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Volkswagen will unveil an updated version of its ID.3 next spring, and even though the compact electric hatchback isn’t sold in the U.S., the planned updates may eventually filter across to the related ID.4 compact crossover.
Teaser sketches released by the automaker last week hint at a revised front fascia and a new dash with a larger infotainment screen (12 inches). VW also confirmed better quality materials for the cabin and a new software back end that will support over-the-air updates. The center console will also feature a revised design with a pair of cupholders, and the cargo area will get a removable floor.
The new software will also support VW’s latest electronic driver-assist features, which will be available to ID.3 customers. These include the new Travel Assist with Swarm Data, which builds on VW’s existing Travel Assist automated driving system for a single lane, by adding crowd-sourced data to allow the system to work in more areas. Automatic lane changes are also now possible. There will also be an automated parking system with memory function, VW said.
The ID.3 is built at plants in the German cities of Zwickau and Dresden. With the arrival of the updated ID.3, production will be expanded to VW’s main plant in Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen Group’s headquarters are located.
Teaser for updated Volkswagen ID.3 due in spring 2023
VW will invest 460 million euros (approximately $484 million) in the Wolfsburg plant to prepare it for EV production. The plant is where VW currently builds the Golf for worldwide sales.
VW on Wednesday said it will also build a compact electric crossover at the Wolfsburg plant. The crossover will be based on an updated version of VW Group’s MEB platform found in the ID.3, ID.4, and multiple other VW Group products. The updated platform, dubbed MEB+, will feature a new common battery cell and support charging at rates of up to 200 kw. VW said the MEB+ platform will also support higher ranges than what’s possible with the MEB platform.
“The MEB still has significant potential,” Thomas Schäfer, VW’s CEO, said in a statement. “Our ambition is to take this platform to the next level.”
VW said the Wolfsburg plant will also be home eventually to the much-hyped Trinity model based on a new, highly modular EV platform dubbed the SSP. VW previously said the Trinity would arrive in 2026, but there are reports the model faces delays.