Affordable ID.Every1 and Tera crucial to VW's next chapter

It was at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show that Volkswagen revealed its ID.3 electric car.

You might recall that this was in the wake of the lid being blown on the infamous Dieselgate scandal.

The emissions-cheating fiasco was a PR nightmare, severely denting customers’ faith in the brand, besmirching Volkswagen's reputation — even though it was not the only manufacturer involved in the web of deceit.

Dieselgate accelerated Volkswagen's electric car plans. And at the show that year, company executives expressed high hopes for the ID.3 compact.

As we know, they did not fully materialise. Electric vehicle uptake did not happen as quickly as, or at the volumes, the German automaker might have hoped. Their state of affairs now is well-documented, with overseas plant closures and labour force reduction due to dwindling sales.

A new concept previews a production model that could just serve as a much-needed game-changer for the brand.

Volkswagen has long been an expert in affordable compacts — and the ID.Every1 concept embodies that archetype well, in theory.

Revealed this month, the concept is a taste of what could be priced as a €20,000 electric car. In South Africa, this would bring it just under the R400,000 mark.

The ID.Every1 is instantly recognisable as a Volkswagen. Its styling cues are familiar, based on the brand's in-house electric platform (dubbed MEB), with drive to the front wheels.

Output from the electric motor is quoted at 70kW, while a range of at least 250km is purported. Size-wise, the company says the model is between that of the discontinued Up and current Polo.

It will be some time before the ID.Every1 takes shape in series production form. And whether it comes to South Africa is another matter. On the plus side, VW has touted plans for an electric strategy in the country. Last year this move gained impetus when the brand introduced the ID.4 trial to our region, with test vehicles rolled-out to gauge customer sentiment and test infrastructure.

“Volkswagen remains steadfast in its commitment to its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, the ID.1 is currently under evaluation as a potential addition to our evolving EV portfolio,” said VW Group Africa's media and PR manager, Tebogo Losaba.

However, a more tangible prospect in the medium-term is that of the Tera compact crossover. It may not be called this when it does go on sale in Mzansi in 2027.

The little urban warrior is the highly anticipated new model to be built at the Kariega facility in the Eastern Cape, expanding ambitions beyond the Polo Vivo and Polo.

The model was revealed in Brazil, designed and intended for emerging markets, including India, Latin American regions and, of course, South Africa.

Underpinning the model is the automaker's modular A0 platform, which is well-proven, serving compact models such as the Polo and T-Cross. Within the VW Group, the Tera is closely related to the Kylaq from Škoda, aimed primarily at the Indian market — where it was designed and engineered.

Some have likened the Tera to a baby Tiguan, from a visual standpoint. The junior crossover is endowed with the recognisable, crisp Volkswagen front end, punctuated by an illuminated strip.

Viewed side-on, it borrows flavours from the T-Roc, seen in the sloping roofline. The rear has an execution not unlike that of the ID.4 electric car.

The cabin boasts typically clean Volkswagen design, though it is evident the position of the Tera is at a more affordable end — rather than the premium slant of a product such as the Tiguan.

Technical specifications, such as engines, outputs and transmissions were not outlined at the Brazilian reveal. A competition will launch within the next few weeks where all markets represented by Volkswagen in Africa will get a chance to vote on their preferred name, the company confirmed.