Volkswagen’s new electric Golf alternative has a silly name
Car changing is a big deal
This is your first look at the new Volkswagen ID3 Neo, a heavily updated version of the brand’s electric hatchback which will be on sale until the all-new Volkswagen Golf EV comes along in 2028. News editor Jamie Edkins tells you everything we know so far.
Volkswagen’s range of electric cars has never had the best names. Ever since the e-Golf went off sale back in 2020, we’ve had the ID3. While it’s a much better EV than the old e-Golf, thanks to the fact it was designed as an electric car from the ground up, the name never really captured anyone’s heart in the same way the brand’s legacy badges have.
The ID “number” brand will be slowly phased out over the next few years, starting with the new ID Polo in a few months time. The ID3 is also due to be replaced with the ID Golf in 2028, but seeing as that’s a few years away VW is giving the ID3 a heavy facelift and, in my opinion, a silly new name.
New Volkswagen ID3 Neo: what do we know so far?
Well we know that it’s now going to be called the ID3 Neo. Why? The word Neo means “new” or “a revived form of”, so technically the name makes sense. But I’ve never seen another car add the word “New” to the name after a facelift. ID3 never had much brand cache anyway, and I can’t see the ID3 Neo changing that.
Name aside, there are some changes to the ID3 Neo which are an improvement over the current car. It’ll have new software with upgraded autonomous driving aids, including a feature which can detect red traffic lights and bring you to a stop.
It’ll also have a digital key, allowing you to lock and unlock the car from your phone, but the biggest upgrade is found on the steering wheel.
The annoying touch-sensitive pads have been ditched, and proper buttons take their place. That’s a big win for the keyboard warriors who have been moaning about those fiddly sliders for the last five years.
These sketches also show some subtle design tweaks, most notably the new light bar at the front. The rear lights also look a bit slimmer and have a new LED signature, and some new alloy wheel options are almost a certainty.
Volkswagen ID Golf is on the way
The ID3’s days are numbered, because in around 2028 it will be replaced with the new ID Golf. Petrol and hybrid versions of the ninth-generation Golf are also on the cards, and an early teaser image gives you an idea of what it could look like.
It was shown to the Volkswagen team at a meeting in Wolfsburg, and shows that the next Golf will retain its traditional hatchback shape, with a more sloped nose than the current car which would be in-line with cars like the ID7.
There are no technical details for the new ID Golf yet, but you can expect it to improve upon the 350 miles of range you get from the current ID3. A hot GTI version is also on the cards.
You’ll have to wait a few years to see the new Volkswagen ID Golf come to fruition, but until then the heavily updated ID3 Neo will remain in showrooms. That car will be revealed in full this April, with order books opening shortly after. A small bump in price is likely, so you can expect it to cost from between £30,000 and £35,000.
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