that ‘feel’ like a GTI – not cars that just look sporty.

“Bringing performance to battery-electric vehicles is easy, you see that in all brands. But creating fun-driving vehicles is much more difficult, so the first question is ‘what’s the DNA of something like a GTI?’ How much power do we put in?” explained Grünitz. While an ID.3 GTI has been ruled out for now, there’s a chance that the GTX badge could find its way onto petrol-powered VWs, with Grünitz saying, “We have a lot of ideas about what to do with this. You will see this, both for GTI and GTX.”

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