Volkswagen Group is accelerating its electric offensive with the unveiling of the ID.AERO prototype, a highly aerodynamic sedan that gives a very good preview of the production version that will be on the roads of China, Europe and North America within a few years.
The Volkswagen concept is not unlike the ID VIZZION styling study presented in 2018. However, we understand, even if the manufacturer did not reveal many details about this ID.AERO concept, that this new presentation presents a vehicle very close to the final vehicle when it will leave the Chinese and German factories.
The ID.AERO is a mid-size sedan – the equivalent of an electric Passat after all – with a length of almost five meters and an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.23. The sedan is unsurprisingly based on the MEB platform that already serves as the architecture for the ID.4 crossover and the upcoming ID.BUZZ van. The manufacturer also promises a spacious interior thanks to a very long wheelbase.
As for the autonomy, it would be of the order of 620 km (according to the WLTP calculation method), which means a little less on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, the car being equipped with a 77 kWh battery.
Volkswagen ID. AERO Concept | Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen will first launch the production sedan in China, starting in the second half of 2023, with the goal of becoming the largest supplier of electric vehicles in China. It is not yet known when this future Volkswagen sedan will be launched, but it is clear that North America will be served last, after China and Europe. In any case, North American consumers’ thirst for SUVs is probably pushing strategists to focus on markets where the car format is still coveted.
The ID.AERO concept presentation didn’t include interior images, but at least it gives a good idea of the production version’s silhouette. Up front, you can see the badge in the middle of a line that joins the headlights, while the front bumper is reminiscent of a certain Golf R with those “hooks” that go up the middle. The wheel arches are pretty full with those 22-inch wheels – a size that could shrink to 21 or 20 when the car is assembled. The windows are very large, which should ensure a bright cabin. At the back, the ID.AERO adopts this unique position light that crosses the car from left to right with a design reminiscent of the latest GTI. Finally, a diffuser completes the ensemble.
The Emdem plant in Germany will start production of this new electric sedan in 2023, which suggests that the ID.AERO could be launched here in 2023 as a 2024 model, in the best-case scenario.
Volkswagen ID. AERO Concept | Photo: Volkswagen
