GTX-specific features. Premium sport seats in GTX style as standard underline the sporty character of the ID.3 GTX, with their ergonomic form, red decorative stitching and GTX lettering in the backrests. The seats are upholstered with the new Lurus fabric (made from 100-per-cent recycled material) and an elegant and sustainably produced leatherette (ArtTex). The individualised interior features include red decorative seams on the door trims and a distinctive dash panel surface. Red stitching, a red application on the lower steering wheel trim (at six o'clock) and the chrome GTX lettering integrated there characterise the easy-grip multifunction steering wheel. The optionally available ergoActive seats are GTX-specific with red contrasting seams and piping. Their features include integrated headrests, electric adjustment, memory function and adjustable thigh support. The dark ArtVelours Eco microfleece is used here on the inner seat surfaces; this consists of 71-per-cent recycled material – a secondary raw material that is obtained by recycling plastic waste. The outer seat surfaces are covered in high-quality leatherette. The seat backrests feature integrated red GTX lettering. The contrasting stitching and piping on the seats are also in red. The red colour is a combination of the early Golf GTI colours Tornado red and Flash red and is thus a tribute to this Volkswagen icon.
New infotainment system, ChatGPT and Wellness app. Parallel to the debut of the new GTX models, the ID.3 product line will receive a new interior landscape. Volkswagen has further developed the Digital Cockpit – the digital instruments. At the same time, the driving mode selector lever has been removed from the housing of the Digital Cockpit and designed as a separate steering column switch. This creates space for the 32.8 cm (12.9-inch) diagonal display of the newly developed infotainment system. A completely new menu navigation design makes operation simple and almost self-explanatory. For this purpose, the display has two permanently visible touch bars at the top and bottom edges and a central home screen between these. The touch sliders for air conditioning and volume control at the bottom of the visually freestanding screen are now illuminated. The new IDA voice assistant is operated using natural language. This not only enables the control of many vehicle functions, but also answers specific questions on all conceivable subjects by accessing online databases such as Wikipedia and has ChatGPT integration (artificial intelligence, AI) as a new feature. Another new feature is a Wellness app that uses preconfigured programmes to adjust various vehicle functions to improve well-being while driving or during breaks. The optionally available augmented reality head-up display has been further enhanced. The predicted remaining range and average consumption are now displayed in addition to the conventional information.
12.9-inch infotainment system in detail. The top bar of the display features a new menu button on the left for direct access to all apps. Next to this is a button for the new Car Control Centre, which offers direct access to the most important vehicle functions and can be configured individually by the driver. The main menu and Car Control Centre are always visible and can be accessed immediately without having to close the active app. On the right of the Car Control Centre, there are four additional direct access buttons to which the available apps can be assigned as freely configurable favourite functions. The home screen in the middle combines the content of the most important apps on differently sized tiles in the overview display. Alongside classic content such as navigation and telephone operation, the tiles offer new functions such as suggestions from the IDA voice assistant. The bottom bar contains the air conditioning and ventilation functions as well as the seat heating. The central home button is also integrated in the middle here – the user can use this to return to the home screen at any time. The air conditioning menu and temperature settings are therefore always directly accessible. Located underneath is an illuminated control strip with the hazard warning light switch and sliders for controlling the interior temperature and audio volume.
IDA voice assistant in detail. With the help of the new IDA voice assistant, it is now easier than ever before to operate many functions of the ID.3 using natural speech. New functions include adjustment of the driving profiles or background lighting, for example. Also new is access to cloud-based information. The latter includes, for example, the weather, flight status of commercial airlines, current status of sports events or the news. In addition, questions on all kinds of topics imaginable can be asked thanks to the online integration of Wikipedia. In general, it is enough to use natural sentences such as: “What is the latest news?” Another new feature is that spoken commands are visualised on the infotainment system screen. The integration of ChatGPT in the IDA voice assistant is new.
ChatGPT in the ID.3 in detail. In future, the drivers and passengers of all new ID. models and the new Tiguan and Passat can use the voice assistant to access the database of artificial intelligence offered by ChatGPT, in order to have researched content read out while driving. The integration of ChatGPT offers a host of new possibilities that go far beyond the previous voice control. Nothing changes for the person at the wheel during use – there is no need to create a new account or install a new app. The voice assistant is activated with ‘Hello IDA’ and the request is forwarded to the AI in anonymised form only if the previous systems are unable to provide an answer. ChatGPT does not have any access to the vehicle data. Questions and answers are also deleted immediately in order to ensure the best possible data protection.
New Wellness app. The optional Wellness app is a new development. This allows various vehicle functions to be adjusted via preconfigured programmes to enhance well-being during the journey or breaks. In the ID.3 GTX, the app uses features such as background lighting, sound and air conditioning for this. Sound composers have specifically developed acoustic sound tapestries for the Wellness app. The new In-Car App is launched on the infotainment system. The following three wellness modes will be available in the launch phase of the app: Fresh Up, Calm Down and Power Break. An example: with just one click, Fresh Up activates a stimulating sound, refreshing air conditioning as well as blue and turquoise zones of the background lighting, which thus takes on a fresh colour appearance. A blue light animation runs in parallel in the ID. Light below the windscreen. If wished, the mode can be customised according to individual preferences: a Spotify playlist can be used instead of the pre-programmed sound, for example. When the Volkswagen is stationary, the infotainment system screen shows animations to complement the mood. Fresh Up and Calm Down are automatically deactivated after 10 minutes, Power Break after 20 minutes.