Frankfurt 2019: ID.3 confirms start of VW’s cleaner new chapter

The negativity of the Dieselgate scandal may have provided the unexpected impetus, but the positive fruits of VW’s repositioning as a properly eco-focused electric vehicle player were seen at the Frankfurt show as the first of its long-awaited production EVs – the ID.3 – finally broke cover.

The good news is that the ID.3 retains the charm and modernity of its conceptual ID forebear shown first at the 2016 Paris show. The high-roofed hatchback silhouette remains present and correct – proportionally offset by large wheels available in only 18, 19 or 20 inches – and product design-influenced details abound, both inside and out. Even VW’s 3D, shiny and traditional car brand-style version of its roundel has been replaced with a humbler 2D version, to press home the symbolic change.

Inside, the ID.3’s cabin feels very airy. Its IP has been pushed forward some 150mm compared to a similar-sized Golf, due in part to the A/C unit being packaged under the bonnet in the space not required by a conventional combustion engine (the ID.3’s electric motor is in the back). Perched in front of the main dashboard is an angular driver display with the drive selector switch integrated neatly on the right-hand side, plus a 10-inch central touchscreen angled towards the driver with extra flush-mounted buttons below it for quick air and audio volume adjustment.

Continuing this ‘floating elements’ theme, the door card armrests are angled towards the occupants and positioned slightly away from the main body of the door for comfort and ergonomics, as on the driver’s side the electric wing mirror adjustment and window switches fall more easily to hand.

There’s also some humour to the interior design with a very large and visible ‘pause’ graphic on the brake pedal and a sideways triangle symbol to represent ‘play’ on the accelerator. “It’s a little twinkle in the eye as electric cars are so fun to drive,” Klaus Bischoff, chief designer at the VW brand, told Car Design News. “You can imagine that a lot of engineers said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ to this idea.” But Bischoff and his design team won through.

The design – apart from the screens – is quite simple and pared back. “It’s about the democratisation of electric mobility to get the price point down,” Bischoff explained, “and also at the end of its lifespan it’s then easier to dismantle and recycle. If you use materials in a combined way, it’s much harder.” Bischoff is visibly excited at the production result – and of what’s to come too, as he concluded: “You’ve seen what we are aiming for, every ID concept car is on its way into production and going forward we will get more and more design content and more and more freedom. So, it’s a great time for us as designers. The party starts now.”

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