Volkswagen has teased us with an enticing image of the upgraded version of its ID.3 electric hatchback, and the shock revelation that it will be adding a word to the car’s name when it’s officially revealed in April. 

The newest version of the electric car that kicked off Volkswagen’s ‘ID’ badged range of EVs will be called the ID.3 Neo, according to an update from the German company. 

Maybe it’s set to take inspiration from the plane you went on your holidays in last year, Airbus upgrading some of its most popular models with the Neo badge to signify that they carry the latest technology and offer increased range plus maximum comfort for passengers. 

The artistic rendering of the upcoming car gives us a hint at the sweeping changes that are set to come – a full width front light bar and slightly different bumpers. But how do you improve on perfection? Apart from adding some physical buttons for the aircon, that is.

Despite the Neo badge, the ID.3 we see next month won’t actually be new new car, but rather a facelifted version of the model that’s been on sale since 2019 and was already spruced up back in 2023. 

We can expect a new front end design for the car, an almost doubling of rear badge letters used on the car’s glass hatch, Volkswagen’s latest steering wheel concept as seen on the ID.Polo (that heralds a return to some physical buttons rather than the dreadful haptic touch things it had before), some new safety kit and improved one pedal driving. 

Volkswagen has also revealed that it’s updating some of its software packages across its electric offering, with better onboard entertainment functions, 3.6kW vehicle to load functionality and a new ‘digital key’ where you can use your smartphone or smart watch to get into the car and on the move. 

Normally manufacturers would be looking at gently ushering their products out to pasture at the ripe old age of seven, but Volkswagen probably wants to get as much money as possible out of its expensive MEB investment (the electric platform that underpins the ID.3 and other Volkswagen Group EVs) and is also waiting for the new Golf in 2028 to be able to merge the models and create an electric ID.Golf for the first time. 

So it’s fairly likely that this is the third and final time we get to see a new ID.3 – the model will probably be ushered out to pasture in a couple of years’ time unless Volkswagen thinks it has a viable niche it can squeeze the car into. 

It's not going to be called the .3 Neo, it's just that the picture Volkswagen sent doesn't fit on our website properly