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
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

New Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice review: plenty of purple but the price is a hurdle
Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice - front

New Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice review: plenty of purple but the price is a hurdle

The new Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice costs a hefty premium over the standard GTX, but you'll definitely stand out from the crowd
Road tests
5 Feb 2026
The biggest modern car failures: models that should have changed the world, but didn't
The biggest modern car failures

The biggest modern car failures: models that should have changed the world, but didn't

Sometimes things just don’t go to plan, as demonstrated by these promising models that ultimately disappointed
Best cars & vans
28 Jan 2026
Restyled Volkswagen ID.3 spied testing ahead of reveal later this year
Volkswagen ID.3 test car - front

Restyled Volkswagen ID.3 spied testing ahead of reveal later this year

The updated ID.3 won’t have a new body, but it will have a sleek new nose and interior
News
15 Jan 2026
Volkswagen ID.3 review
Volkswagen ID.3 - main image

Volkswagen ID.3 review

The Volkswagen ID.3 is a good electric hatchback overall, but a few niggles hold it back
In-depth reviews
1 Dec 2025

Most Popular

New Volkswagen Transporter Sportline brings GTI style to the van world
Volkswagen Transporter Sportline - front

New Volkswagen Transporter Sportline brings GTI style to the van world

The new Volkswagen Transporter Sportline gets a choice of diesel, plug-in hybrid and electric power
News
4 Feb 2026
Some Chinese car brands are doomed to disappear, warns Skoda boss
Skoda Kodiaq - front cornering

Some Chinese car brands are doomed to disappear, warns Skoda boss

Skoda’s sales and marketing boss warns “there will be a consolidation” of the number of Chinese car brands around
News
3 Feb 2026
Lepas set for UK launch: Jaecoo and Omoda get a new sibling as our Chinese car options grow again
Lepas front

Lepas set for UK launch: Jaecoo and Omoda get a new sibling as our Chinese car options grow again

Billed as being ‘for the ‘urban explorer’, Lepas will bring European-focused hybrid SUVs
News
4 Feb 2026

Find a car with the experts