8:00 am, April 2, 2023
Volkswagen revealed a concept last month of what an entry-level electric car might look like. You may have seen it; although on the other hand, you may not.
You see, as electric cars that cause you to stop-what-you’re-doing-and-pay-attention go, the Volkswagen ID. 2all might be considered… ummmm… a bit yawn-inducing.
There’s none of the futuristic styling that other ID models have had, such as the ID.3 and ID.4, nor is there any of the whimsical look of the retro ID. Buzz.
The ID. 2all concept is, let’s face it, just ordinary – and I think that’s brilliant.
It’s an important concept car, for it shows Volkswagen is paying attention to what’s going to be a critical battleground in the next few years – the sub-£25,000 electric car market.
At the moment, this area is painfully under-appreciated; partly because it’s utility and that ain’t sexy, but mostly because it’s hard for carmakers to generate a profit.
Electric cars are still expensive to make and they will be for quite some time yet.
There’s a reason why we Brits buy Polos in our droves – they have a pretty sophisticated, classless look about them, but more importantly, it’s an ordinary hatchback that just gets on with the job.
The fact that you can’t get a decent Polo for under £20,000 is an argument for another day, but here is a hatchback with a VW badge on the nose and which ticks the boxes.
That’s what this new concept car is like. It’ll spawn the ID.2 and has dimensions that are pretty much identical to the Polo, and it’s got that same classy, assured design that people love.
While the ID.3 and ID.4 are certainly popular on UK roads, to many Brits the look and feel has been confusing.
They don’t look like Volkswagens, the technology on board doesn’t feel like a Volkswagen and they certainly don’t have the sensory feeling of quality that VWs have had since the Mk4 Golf.
The ID.3 has futuristic styling but – like its ID.4 sibling – it doesn’t really look like a Volkswagen, argues James Batchelor
With so many new EVs flooding the market, particularly from the Far East, brand identity or values – call it what you will – will be crucial.
Just think about it – what’s going to make someone buy a Volkswagen over an MG?
The ID. 2all looks a bit Polo-ish from some angles and a bit Mk2 Golf from others.
The point is, that air of boring is familiar while the ID.3 and ID.4 simply aren’t. I would guess the ID.2 will convince far more Up!, Polo and Golf owners to at least consider sticking with the German motherbrand and go electric.
But while the design is certainly on-point, there’s a question mark over the physical bits – the things that the customer uses on a daily basis.
Volkswagen really dropped the ball when it came to quality with the current crop of ID models.
From plasticky surfaces to frustrating infotainment systems and illogical electric window switches, the ID.3 and ID.4 haven’t felt like Volkswagens.
It would seem Volkswagen has been listening, though.
The facelifted ID.3 is being rushed through to the market to address these concerns, but more happily, the ID. 2all concept appears to have physical buttons and knobs.
Now buttons and knobs might not be cool these days, but there’s at least a nod to the simplicity and logicality of the previous VWs. This matters, I think.
I am famously wrong when it comes to predictions, but I think Volkswagen’s key to unlocking electric car mass adoption might lie with this ID.2.
This column appears in the latest edition of Car Dealer – issue 181 – along with news, reviews and features. Click here to read and download it for free!
