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By Jonathan Crouch

Volkswagen has redefined what its ID.3 compact EV hatch should be. And the result is this ID.3 Neo. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 66

Volkswagen's ID 3 Neo is an almost completely reinvented version of the original ID.3 compact hatch, which was the company's very first really mainstream electric car. Lots has been learnt from the issues that early design faced in its first half a decade of production and the result is a small but spacious electric car that brand loyalists ought to feel a lot more comfortable with.

Backgroundword count: 178

The original Volkswagen ID.3 launched back in 2020 was not, we now learn, 'a true Volkswagen' - according at least to the latest leaders of the brand. Here though, is a version of this car that apparently is; the ID.3 Neo. This isn't the first go the Wolfsburg maker has had at bringing us the kind of ID.3 we should have had from the start. The original car was so beset with quality and software issues that a wide-ranging update had to be introduced less than three years into production. But all that really did was correct the earlier glitches. Not the fact that the original car was designed more around technology than the needs of the people who would actually drive and own it. But things are changing in Wolfsburg, where new programme has been implemented 'to build true Volkswagens again'. This further improved ID.3 was the first car to benefit from that, the added 'Neo' moniker (a reference to the original model's development codename) there to emphasise just how much of a significant update this is.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 340

The drivetrain changes here are more far-reaching than you might expect. The Neo gets a completely new set of batteries that energise a more efficient completely new APP350 electric motor (replacing the previous APP310 unit): the letters stand for 'Axial Parallel Positive' and the numbers designate the torque output. As a potential owner or user, the number you'll be most interested in of course will be the drive range figure. The smallest 50kWh battery goes 259 miles between charges (18 miles further than its pre-facelift equivalent), while the 58kWh pack most will choose manages up to 307 miles (37 miles more than before). The biggest 79kWh pack takes the car up to 391 miles (20 miles further than before). We mentioned the new APP350 electric motor that all Neos use; it has a slug more pulling power than the old unit - up from 310 to 350Nm. And its outputs are, as you'd expect, linked to battery size. It's 170PS for the 50kWh model, with 0-62mph in 8.6s. The 58kWh version delivers 190PS and manages 62mph in 8.0s. Finally, the 79kWh variant puts out to 231PS and makes 62mph in 7.0s. If you want to go faster than that in an ID.3 Neo, you'll need to ask your dealer about the top GTI version Volkswagen has planned, which gets a potent APP550 motor with 550Nm of torque. Despite all these detailed drivetrain differences, the fundamentals here haven't changed. Which means that as before, unlike many of its non-VW Group segment rivals (but like the original Beetle), this ID.3 remains rear-driven. Enabling a taxi-type urban turning circle you'll really appreciate in town driving. Which is where you might most readily pick up another change made as part of the Neo update - the 'One-Pedal Drive' set-up now possible as part of the updates made to the brake regen system. There's also a new version of the brand's 'Travel Assist' semi-autonomous driving system, which can spot red traffic lights ahead and slow accordingly. As before, ride quality and refinement are very class-competitive.

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