Volkswagen may be in the midst of launching the new, all-electric Golf, but before that arrives, the German carmaker has another ace up its sleeve in the form of the new Volkswagen ID.3 Neo.
This all-electric hatch is essentially a heavily updated version of the ID.3, featuring cleaner styling, more physical controls, and a maximum WLTP range of over 600 km from a single full charge.
Cleaner Exterior, Overhauled Interior
In terms of design, the new ID.3 Neo gets some slight visual changes over the previous ID.3, featuring a refreshed front face with a thicker full-width LED DRL strip that connects the two redesigned headlights.
They are joined by a black trim and a redesigned front bumper with sharper side intakes, while the VW crest is positioned slightly lower to make way for the aforementioned LED strip.
The rest of the car is largely carried over from the regular ID.3, with some slight changes including the removal of gloss black accents and a new alloy wheel design.
The big changes take place inside the new ID.3 Neo, where VW has responded to customers’ complaints by bringing back tons of physical controls and traditional buttons to some key functions of the car.
These can be found on its new two-spoke steering wheel and on the central console, while the front dash has been redesigned with simpler lines and new materials that help to refresh the whole cabin.
Some key amenities provided here include a 12.9-inch central infotainment display, a smaller 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with refreshed graphics, an augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD), a panoramic sunroof, front seats with a massage function, a Harman Kardon audio system, and many more.
Three Powertrain Specs with Over 600 km of WLTP Range
The Europeans will get three powertrain options for the new ID.3, where the entry-level model is rated at 170 PS and juiced by a 50-kWh battery, while the mid-spec model gets a higher output of 190 PS plus a larger 58-kWh pack.
But nothing comes close to the top-spec High variant, as it features a total system output of 231 PS and uses a much larger 79-kWh battery pack that VW claims is good for up to 630 km of WLTP range.
Charging capacity has also been improved across the board, with the two baseline models now supporting up to 105 kW of DC fast charging and up to 183 kW in the range-topper. Also new here is the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability that allows the ID.3 Neo to power up external electrical appliances.
Europe-Only For Now, GTI Version Coming Soon?
Pre-sales for the all-new Volkswagen ID.3 Neo will start in Germany and other European markets from April 16 onwards, with its official pricing yet to be unveiled as of writing.
With only three trim levels offered for now, VW did say that they are currently working on a hotter version of this EV hatch, possibly carrying the GTI nameplate for easier recognition, regardless of whether it can hold a candle to the pure combustion GTI models of the past.
