Volkswagen set to preview crucial ID 2 with Munich concept

Volkswagen is poised to preview its vital £17,000 ID 2 crossover, which will spearhead a major Volkswagen Group assault on the entry-level EV market when it goes on sale in 2025, with a concept model at the Munich motor show next week.

The firm has confirmed that it will use its press conference at the event to reveal a new ID concept car that, it says, will give "an initial insight into future ID models in the small car segment". The reveal will follow sibling firm Cupra's debut of the UrbanRebel, a racing concept that previews its small urban crossover, which will be closely related to the ID 2.

Volkswagen has also confirmed that its Munich motor show display will feature only full-electric cars, in an attempt to show its commitment to the technology.

The ID 2 will be the first VW model built on the new MEB Entry platform that is being developed to allow for ‘affordable’ small EVs, and will be followed by models from sibling firms Cupra, Skoda and possibly Audi. The Volkswagen Group had originally planned to launch the first MEB Entry model in 2023, but that has been put back by two years due to the challenges of producing cars that can be sold for a profit at the €20,000 (£17,000) target price. The delay will allow both for an increase in demand for EVs and developments in battery technology that should help the firm achieve its target.

The ID 2 will be a compact crossover roughly the same size as the ICE-powered Volkswagen T-Cross, although the flat-floored EV layout means it will offer more cabin space, closer to that of the larger T-Roc.

Volkswagen is also looking at an ID 1-badged small hatchback that will be close in dimensions to the Volkswagen Polo, but it will focus on the crossover first.

Concerns remain that, even by 2025, technology won’t allow for a small electric hatch to be sold for the same price as an identically sized ICE version.

The ID 2 will play a key role in Volkswagen’s expanding ID range of bespoke EVs. The firm has already launched the ID 3 family hatchback, the ID 4 SUV and the ID 4 GTX hot SUV. The Chinese-only ID 6 large SUV has been unveiled and the ID 5 SUV-coupé will be displayed in GTX prototype form at the Munich show. The ID Buzz MPV and its commercial van equivalent will arrive next year.

Volkswagen is also working on its next-generation EVs, starting with the Project Trinity luxury saloon model, which is due in 2026 with autonomous driving capability.