Frankfurt 2019: ID.3 confirms start of VW’s cleaner new chapter
By Guy Bird2019-09-11T10:40:00
Car Design News was on the stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show to see the most important new car for Volkswagen since the original Golf: the ID.3 electric people’s car. Klaus Bischoff, VW’s design chief, talked us through the design details
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.