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With its Ioniq 6, Hyundai isn’t the only one to come after the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 as Volkswagen is putting the finishing touches on the Aero B. Not the last name, a fully electric sedan (or liftback?) has been a long time coming. We initially saw it as an ID. The Vizzion concept was four years ago at the Geneva Motor Show before the ID Space Vizzion was introduced in 2019 as a more practical wagon.
A few months ago, VW teased a closer-to-production concept that was supposed to debut at the 2022 Beijing Motor Show. However, the event was postponed indefinitely due to the resurgence of coronavirus cases. It’s unclear when the evolved concept car will open the lid, but in the meantime, our spies have caught a prototype with a full production body.
24 Photo
Because the white camouflage layer matches the body, the test vehicle looks a bit odd. VW is being sneaky in more ways than one considering the “taillights” are actually stickers to mimic the taillights of a Jetta. Proving that the Germans do have a sense of humor, the electric prototype has a double “muffler”, which is nothing but a silver band on the back skirt.
VW tried to cover up the headlight design by using other stickers inspired by the Jetta and even imitating the compact sedan’s front grille. The black foil on the bumper is there to mimic the air intake of a gasoline-fueled sedan. A look at the side profile reveals door handles inherited from the ID.4 and ID.5 as well as the larger Chinese ID.6 three-row SUV. The front fender is missing what would have been a badge to indicate the trim level.
Overall, the ID Aero gave us the impression of driving a lower ID.5, which should pay dividends in terms of efficiency by having a lower drag coefficient. We will remind you that the coupe SUV has a Cd of 0.26, which is much higher than its MEB-based sibling, the Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe (0.23). Just like all other models that use a dedicated electric car platform, the prototype seen here has rear drum brakes.
VW says it will start EV deliveries in the second half of 2023, initially in China. One day, we could see the Aero B replace the traditional Passat in the company’s lineup. In fact, the ICE-powered midsize sedan has been discontinued globally, except in China which is produced locally.
VW has confirmed the next-generation Passat but reports suggest it will be a wagon-only affair. The spy shot is the same thing as the prototype is only seen in the Variant guise. If the ICE sedan was not planned, the Aero B would already serve as a replacement for the three-box Passat.
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