The new facelifted version of the ID.3 is the final proof (if it were even needed) that Volkswagen has seen the error of its ways – the buttons have returned. 

The electric hatch was a pioneer went it went on sale back in 2020, but any of its tech savvy and electric innovation was overshadowed by the many complaints about its infotainment system. (Still, it's a solid used buy now though...)

​Volkswagen was finally feeling the side effects of its massive Dieselgate fines and had been forced to take shortcuts in its IT development right as cars were making the switch from hardware to software led devices.

Physical buttons were dropped almost entirely from the ID.3’s cabin, with drivers left reliant on the touchscreen to control things, along with a range of touch sensitive haptic buttons for things like the headlights and on the steering wheel.

All well and good if the tech works, but Volkswagen has had to do a considerable amount of finessing when it’s come to its infotainment offering, including some hasty updates early on. 

Has it finally all come good and made the ID.3 Neo the car the ID.3 should have been all along? The signs are promising. You can read Ginny’s thoughts from her first look at the car here, but the buttons and the improved tech offering have all combined to improve the ID.3 considerably from what we’ve seen so far. 

Will other carmakers start to see the light and bring back some of the buttons? Let’s keep our fingers crossed… it’s not like they’ve got anything else to do at the moment.