At the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen didn’t drop any big electric vehicle news in its press conference, but instead showed off its newly updated 2025 Tiguan internal-combustion crossover. That doesn’t mean EVs were completely swept under the rug, as Autocar reports Kai Grünitz, the VW board member in charge of technical development, talked about a revamp for the entire ID electric vehicle lineup coming in 2026.
The R&D lead told the outlet that the VW EV lineup will get distinctly new looks, unified around the design of the ID. 2all concept unveiled last year. The production ID. 2 it previews is an electric car that will replace the Golf in Europe in late 2025 or early 2026. That it sports throwback Golf looks should be no surprise, with Grünitz saying the new EV design language is “going back to where we came from.” He also said the ID lineup will get other “huge improvements” beginning in 2026, in terms of batteries and other features. The ID 2 hatchback will mark the beginning of a new era for the brand, “because customers will see there has been a change, and a much bigger change than expected.”
Volkswagen’s SSP Architecture And Rivian
Grünitz added context to what VW’s joint venture with Rivian means for the brand’s electric future. As the development of VW’s Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) architecture continues, VW will lean on Rivian’s own electric architecture learnings, which Grünitz praises for its advanced tech, development speed, over-the-air update prowess, and quality standards.
Grünitz also confirmed that an SUV version of the ID. 2 will bow at the 2025 Munich Motor Show, and will be the second Volkswagen to use its MEB Entry platform. He also told Autocar that there will eventually be a GTI version of
, and that it has already been previewed (presumably by the ID. GTI concept revealed last year). It’s still not clear if any will make their way to the U.S.
The MEB Platform Is Going Nowhere
But VW’s investment in SSP, with the platform’s ability to underpin a wide variety of vehicles, especially performance EVs, does not mean development of other architectures will dry up. Grünitz said it will continue to invest in the MEB platform, as well as the MQB architecture used for internal combustion vehicles. MQB continues to be important thanks to slower-than-expected EV growth.
Finally, Grünitz also said that with stricter Euro 7 emissions standards coming next year, VW will end up with a “lineup that’s slimmer than today,” without specifying which models are on the chopping block. He said that Polo would stick around and receive an update, while other models would incorporate mild-hybrid technology.
Read the full article here