2023 Volkswagen ID.3 Restyling: Incremental Innovation and Road Test

Volkswagen ID.3 is once again the protagonist with the arrival of the first units of the 2023 restyling, an update of ID.3 that does not distort the project but embraces what has now become the predominant philosophy in the world of electric vehicles: incremental innovation.

We are not faced with the “Tesla” extremes, where from one month to the next the car may or may not have headlights of a certain type because Musk has decided to detach himself from the logic of “mid-career” updates, but nonetheless it is a cross between the “legacy” approach, the one made up of restyling and “model year”, and the new continuous updating process.

In fact, Volkswagen continues to work on the car, and the proof is represented by the indiscretions collected during the presentation event, where I am told that work is underway to progressively reduce the weight so as to be able to propose an ID.3 Pro S (the one with 77 kWh net battery) also in the version approved for five seats without having to give up the possibility of accessorising it, because mass is precisely the limit and accessories weigh…

ROAD TEST

We have already talked about the ID.3 restyling, and the previous model, on several occasions, for this I propose the two starting points useful to get a complete idea in case you are willing to evaluate the purchase of this electric:

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01 Apr

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28 Apr

The first article summarizes the aesthetic and technical innovations of this restyling, innovations of which I also speak to you in the first part of the opening video. The second article tells you about the results of the consumption tests on our standard circuit and in real conditions, the “BrianzaRing”. It should be noted, however, that the test was carried out at the time of the 2.0 software, and the restyling has made progress reaching version 3.5 which has managed to optimize, from the declarations, the performance in terms of efficiency, we will see later on reporting the car on the test track to see if there will be any major changes.

Having said that, let’s therefore focus on the elements that actually have a “road test” response of the ID.3, starting from the interface where the addition of the battery percentage on the instrument screen finally brings a much requested feature by the owners (And pre-facelift buyers will get it too since it’s a software update). There is still a lack of information that we find elsewhere, such as the various “trip computers” with averages, but it cannot be excluded that we could see new things in the future.

The other important aspect is that of recharging, boosted to 120 kW peak on the Pro Performance (from 58 kWh) and to 170 kW on the Pro S. The idea is that both are recharged in 30 minutes at a fast column (0-80 %), and actually the charging curve improves allowing you to really respect that half hour in more environmental and battery temperature conditions. A great advantage for those who travel a lot is Plug&Charge, now enabled and able to eliminate the use of cards and apps, but currently only available on IONITY.

Moving on to driving dynamics, there are no big news: with the DCC Volkswagen ID.3 it is very pleasant because we have an adaptive damping regulation. It’s not air suspension, but we have the option to stiffen the dampers in Sport mode for a more pleasant response when we push the pace: less body roll, less pitching and better steering feedback. Or in comfort we activate a softer and greater absorption for those situations in which the road surface is damaged.

It may seem like something useless, and for me it is when I travel alone having chosen a vehicle with a fixed and very rigid set-up and being satisfied with it, but having a car that transforms itself (albeit without going to choose more sophisticated suspension systems) to it can change the travel experience for passengers.

Without forgetting that the DCC actively works using the sensors and navigation information, adapting the response to the oncoming speed bump, the road we are about to tackle and so on. In short, give it a little thought and carefully evaluate the use you will make of the car: it is clear that if you don’t travel often and for a long time, even the basic trim is more than satisfactory and you can avoid subtleties of this type by saving thousands of euros.

The electric motor with 204 HP and 310 Nm of torque makes its mark: ID.3 is not lightning fast but it is very pleasant to drive, accelerations are fluid but perceptible, it never makes you feel the lack of power and has good pickups, in short, balanced and very honest with its 7.3/7.9 seconds of acceleration (depending on the battery).

The consumption? I’ll have to test it for more, but they don’t seem to have changed much except maybe for a perceptible tweak as you push the speed higher. The “cruise to 130” motorway, with a real average of 110 kilometers per hour due to the inevitable traffic made of slowdowns, can be tackled with an autonomy of 300 kilometers between one recharge and another. You need a light foot, fluid movements of the “gas” and in these conditions you can move from one fast column to another with good distances between refills. This applies to the 77 kWh, the heaviest.

Analyzing a route close to the WLTP combined cycle, but in real driving conditions, with the 58 kWh it is possible to go down to 18/19 kWh / 100 km, having a really quiet drive on the motorway. It’s not my guide, I’ve shown it to you here with the Model 3, but there are (and I know personally) who can achieve these results.

PRICES, INCENTIVES AND FINANCING

Finally a (more) simple price list. Today Volkswagen ID.3 2023 is chosen according to the battery, and then you go shopping for the “extra packages, even if there is still a tree of options that maintains some constraints (for example, one package is a prerequisite for another):

ID.3 (2023) Pro Performance da 58 kWh: €41,900 (takes incentives, from €36,900)
ID.3 Pro S da 77 kWh: 50.000€

It doesn’t have much of a series: adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, lane keeping assist, light, rain and parking sensors (front and rear), traffic sign recognition, automatic climate control (single-zone), keyless Go, electric mirrors (heated, foldable and adjustable ), ambient lights, 18″ steel wheels, LED headlights (front and rear), black roof, Car2X, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, 12″ touchscreen ready for integrated navigation (sold separately), digital instruments 3.5″ and multifunction steering wheel in eco-leather.

On the Pro S we also find 19″ alloy wheels, ergoActive front seats that can be heated and electrically adjusted (with memory function) and fast charging at 170 kW instead of the 120 kW of the Pro Performance. For both, the AC charger from series is 11 kW.

VOLKSWAGEN CONFIGURATOR ID.3

The purchase formula for those who can take advantage of the Eco-incentives is interesting, especially if you need a car for a couple of years before deciding on a possible definitive electric purchase (or if you want to get involved in the Volkswagen Value Project by changing it every 2 /3 years): advance of €4,900rates yes €199 per month for 23 monthstotal mileage of 20,000 km in the two-year period and a particularly low interest rate considering the current macro-economic conditions, “only” 3.99% of TAN and 4.95% of APR [alto rispetto a qualche anno fa, ma in giro la media è peggiore considerato il costo del denaro oggi figlio delle decisioni della BCE].

Of course, to access this formula you must qualify for the maximum incentive, which is equal to €5,000 by scrapping a car worth less than Euro 5 that you have owned for at least 12 months.

VIDEO

2023-07-10 09:56:15
#Volkswagen #ID.3 #road #test #restyling #software #Video