Volkswagen is releasing significant facelifts for its existing MEB models. Now, the Wolfsburg-based automaker is also bringing the successor of the ID.3, its first ID. model, out of the shadows, though only slightly.
It will have its world premiere in mid-April under the new name, ID.3 Neo, and with new features. The company remains tight-lipped about possible changes in the drivetrain technology.
Details of the upcoming changes to the ID.3 and other VW models are gradually emerging. Following its facelift, the ID.3 will be renamed the ID.3 Neo, rather than the previously speculated ID. Golf. Meanwhile, media reports indicate that the ID.4 will be rebranded as the ID. Tiguan, while the ID.5 is expected to be discontinued.
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) will also gain a range of new functions thanks to a new generation of on-board software. These include an enhanced Travel Assist with traffic light recognition and One-Pedal Driving, which allows the vehicle to recuperate energy down to a standstill.
The ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7 are already available to order as the first models featuring this new software, its functions, and the new ‘Innovision’ infotainment system. The ID.3 Neo is set to follow soon. Volkswagen has scheduled the facelift’s premiere for mid-April.
Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen’s Board Member for Technical Development, commented: “The new software generation brings more performance and an even better customer experience to the ID. models. The new Volkswagen electric models in the small- and compact-vehicle segments, the ID. Polo, ID. Polo GTI, and ID. Cross will also soon be launched on the market with these new innovations, offering more flexibility in everyday life and for leisure activities.”
The LFP battery is the biggest novelty
With the launch of the electric small-car family and the comprehensive facelifts of the existing models, 2026 is set to be a landmark year for Volkswagen. The updates to the VW ID.3, VW ID.4/ID.5, and their corporate siblings extend beyond aesthetics and software to include powertrain improvements.
Volkswagen’s latest announcement does not (yet) address this for the ID.3, but it does for the ID.4/ID.5: “Pure entry-level models are equipped with the APP 350, a new 140 kW/190 hp drive system that offers increased torque (350 instead of 310 Nm) and lowers fuel consumption compared with the previous APP 310 motors.”
This enables the ID. 4’s range to be increased by up to 40 km (WLTP), for example. In combination with a new lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) high-voltage battery (58 kWh net), this is an impressive package that is robust and very efficient,” the company stated.
For months already, it has been known that the electric SUV would transition to the upgraded MEB+ platform and, in the process, receive a new entry-level motor and, in its base version, a new battery with more cost-effective LFP cell chemistry. Further details include replacing door handle recesses with classic pull handles.
Playing hide and seek
At the moment, VW still hasn’t confirmed whether the ID.3 will also switch to LFP cells in its entry-level version, but that’s quite inevitable. Volkswagen’s daughter Cupra unveiled its Born facelift last week, a VW ID.3 sibling, complete with revealing technical data.
The Born will continue to offer three motor-battery configurations: 58 kWh in the base version and 79 kWh for extended range, with either a 170 kW rear-wheel-drive powertrain or a 240 kW powertrain.
The most interesting aspect of the Cupra facelift is the third variant with a 58 kWh battery and 140 kW of power, replacing the previous 150 kW version. This strongly suggests that Cupra is introducing the new LFP battery from the MEB+ platform but does not yet want to highlight it.
VW partner Ford, on the contrary, has already done so, commenting on the changes to the standard-range Explorer (on the same MEB+ platform) and speaking of an LFP battery and the APP 350 motor with 140 kW.
Cupra’s reluctance to emphasize this important change last week suggests that the brand wants to leave the communication to another group company. However, Volkswagen has not yet followed up, leaving the ID.3 Neo’s powertrain details unclear for now.
Other improvements
In its latest announcement, Volkswagen highlights features such as the aforementioned One-Pedal Driving and the new V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) function. After the facelift, the new-generation ID. models will support Vehicle-to-Load, allowing external devices to be powered with up to 3.6 kW. It is also already known that all future ID. models will reintroduce steering wheel push buttons. The ID.3 Neo is no exception.
Volkswagen’s press department also emphasizes an optional digital vehicle key and new infotainment details: “A new app store has also been integrated into the In-Car Shop of the new infotainment system, which allows functions and services to be activated or extended digitally, flexibly and on a vehicle-specific basis,” the statement reads. Popular apps will be available for download, just like on a smartphone.
