When Volkswagen launched the ID.3, it was plagued by many issues stemming from its poorly designed and unfinished infotainment software. Subsequent updates made the ID.3 a much better car. Now, Volkswagen is giving it a completely new infotainment system, more power and an improved preconditioning function, allowing quicker charging.
The big news is the new 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that features improved software. Volkswagen promises it has “a new, intuitive menu structure,” ChatGPT integration, and the new layout puts the climate controls in a separate bar at the bottom of the screen. This should make changing climate settings much less frustrating, although you still have the touch-sensitive slides under the screen to adjust temperature and volume.
The early infotainment in VW ID models was really bad
For a company as big as VW, the fact that its early ID models had bad infotainment came as a surprise, which is why the department responsible for its development was terminated, and a new team improved the system and brought it to the much better state it is in today.
The same style of controls is still present on the steering wheel, even though Volkswagen vowed to bring back physical buttons in its cars. Maybe they will be added with the next major update.
The ID.3 Pro S variant gets more power, up to 170 kilowatts (227 horsepower/230 PS), so it sprints from 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds. Even though the battery powering the Pro S variant is the same 77 kWh pack, VW says it now has an improved range of up to 347 miles WLTP, up from 338 miles in the pre-update model.
VW says this update has improved charging performance, allowing the ID.3 Pro S to charge quicker thanks to “an innovative charging and thermal management function (that) makes sure the battery is pre-conditioned ahead of the next DC charging stop.”
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Automatic preconditioning when you selected a DC fast charger as your destination through the car’s navigation was a feature many other EVs already had, as well as some of VW’s ID models. However, it’s still a great addition to the ID.3, which now shaves a few minutes off the charging time, especially during the cold months.
With the new infotainment, the ID.3 gains several additional functions, including assisted lane changes when the adaptive cruise control is enabled. There’s even a Car2X traffic hazard function now, which gives the driver an early warning of potential dangers like roadworks, long traffic queues or accidents up ahead.
The Park Assist Plus function has also been upgraded and can do more. It can execute a saved parking maneuver of up to 50 meters. One cool new safety feature allows the car not to open the doors when occupants from inside want to get out if it detects vehicles approaching that could hit the doors if they were opened at that moment.
It also features a revised optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, which has more settings to play with, and a new integrated wellness app that adjusts many vehicle settings depending on its three customizable modes.
The ID.3 Pro S is the only version with these updates that can be currently ordered in Europe, but these updates will spread to the rest of the model lineup soon. VW quotes one of its high-ranking officials, Imelda Labbé, as saying that the Pro S version “represents the consistent further development of our product portfolio based on the needs of our customers. For example, the model now has an improved e-route planner and the option of preconditioning the battery. These are functions that have already been very well received by drivers of the other ID. models.”
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