Wolfsburg - The new Volkswagen ID.2all concept, revealed in Germany on Wednesday night, is significant in more ways than one.
Not only does it preview a new design direction for the company, but it also previews a more affordable electric model that is set to debut in 2025.
Volkswagen says the new battery hatchback will be as spacious as a Golf, but as inexpensive as a Polo - although they’re probably referring to a high-spec Polo. The company is targeting a starting price of 25 000 euro (R487 000) for the ID.2 in Europe, whereas the Polo starts at 20 800 euro (R405 000) in Germany.
The ID.2 will still be somewhat cheaper than the recently facelifted ID.3, which will start at around 40 000 euro (R780 000). But that’s not all that Volkswagen has up its affordable EV sleeve, as the company also announced that it’s working on an even smaller electric model with a target price of under 20 000 euro (R390 000).
The ID.2 production model will be the first Volkswagen underpinned by the new MEB Entry platform, and it will be the first front-wheel drive model based on that platform. The ID.3, for the record, is a rear-wheel drive model.
With the electric motor moved to the front and the batteries built into the floor, it’s no wonder that the Volkswagen ID.2all concept is able to offer Golf-like space within a much smaller footprint that measures a little over four metres in length. Boot space comes in at an impressive 490 litres.
What’s more, it should offer GTI-like pace thanks to an electric motor that produces 166kW. As for the driving distance between charges, Volkswagen has calculated a WLTP range of up to 450km for the model.
Interestingly the ID.2 was originally going to be based on the boxy ID.Life concept of 2021. But Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer, who also headed up VWSA until 2020, put an end to that state of affairs as the concept’s looks were questionable at best. Or just downright fugly if you’re asking our opinion.
With the ID.2all concept, which was led by the company’s new design head Andreas Mindt, Volkswagen is forging a new design direction that’s a bit more familiar and traditional. The concept takes the form of a traditional hatchback of the kind that VW buyers have flocked to over the years. The C-pillar design, for instance, was inspired by the Golf 1.
It’s not trying to be a crossover of any kind, although you can bet your bottom dollar that the design language you see here will also influence future SUV models.
Inside the ID.2all follows the modern screen-centric idiom, but VW insists that the large infotainment system is “self explanatory”, and there’s also a traditional volume control knob as well as separate climate controls.
Of course, the ID.2 isn’t the only new electric model on the horizon, as the company is planning to launch 10 new battery-powered vehicles by 2026, including a compact SUV.