In a year without an all-new model, Volkswagen is adding technology across the board to sweeten its offerings for 2023. The company's IQ.Drive semi-automated driver-assistance system is available on every VW model in the United States for the first time. Volkswagen has also made its Digital Cockpit driver-information array standard across the lineup.
VW is shifting production of the ID.4 battery-electric crossover to its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory. A new, less-expensive version of the ID.4 will come to market as the model year unfolds. The move also signals the end of the Passat midsize sedan, which bows out following a limited-production run for the 2022 model year.
Here are the critical changes in the 2023 Volkswagen lineup, presented in alphabetical order by model.
The Volkswagen Arteon sedan adds equipment to the entry-level SE R-Line, while the higher trim levels receive cosmetic changes. LED headlights, fog lights, an adaptive lighting system, and a power-operated hatch are new to the SE R-Line for 2023. Also, 20-inch wheels replace the previous 19-inch rims on the SEL R-Line. Lastly, the line-topping SEL Premium R-Line adds black carbon trim and 30-color ambient lighting.
The Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport, available in five trim levels, receive only minor changes for the 2023 model year. The biggest of the changes is the addition of the 10.25-inch Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro to the SE with Technology trim.
The introduction of a limited 40th Anniversary Edition is the most significant news regarding the Golf GTI for the 2023 model year. All 2023 GTIs add "performance" LED headlights and fog lights with integral active cornering lights. Minor cosmetic tweaks round out the changes.
Volkswagen fully redesigned the Golf R for the 2022 model year. Therefore, 2023 is a year of anniversary editions. New to the performance-oriented Golf R lineup is a 20th Anniversary Edition. Other than that, minor cosmetic alterations are the order of the day regarding the 2023 VW Golf R.
The headline news regarding the VW ID.4 battery-electric crossover is the introduction of a new, lower-priced entry-level version. Volkswagen will equip it with a 62-kWh battery pack versus an 82-kWh battery pack in the 2022 ID.4. VW is moving production of the ID.4 EV for the U.S. market to its factory complex in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Aside from adding remote engine start to the midline SE trim, the Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta GLI get only minor cosmetic updates for the 2023 model year. VW offers the Jetta in S, Sport, SE, and SEL trim levels, while the GLI is available in a single Autobahn.
Volkswagen introduced an all-new Volkswagen Taos small crossover for 2022, but each trim level gets additional content for the 2023 model year. On the safety front, VW adds forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning to the standard equipment list across the lineup. Also, IQ.Drive driver-assistance technology is now standard on the SE trim. The S 4Motion version gets 18-inch wheels replacing 17-inch wheels, and the SEL now has a standard panoramic sunroof.
Volkswagen refreshed the Tiguan compact crossover for the 2022 model year, so changes for 2023 are mild. The Tiguan is available in four trims for 2023: S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line. The SE R-Line Black version adds new 19-inch alloy wheels.
Volkswagen is the source of information in this article. It was accurate on July 21, 2022, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.
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