When Volkswagen’s chief designer Andreas Mindt looks at the electric ID.
Polo, he sees a friendly, familiar face. And that’s exactly the point.
Standing in front of the still-disguised model at the IAA motor show in Munich, Germany, Mindt described a departure from the futuristic, more sparse design language of recent ID models.
“When you look at the face here, it’s very optimistic,” Mindt said, pointing to the front end. “It’s upbeat. All the lines are growing, so it looks friendly, positive and optimistic.”
A similar approach is visible at this year’s IAA Mobility show, where European automakers are rethinking the design and marketing of electric vehicles.
German car buyers remain sceptical about electric vehicles. Will the models shown at the IAA in Munich convince them? Image: Frank Hoermann/SvenSimon/Picture Alliance
In an effort to broaden the appeal of their electric car offerings, many are now emphasising brand familiarity over novelty.
“Welcome home.”
Mercedes has announced a merged design palette for internal combustion engines and electric vehicles for future models. Its slogan “Welcome Home” comes as the brand approaches its 140th year of existence.
And while the new BMW ix3 electric SUV impresses with its modern exterior and interior, the iconic front grille – known as the kidneys – was modelled on the 1960s “Neue Klasse” (“New Klasse”) series.
BMW’s famous “New Klasse” series of 1960s models was a turning point for the Bavarian automaker Image: Michael Bihlmayer/CHROMORANGE/Picture Alliance
But it is Volkswagen that is most visible. Days before this year’s IAA Mobility show, the firm announced that it would be cancelling the number-based naming convention for the ID family. It all started with the ID.2, which is now called the ID.
POLO, in honour of a model familiar to generations of European drivers.
“You have to stay modern, you have to stay one step ahead,” said Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen brand CEO and Mindt boss. “But you also have to stay true to the brand.”
The car also looks more like a traditional Polo, with its slimmer profile, stronger lines and open wheel arches. Its interior will see the return of physical buttons to control functions such as climate control – a customer demand.
The exterior also boasts thicker taillights, Mindt said, one of several features designed to provide strength. “They look like thick glass, whiskey glasses, you know what I mean? This” is not a champagne glass that breaks “.
Back to basics
The design is something of a comeback for the car company from Wolfsburg, Germany, which only started producing electric cars in earnest after the diesel emissions scandal of 2015. New CEO Herbert Diess was an advocate of transformation and an outspoken admirer of Ilon Musk, who was then turning Tesla into the world’s largest electric car maker.
Diess retained control of the Volkswagen brand, a technically separate position, to lead the development and production of its first purpose-built electric car, the ID.3. Volkswagen’s design chief said in an interview at the time that the hatchback’s appearance, with its flowing panels and fewer sharp lines, was meant to represent a break with the past.
But Volkswagen stumbled out of the gate with the ID.3. Software problems undermined the car’s appeal and plagued Volkswagen in the years that followed, costing Diss his job in 2022.
The ID series would still become the best-selling European battery electric car. However, overall sales of electric vehicles in Europe remain low, less than 16 per cent of the market, according to the European Automobile Industry, with growth slowing in recent years.
Creating the “real Volkswagen”
When Schäfer took over the Volkswagen brand in 2022, he railed against the prevailing design and marketing identities.
“When I spoke to the team, what do we need to do to become the real Volkswagen again?” Schäfer told DW in an interview.
Design was a major part of it. Sc hafer fired the company’s head of design in 2024 and hired Mindt.
His instructions: “He wanted a real, proper Volkswagen,” Mindt said.
Going back to roots is a theme for VW chief Thomas Schaefer, who unveiled the new ID design.
Polo at the IAAImage: Roland Niepaul/Volkswagen AG/dpa/picture alliance
Now the company is counting on his work to pay off. ID.
Polo shares its drive system with five other models to be launched by Volkswagen in the coming months, including a GTI variant and new offerings from Skoda and Cupra.
Winning at scale is important for the carmaker, which faces a tougher market. Competition from Chinese carmakers is fiercer and even the premise of electric drive systems is more controversial with the rise of populist politics and Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency.
For Mindt’s chief designer, this controversy is another reason to focus on what he calls “uplifting” design. Bu according to him, you will understand his intentions with the ID.
Polo, even if they can’t explain it.
“Sometimes you don’t need to explain it,” Mindt said. “They feel it in their heart.”
Edited by: Uwe Hessler