The Volkswagen Group is preparing a family of subcompact EVs that will include a member for the Volkswagen brand.
VW previewed a potential design for its EV in 2021 with the ID.Life concept, though the automaker has since abandoned the boxy crossover design of the concept in favor of a sleeker hatchback shape.
The new EV, together with siblings from the SEAT and Skoda brands, will be built at plants in Spain, with the first expected in 2025. VW has previously mentioned a starting price of around 20,000 euros (approximately $21,350) for its version, though that was before the start of the ongoing inflation and energy crisis.
While rumors have pointed to the VW adopting the ID.2 name to mark its positioning below the ID.3 compact hatchback, Autocar reported on Wednesday that ID.Golf is among the names being considered, and that there may even be a sporty GTI version.
The magazine also reported the car will be the first to use an updated version of the MEB modular EV platform that debuted in the ID.3. The updated version, dubbed MEB+, will feature a new common battery cell and support charging at rates of up to 200 kw.
Thomas Schäfer, the current head of the VW brand, recently hinted that the Golf name was too good to abandon and that there’s potential for it to be used on an ID EV in similar fashion to the ID.Buzz name.
