Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen ID.3 Harlequin Edition lives up to its name on April 1

Don't be fooled! Volkswagen has revealed the VW ID.3 Harlequin Edition for April 1

Volkswagen ID.3 Harlequin Edition

The Volkswagen ID.3 has been given a multi-coloured makeover for April Fool’s Day. Called the ID.3 Harlequin Edition, this unique version of Volkswagen’s all-electric hatchback has been unveiled as part of April Fool’s Day and features some interesting technology to make its wild paint job that much more eye-catching.

Advertisement - Article continues below

This isn’t the first time Volkswagen has shown its penchant for taking part in April Fool’s Day. There was the memorable ‘Voltswagen’ miscommunication from 2021, which suggested a name-change in the US alongside its launch of all-electric ID-badged cars. 

As for the ID.3 Harlequin Edition, this Volkswagen won’t be made available to the public - a shame if you’re looking for a modern reinterpretation of the original Polo Harlequin from the mid-nineties. Customers of that car weren’t made aware of their vehicles’ precise colour combinations until they collected them.

Like the Polo, the ID.3 uses a mixture of green, yellow, red and blue panels but unlike the Polo, the ID.3 has electroluminescent paint similar to that applied to the ID.7 concept that Volkswagen unveiled early in 2023. This means the ID.3 Harlequin’s panels can individually light up in time with the car’s sound system. The panels will light up and pulse in response to beats, and integrate with the new ChatGPT functionality being rolled out across the Volkswagen range.

Volkswagen cheekily says the “limited-edition ID.3 Harlequin is available from 1 April” and that “designs can be viewed on Volkswagen’s online configurator using the code JEST 1”. 

Would you like to see the Volkswagen ID.3 Harlequin actually make production? Let us know in the comments section...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Alastair Crooks, Staff writer Auto Express
Senior news reporter

A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now, as our senior news reporter, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Car Deal of the Day: VW ID.3 Neo is a posh EV at a rock-bottom £261 a month
New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: VW ID.3 Neo is a posh EV at a rock-bottom £261 a month

The new ID.3 Neo feels much more like a proper VW than its predecessor. It’s our Deal of the Day for 29 October.
News
29 Oct 2026
New Volkswagen ID.3 GTI: the most powerful GTI ever has arrived
Volkswagen ID.3 GTI - front

New Volkswagen ID.3 GTI: the most powerful GTI ever has arrived

Rear-wheel drive, over 320bhp and a new GTI-mode bring the fire to VW’s ID.3 Neo
News
16 Sep 2026
Volkswagen ID.3 Neo prices announced: full details on VW’s vital Golf-size EV facelift
Phil McNamara with the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo

Volkswagen ID.3 Neo prices announced: full details on VW’s vital Golf-size EV facelift

Available with three battery sizes, the ID.3 Neo starts from £31,580
News
11 Aug 2026
New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo 2026 review: EV puts VW back where it belongs
New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo - front tracking

New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo 2026 review: EV puts VW back where it belongs

Has VW’s all-electric hatchback finally grown up? We get behind the wheel to find out
Road tests
4 Aug 2026

Most Popular

Honda CR-V prices slashed by thousands, ZR-V gets cheaper too
2026 Honda CR-V - front cornering

Honda CR-V prices slashed by thousands, ZR-V gets cheaper too

Honda has revealed updated pricing for the CR-V and ZR-V models, with the latter getting a particularly chunky discount
News
2 Nov 2026
New Renault Megane to take on the Tesla Model Y with a radical makeover
Renault Megane - front quarter exclusive image Avarvarii

New Renault Megane to take on the Tesla Model Y with a radical makeover

Hi-tech ‘software-defined’ C-segment model heralds a new design direction for Renault as the firm works to achieve a 465-mile range
News
2 Nov 2026
New Fiat Topolino Dolcevita arrives as dinky electric convertible for £9,500
Fiat Topolino Dolcevita - front 3/4

New Fiat Topolino Dolcevita arrives as dinky electric convertible for £9,500

The cute electric quadricycle can now be ordered as a convertible for a small additional outlay
News
3 Nov 2026

Find a car with the experts