Volkswagen is letting its ID family grow strongly. There will even be an electric station wagon. At the same time, the next Passat and Tiguan will receive the latest development stage of the plug-in hybrid.
At the turn to Electromobility begrudges VW no break. The ID family is growing rapidly. ID.3 and ID.4 are on the road. The coupé version of the ID.4, the ID.5, will be added shortly. There is also the sporty, 220 kW all-wheel drive version GTX. In autumn, the big impact of what is probably the most emotional electric model in the group, the ID.Buzz. The retro van will initially start with rear-wheel drive and 150 kW/204 hp, combined with a 77 kWh battery that is supposed to provide energy for almost 500 kilometers. A variant with a longer wheelbase will be launched in 2023. It is quite possible that the space gained in the ground will be used for more battery modules, which would increase the range.
New dimensions
The number five of the ID timeline is called ID.6. The model will surpass all other electric vehicles in size. If the corridor radio in the Wolfsburg headquarters is correct, the talk is of five meters in length and a wheelbase of three meters. The sedan with the project name "Aero B" resembles an Arteon in silhouette - it expires in 2024 - and also has a large tailgate. VW will probably show the ID.6 for the first time this year. The market launch is then scheduled for autumn 2023. In terms of drive, the MEB modular system is used as usual, but the rear motor is given more power than the current 150 kW in the other models. The all-wheel drive variant is likely to scratch the 300 kW/408 hp mark.
The ID.2024 station wagon will then be launched in 6 with the same configuration. VW is not yet revealing whether it will be called Variant (traditional) or Shooting Brake (modern) or even given a completely different nickname. Agreed, however, are ample space and a huge cargo hold, which should come to over 1.900 liters. In the cockpit, VW allegedly wants to further reduce the size of the instrument behind the steering wheel and place much more focus on the central and head-up display.
Petrol and diesel remain
However, the ID.6 Variant will not replace the Passat Variant, the mother of all station wagons and German company cars, in its first life cycle. Because VW is sticking to its important core model and will be launching the ninth Passat generation (B2024) in early 9 (it will be presented in 2023). The B9 remains conventional under the sheet metal. A two-liter petrol engine and an equally large diesel are planned. There will also be a GTE plug-in hybrid (PHEV II), which is currently in the final stages of development. The goal: higher efficiency, more power and a longer range. It should be more than 80 kilometers.
The same technology is under the new Tiguan, which is planned for 2023. The extremely successful compact SUV, so far VW's best-selling model after the Golf, will then be in its third generation. The Allspace version, which has a longer wheelbase and seats up to seven people, will probably fall victim to the cutbacks.
Not all studies become series
Also in 2023 are the product upgrades (PA) of the Golf and ID.3, which are mainly about the usual visual changes to the front and rear. An upgrade of the software (among other things better voice control) made its way into the two models at the beginning of this year.
A few years ago, the ID.Buggy and the ID.Rugged showed that the studies shown do not necessarily have to lead to a series model. The first was to be created in cooperation with the then eGo Mobile founder Günther Schuh. Nothing came of it. The ID.Rugged, a Tiguan-sized SUV designed in a rustic off-road outfit, originally announced for 2023, was also rejected again. For the time being, the ID.4 will remain Volkswagen's entry-level electric SUV.
The ID.Life draft, which the Wolfsburg-based company proudly presented last autumn at the IAA Mobility in Munich, was also not suitable for series production. But the beefy and angular design met with a lot of criticism from the public and – much more importantly – ultimately fell through with those responsible for the VW Group. The small electric car, which will probably be called ID.2 in the production version, is off the table, but not with that. The drawing pen is started again. Series production should then start in 2025.
