Volkswagen is back at it, testing the first sedan to ride on its MEB electric-only platform. This time, the car that is currently known under the internal codename ‘Aero B’ was caught winter testing in northern Sweden.
Seen previously in warmer climes, the sedan is once again wearing tricky Passat-like camouflage that makes it hard to tell what’s going on design-wise. The air intake in the front bumper, the grille, and the lights are all fake, designed to confuse the eye as Volkswagen prepares the car for production.
The automaker has previously given us some pretty good hints as to what this car will look like, though, with the ID.Vizzion and the ID.Space Vizzion concepts. Unveiled in 2018 and 2019 respectively, VW has so far been good about producing cars that pretty much look like the concepts they’ve shown, albeit with a few concessions to practicality.
Read Also: VW ID. Space Vizzion Concept Is An Avant-Garde Electric GT Estate
Based on the MEB platform, much like the ID.4, the recipe should be familiar here. Batteries under the floor should power either one motor in the back, or one in the back and one up front. Rumors suggest that it will get an 84 kWh battery pack and that it will be rated at up to 700 km (435 miles) on the WLTP test cycle.
When it released the concepts, VW promised that this new sedan would be an “avant-garde premium class saloon”. Wagon fans should rejoice, too, because VW has already promised to bring a Shooting Brake body style to the lineup.
Unfortunately, the name of the sedan remains a mystery. Although some suggested that VW will continue to use the ID. nomenclature and call this the ID.6, that name has already been taken by a big SUV in China. Others have suggested the name “Aero B,” but that seems like a big departure for the company so early in its electric product cycle. Another possible option is ID.Aero.
Whatever the case, we should find out before too long, as the sedan is expected to make its debut by early next year, with North American sales to follow.