Volkswagen is testing the first sedan to ride on its MEB electric-only platform. This time, the car that is currently known under the internal codename ‘Aero B’ was caught winter testing in northern Sweden. Seen previously in warmer climes, the sedan is once again wearing tricky Passat-like camouflage that makes it hard to tell what’s going on design-wise. The air intake in the front bumper, the grille, and the lights are all fake, designed to confuse the eye as Volkswagen prepares the car for production.
The automaker has previously given us some
pretty good hints as to what this car will look like, though, with the
ID.Vizzion and the ID.Space Vizzion concepts. Unveiled in 2018 and 2019
respectively, VW has so far been good about producing cars that pretty much
look like the concepts they’ve shown, albeit with a few concessions to
practicality. Based on the MEB platform, much like the ID.4, the recipe should
be familiar here. Batteries under the floor should power either one motor in
the back, or one in the back and one up front. Rumors suggest that it will get
an 84 kWh battery pack and that it will be rated at up to 700 km on
the WLTP test cycle.
When it released the concepts, VW promised
that this new sedan would be an “avant-garde premium class saloon”. Wagon fans
should rejoice, too, because VW has already promised to bring a Shooting Brake
body style to the lineup. Unfortunately, the name of the sedan remains a
mystery. Although some suggested that VW will continue to use the ID.
nomenclature and call this the ID.6, that name has already been taken by a big
SUV in China. Others have suggested the name “Aero B,” but that seems like a
big departure for the company so early in its electric product cycle. Another possible
option is ID.Aero.
Whatever the case, we should find out
before too long, as the sedan is expected to make its debut by early next year,
with North American sales to follow.
