The new Volkswagen ID. 2all concept has been revealed, previewing a production electric vehicle the German brand promises “will be as spacious as a Golf and as inexpensive as a Polo”…

The wraps have come off the new Volkswagen ID. 2all, a concept car that gives us a foretaste of an upcoming electric vehicle (EV) the Wolfsburg-based firm promises “will be as spacious as a Golf and as inexpensive as a Polo”.

VW says the production version of the ID. 2all will be based on the group’s so-called “MEB Entry” platform and presented to European markets in 2025 with a targeted starting price of “less than €25000” (so, under around R490000, at the current exchange rate). It will be one of 10 new electric models Volkswagen plans to launch by 2026.

Of course, the Kariega-built Polo hatchback is potentially facing the axe in Europe thanks to ever-tightening emissions regulations in that part of the world. Should the Polo be pulled from the Old Continent, the production version of the ID. 2all may well serve to fill the gap, along with another EV positioned below it (ID.1, anyone?).

Will we see the production version of the ID. 2all here in South Africa? Well, there’s no confirmation for the moment, though battery-powered models are indeed on the way, with VWSA head of passenger cars, Steffen Knapp, recently telling Cars.co.za the ID.4 would be the brand’s first EV to launch locally.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO Volkswagen Brand, poses with the new ID. 2all concept.

The front-wheel-drive ID. 2all concept uses a 166 kW electric motor and boasts a calculated single-charge range of up to 450 km (based on the WLTP cycle). Though VW has yet to officially announce the battery-capacity details (reports suggest 38 kWh and 56 kWh packs will be available), it does say DC quick-charging stations will allow replenishing from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes. The German manufacturer furthermore claims a 0-100 kph sprint time of under 7.0 seconds, with the top speed set at 160 kph.

Measuring 4 050 mm long, the VW ID. 2all concept is a mere 24 mm shorter from bow to stern than the Polo hatch. However, thanks to its MEB Entry underpinnings, the show car scores a 2600 mm wheelbase, or an extra 48 mm between its axles compared with the popular hatchback. At 1 530 mm, the battery-powered concept furthermore stands 79 mm taller than its combustion-engined sibling.

Volkswagen says the interior is “characterised by a high-quality appearance”, while the “self-explanatory” 12.9-inch infotainment system employs a physical volume control and a separate air-conditioning block. Luggage capacity is a claimed 490 litres, a figure that is expandable to 1 330 litres with the seats dropped flat (yes, that’s appreciably more than a Golf 8).

And the exterior design? Well, VW says the ID. 2all also serves to preview the brand’s new design language, which is based on 3 pillars: “stability, likeability and enthusiasm”. The automaker believes it was important to lend the concept a “friendly face”, as well as a “good portion of dynamics and timeless elegance”. In addition, the German firm points out the concept’s new interpretation of a C-pillar design signature that harks back to the Mk1 Golf.

Claimed luggage- and utility-space figures eclipse even those of the Golf 8.

The ID. 2all concept was designed by Andreas Mindt, who took over as the new Head of Volkswagen Design at the start of February 2023. Mindt – who also spent time at VW Group brands Audi and Bentley – was responsible for designs that include the original Tiguan and the 7th-generation Golf. “We are transferring the DNA of our icons into the future. The ID. 2all is therefore also an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo,” said Mindt.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars and former head of Volkswagen Group South Africa, promised the production model would bring electric mobility “to the masses”.

“We are transforming the company rapidly and fundamentally – with the clear objective of making Volkswagen a genuine ‘Love Brand’. The ID. 2all shows where we want to take the brand. We want to be close to the customer and offer top technology in combination with fantastic design. We are implementing the transformation at pace to bring electric mobility to the masses,” said Schäfer.

Before the production version of the Volkswagen ID. 2all debuts, the automaker will introduce the new ID.3, a long-wheelbase version of the ID. Buzz and the ID.7, all in 2023. These models are expected to be followed by a “compact electric SUV” by 2026 and, “in spite of all the challenges”, Volkswagen says it is also working on an electric car “at a price of less than €20000”, which will surely wear the ID. 1 badge…

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