The boss is back?
The Volkswagen ID. 2all concept could make its way to India as the Polo EV and we cannot help but be excited!
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE FRONT AXLE PRODUCES 223BHP OF POWER
ENTHUSIASTS IN INDIA HAVE ALWAYS harboured a soft corner for the Volkswagen Polo, to such an extent that Volkswagen even coined the tagline for the hatchback based on the trend — Respect the GT. And while we waxed eloquent about everything that made the Polo such a joy to drive, the major gripe that we had with the Polo was the space on offer — or rather the lack of it. That is no longer a concern with the ID. 2all concept that could possibly be the spiritual successor to the Polo sold in
India. The concept car is longer, wider and taller than the Polo sold in India, and the ID. 2all is also the first front-wheel-drive to be based on Volkswagen’s MEB Entry platform, in addition to being one of the ten new EVs that Volkswagen will launch by 2026.
The ID. 2all gets what Volkswagen calls a ‘friendly face’, and the C-pillar design was first debuted on the first-gen Golf sold globally. The rear door handles are neatly integrated into the door frame and the concept car gets on 20inch wheels. The interiors are minimalist, with a layered dashboard that gets two separate displays — a 10.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen — and you also get two wireless chargers along with USB-C ports.
There is a new multifunction flat-bottomed steering wheel present, and the rear seats can be folded in a 40:60 split. In addition to a conventional boot, the ID. 2all also gets a 50-litre storage space under the rear seat. Volkswagen claims that the ID. 2all will be “as spacious as a Golf and as inexpensive as a Polo”, with the target price being under
`22 lakh when it goes into production.
Powering the ID. 2all is an electric motor on the front axle that produces 223bhp of power that allows for a 0-100kmph sprint in under 7 seconds with a top whack of 160kmph. Claimed driving range is upto 450km (WLTP), and the battery of the ID. 2all can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes using a DC fast charger.
If Volkswagen can localise the MEB platform much like they did to the MQB-A0 platform, it is possible the ID. 2all will make its way to India. And despite no ICE-powered version on the horizon, enthusiasts can at least take comfort in the fact that the Polo nameplate might be resurrected to make a comeback to India, continuing to deliver driving thrills albeit in an all-electric form. Respect the EV? Yes sir! ⌧