Volkswagen ID.Code SUV-coupe concept revealed ahead of Beijing debut
Volkswagen has revealed a radical shift in design for its future electric models with the unveiling of the ID.Code concept on Volkswagen Group media night ahead of the 2024 Beijing motor show (Auto China 2024). Sporting a sleek new design language conceived exclusively for Chinese-market cars, the SUV-coupe concept previews a new range of EVs being developed in partnership with Volkswagen's various joint venture partners in China, says Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer.
Based on an unspecified platform architecture that is claimed to accommodate both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive – as well as varying battery capacities and ranges – the ID.Code itself will evolve into a new flagship model to top Volkswagen's newly announced ID UX Chinese EV family.
- Volkswagen ID.Code’s design said to resonate well with younger EV buyers
- Light animations conceived to be altered every 3 months via OTA updates
- Previews VW’s new driver-centric interior design
Volkswagen ID.Code: exterior highlights
Departing dramatically in look and packaging from today's ID-badged models, the new four-seater adopts a distinctive front end with flamboyant headlight styling and an illuminated Volkswagen logo — features that, Volkswagen says, resonate well with younger EV buyers in China. Volkswagen design boss Andreas Mindt described the ID.Code as “distinguished” and “inspiring”. He said: “It's thoroughly contemporary and more expressive than any of our existing models.”
The former Bentley design boss said efforts have been made to provide the new concept with human-like qualities through light animations, including a welcome function for the headlights that mimic the blinking of eyes. “We wanted to give the ID.Code a warm human-like touch. It should provide visual attachment the moment you see it. It is not robotic and cold,” he told our sister publication Autocar UK. The light animations are conceived to be altered every three months to freshen the look of the car via over-the-air software updates on a subscription basis.
The clean, low front-end features an undercut design without a traditional grille, which progresses into a long bonnet, raked windscreen and a
