Volkswagen teases updated ID.3 electric hatchback, but Australia will have to wait

Last year Cupra launched its all-electric Cupra Born hatchback. Now Volkswagen, which owns the Cupra brand, is upgrading the hatchback that the Born is based on, the Volkswagen ID.3.

This model is VW group’s best-seller in Europe. It was first launched in 2019, with deliveries starting in 2021, but like all VW’s electric offerings, it has yet to make an appearance in Australia.

The revamped ID.3 will see a whole bunch of improvements on the current model. These include:

• New interior design with refinement
• Sharpened exterior design
• New colours including Dark Olivine Green
• Higher quality yet sustainably sourced interior materials
• Safety assist system updates

On top of that, the ID.3 now will have inbuilt route planning which brings charging stations to the navigation system. The current generation of the ID.3 gets drivers to use third-party apps for route planning which is quite inconvenient.

The interior now also sees a larger 12-inch infotainment screen with an improved user interface. There is also the inclusion of the next generation of heads-up display which adds convenience for the driver while improving the driver’s focus on the road ahead.

Not much has been mentioned about any upgrade to the battery or the powertrain. What is known is that the current ID.3 comes in a 62 kWh or a larger 82 kWh battery pack. 

The range on the smaller pack sits at 427 km on the WLTP test cycle while the larger pack can get up to 553 km, according to EV-database.

The 82 kWh battery pack is similar to the one found in the Australian-delivered variant of the Cupra Born. First deliveries of the Born are expected to be starting next month.

On the powertrain front, the current ID.3 is powered by a rear-mounted motor that delivers 150 kW of power and 310 Nm of torque.

Pricing of the ID.3 in the right-hand drive like in the UK starts at under £39,425 which equates to about $A70,400. The longer-range version will cost closer to $A84,000. Given the Cupra starts at $A60,000 plus on-roads here in Australia, the Cupra could be seen as a bit of a bargain.

The new model is expected to begin production in Germany later this year. The existing ID.3 model is currently not available in Australia and VW decided to wait until the upgrade before starting sales.  It now seems likely the ID.3 will not be offered until 2024, after the release later this year of the bigger ID.4. 

Given the number of affordable EVs on the way, including the MG 4 which is launching later this week at Fully Charged Live in Sydney, it’d be hard to see the ID.3 getting many runs on the board if it is expected to arrive in 2024.

Video of the new Volkswagen ID.3