On Monday (27 June) Volkswagen will preview its long-awaited Tesla Model 3 rival with a sleek, low-slung concept called the ID Aero.
The brand describes the concept as "the first fully electric limousine for the Chinese automobile market" but also confirms the production version – to be revealed next year – is bound for North America and Europe, with production for those markets taking place at its factory in Emden, Germany.
The latest addition to Volkswagen's ID family of EVs will take the brand into the "the high-volume upper-middle class segment", challenging an expanding field of popular rivals that include the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, BMW i4 and – soon – the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
2023 Volkswagen ID 7: new Tesla Model 3 rival arrives
The rakish car will essentially serve as the electric equivalent to the combustion-engined Passat. It will appear first in saloon form, as was recently seen in these pictures of it winter testing, before an estate-bodied version, based on the ID Space Vizzion concept, arrives. Although the exterior dimensions will largely match the combustion-engined Passat's, the interior is expected to offer space on a par with the Phaeton flagship, which bowed out in 2016.
A name for the production car has not yet been confirmed, but recent patent filings suggest it is in line for the ID 6 moniker (used in China by a larger version of the Volkswagen ID 4) with the estate to wear the 'Tourer' suffix.
As reported by Autocar last year, the new ID model will use Volkswagen's full-sized MEB architecture and will follow the ID 4 in being offered with a choice of rear- and four-wheel-drive powertrains. A GTX performance model will follow later, as has been confirmed to be the case for all ID models.
In 2020, then head of R&D Frank Welsch told Autocar the GTX version will be capable of 0-62mph in around 5.6sec.
Equipped with the largest battery available – thought to be 84kWh in capacity – the ID saloon should manage 431 miles per charge, slightly more than the longest-range version of Mercedes-Benz's new EQE. Smaller batteries taken from other ID models, ranging from 58kWh to 77kWh, will no doubt be available as well. ​
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Personally. I am disappointed that the car Is not a hatchback. I Know virtually all these D Class cars have a traditional boot but I much prefer the flexibility of a lift up hatch. Do not want to pay the penalty of heavier weight and cost of an SUV. This was an opportunity for VW to produce a model with a usp against the Tesla M3.
What fake exhausts, never seen an exhaust that shape anyway. Just a rear grill, so to speak, the width of the vehicle. Quite like it actually and can see it being copied or perhaps some cars already have already it.
So, like food we see, if it looks good we'll taste it, if it doesn't? we might not, well, if we take away what we like about a Car like two, three, four Exhausts, a wing on the back, things we associate with cars, what are Ev's going to have to make us want to buy them?