Volkswagen just teased its upcoming entry-level EV, which has been expected to be called the ID1 but whose license plate, when lightened slightly with photo editing software, appears to be styled “IDONE.” Volkswagen says it previews the styling of the future production car, which the company expects to ring in at just under $21,000 in Europe. And while it’s unlikely to come to the U.S., as we haven’t gotten any of VW’s smallest cars and hatchbacks like the Up! or Polo, it does seem to be a stark departure from the current VW ID-series styling language. That could mean that the company will shake it up for future American-market products.
And the teaser is somewhat revealing, too. For one, we see those expressive headlamps, which are a big departure from the older ID language and are a bit aggressive, with a “narrowed eyes, furrowed brows” sort of look. Compare this to the blobular, generic look to the ID4’s front fascia, which (without the VW badge) wouldn’t convey much Volkswagen-ness to an onlooker. The squared-off lens covers, which intersect with the round internal elements, recall (in an abstract way) the sealed-beam U.S.-market headlights of the Mk. I Rabbit/Golf and more generally the angular Giugiaro lines of the earliest of that line. (Especially the European versions with the tiny bumpers.)
Despite the scowling eyes, the lower fascia seems fairly friendly, with a little upturned smile at the lower intake, vertical lighting element “dimples,” and a lot of tumblehome from the tall, narrow hood to the accentuated fenders. There’s a slight resemblance, head-on, to the basic proportions of the new Renault 5 E-Tech, which is handsome (and arguably much more distinctive, and very French). But the IDOne is handsome, and nicely proportioned.
We won’t have to wait long to get more details on the vehicle itself, besides its partially shadowed front. VW will show off the “concept” version of this vehicle—almost certainly a near-production thing with a few fantasy nods, like unrealistically large wheels or tiny bladelike side mirrors—in March. And a production version will follow in 2027, on the heels of a production version of the ID2all concept. That car, revealed in concept art form in 2023, looks very much like a scaled-down Mk.VIII Golf with quasi-ID styling, but a similar lower fascia treatment to the IDOne. The ID2all is a Polo-sized vehicle, so smaller than a Golf, but due to packaging is claimed to offer more room inside than a Mk.VIII. VW says that the ID.2all will go into production in 2026.
