Volkswagen previews what its future electric utility vehicle will look like, with clear Golf inspiration

The arrival of the ID.3 on the market in 2020 was a before and after for the Wolfsburg firm, as it was the first model of the modern family of ID electric vehicles, which shared the new MEB platform for battery electric cars. But Volkswagen also wanted the ID.3 to be a real breakthrough in its product line, and in addition to debuting an aesthetic far from the combustion Volkswagen, such as the Golf, opted for a more sustainable and austere interior, a kind of new philosophy of life that had little to do with the image that had characterized the Volkswagen. And that, in general, was not well understood, so a few weeks ago the German firm updated the ID.3 and corrected some of those points criticized, using, for example, soft materials in the cabin or partially redesigning the exterior.

And that groundbreaking philosophy, based on sustainability and austerity, also resulted, at the end of 2021, in a concept car called ID. Life, which saw the light of day at the IAA mobility fair in Munich, and which was received rather coolly. Specifically, it anticipated a future small electric with some SUV profile, but helped to reinforce the idea that this new stylistic direction taken by Volkswagen did not fall in love. Thus, it seems that the company decided to stop experimenting and go for more traditional aesthetics, and the aforementioned renewal of the ID.3 now joins the presentation of the ID. 2all, a concept car that has nothing to do in terms of design with the ID. Life, and that, apparently, very faithfully advances how will be the electric utility that Volkswagen will manufacture in the Barcelona plant in Martorell from 2025 . An ID. 2all whose exterior is more closely related to the Golf family, for example, and whose interior also reveals significant improvements, such as a much larger instrumentation screen than that now used in the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID. Buzz. That is, less visual austerity.

We are talking about a car whose entry price will be, according to the brand, below 25,000 euros, and that will be the first Volkswagen with the new MEB Entry platform, front-wheel drive. Specifically, for the ID. 2all is given dimensions of 4.05 meters long by 1.81 wide and 1.53 high, and everything suggests that this will also be the final car, which could reach the market as ID.2 and would be, to understand, an electric Polo. With a wheelbase of 2.60 meters, the battery located under the passenger compartment and a gigantic trunk of 440 liters with the five seats in use, which can be increased to 1,330 liters by completely folding the second row of seats, divisible in sections 60:40.

That's not all in terms of functionality, as the backrest of the passenger seat can be folded down, providing a cargo area of 2.20 meters in length. In addition, the 440-liter main luggage compartment has a 50-liter volume under the rear seat, which can be opened with a handle and has been specially designed for the cargo cable and necessary items such as a first aid kit, reflective vests and puncture repair kit. The secure, lockable compartment also has enough space for larger devices such as laptops and tablets, which can also be charged while in storage.

In addition, the most ambitious technical data are given for this first prototype, such as a 166 kW (226 hp) front electric motor with which it could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds, or an average range in WLTP cycle of 450 kilometers, with the battery being able to be charged between 10% and 80% in about 20 minutes. And in domestic AC sockets, the maximum charging power is 11 kW.

On the other hand, it is announced that the final car will feature innovative technological systems such as Travel Assist with semi-automatic driving function, Matrix LED IQ.Light headlights, ParkAssist Plus with parking maneuver memorization, electric seats with massage or electric route planner.

A 'very Golf' design

If something has been working as well as the Golf saga for decades, why not take inspiration for the new car from that mythical product? Under the direction of Andreas Mindt, chief designer of the Volkswagen brand, a new design language has been chosen that incorporates the classic C-pillar, or rear pillar, developed for the first Golf. Mindt, who took up his post on February 1, acknowledges that he has Volkswagen in his genes; his father was already a designer in Wolfsburg. In 1996, after completing his design studies, he joined Volkswagen, and there he designed models such as the first Tiguan and the seventh generation of the Golf. In 2014 he moved to Audi in Ingolstadt as head of Exterior Design, to later become in 2021 Bentley's Design Director, a position he held when weeks earlier he was recruited by the parent brand to change the styling of its future models. In this regard, Andreas Mindt explained: "we are moving the DNA of our icons into the future. The ID. 2all is therefore also a tribute to the Beetle, Golf and Polo".

And inside, a lot of evolution also to correct things that did not convince in the first ID. with MEB platform. For example, the central touch screen, 12.9 inches, is equipped with a new menu layout; and below is a newly developed independent climate control panel, with the main functions of the air conditioning controllable by push buttons that, here, are illuminated. In the center of the climate control panel there is also a small rotary knob, more practical, to control the volume of the infotainment system. One level down, on the center console, are two large inductive charging interfaces for smartphones, which magnetically lock into place. Likewise, the multifunction steering wheel is new and simpler, with two rotary knobs on the left and right, and two push buttons on each; while the digital instrument cluster is much larger than on the ID.3, as its screen is 10.9 inches, and the car will be able to feature a head-up display that projects information in front of the driver.

The series-production car eventually derived from the ID. 2all, scheduled for 2025, will be one of the ten new electric models that Volkswagen will launch between now and 2026. Only in 2023 will we see the aforementioned updated ID.3, as well as the ID. Buzz long body and the ID.7 sedan, while in 2026 will come the electric compact SUV, which will be manufactured at Volkswagen's plant in Navarra, and possibly also a smaller electric that the brand acknowledges to be working on, which would cost less than 20,000 euros.

The arrival of the ID.3 on the market in 2020 was a before and after for the Wolfsburg firm, as it was the first model of the modern ID family of electric vehicles, which shared the new MEB platform for battery electric cars. But Volkswagen also wanted the ID.3 to be a real breakthrough in its product line, and in addition to debuting an aesthetic far from the combustion Volkswagen, such as the Golf, opted for a more sustainable and austere interior, a kind of new philosophy of life that had little to do with the image that had characterized the Volkswagen. And that, in general, was not well understood, so a few weeks ago the German firm updated the ID.3 and corrected some of those points criticized, using for example soft materials in the passenger compartment or partially redesigning the exterior.