Volkswagen ID Aero 2023: Passat-sized electric sedan gets closer to production form

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Volkswagen has pulled the covers off its all-new ID Aero sedan concept – the first electric sedan from the company, however it is not ready for production just yet. 

Primarily designed with the sedan-loving Chinese and American markets in mind, the ID Aero is slated for release in production form in the second half of 2023.

The German automaker says that a European version of the ID Aero electric sedan will go into production sometime in 2023, likely for a 2024 launch. 

For Europe – and for other markets like Australia – the ID Aero sedan may be accompanied by a station wagon version, with styling similar to the ID Space Vision electric wagon concept of 2019.

Volkswagen says that the ID Aero sedan will be the next model following on from the ID4 and will be the next global electric car for Europe, China and the United States. Australia is unconfirmed for now.

What is the Aero concept and what should I know about it?

The ID Aero sedan concept is almost five metres in length, has an expected range of approximately 620 kilometres (WLTP) and a low swooping roof line that achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.23. 

That makes the ID Aero about 20cm longer than today’s Passat sedan – a vehicle reserved for emergency services duties in Australia. It’s closer to the length of the Skoda Superb liftback, which is just under 4.9m long.

Beneath the cabin of the ID Aero sedan sits a 77kWh battery pack in skateboard positioning between the axles – common to other MEB-platform vehicles including the ID4 SUV – however power and torque figures for electric motors have not been revealed at this time. 

It is possible that the ID Aero will be available in single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive formats. The related ID4 SUV makes up to 150kW/310Nm with RWD, while the hot GTX AWD version makes 220kW/472Nm from its dual motors.

Volkswagen’s MEB architecture accommodates a broad range of car formats, from the Cupra Born hot hatch to the forthcoming ID Buzz commercial and passenger van.

On the style front, the Aero sedan concept features large 22-inch wheels and also features the IQ Light system seen on other Volkswagen models, including the new Mk8 Golf R and Tiguan R. 

When will the ID Aero go on sale?

Volkswagen has stated in its global press release that the ID. Aero is not coming to market until the later half of 2023, and only to China for now, however it will also be eventually sold in North America.

A European release will likely happen sometime in 2024, which will most likely be also when markets such as Australia could receive the European iteration of the car – as is currently the case for the Passat sedan and wagon, which differ in Euro guise from larger, cheaper versions produced in China and the United States.

Nothing has been confirmed regarding Australian sales of the ID Aero as yet, but Volkswagen Australia has confirmed to Chasing Cars that it will add three MEB models to the local lineup in the next year or two: the ID3 hatchback, ID4 SUV and ID5 coupe-SUV, all of which share components with the ID Aero.

Before that point, the MEB platform will debut in Australia in early 2023 beneath the Cupra Born hot hatch.