THE EXTERIOR DESIGN

When revolutionising a brand’s image, the first thing to do is to begin with product design. The style of a vehicle’s exteriors is, in effect, its calling card. “The design of the Volkswagen ID.3, the forerunner of a family of electric cars that will arrive over the next few years, is defined by circular lines that begin at the front and embrace the whole vehicle. These soft elements translate the feeling of calm and comfort you get from driving an electric car into shapes”, explains Klaus Bischoff, head of design for the Volkswagen group.

Following this principle, the design team has obtained a clean style without forcing things: “With the ID.3, we put aside any stylistic aspect that expressed aggression or force, features that are all too widespread on the majority of vehicles in any segment and architecture, but which are inappropriate for our project. Looking at the ID.3 from the front, we register the break with the past, yet we also immediately recognise it as a Volkswagen”. To increase luminosity and the perception of space inside the car, the designers created wide, glazed surfaces. These were achieved with a not-too-high waistline, a tilted windscreen, and a rear window that, in some versions, extends until it embraces the door of the boot.