Volkswagen ID. Life is a car, mobile cinema, gaming lounge, and power bank all in one



Having introduced the ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicles (EV), Volkswagen is now moving downwards to offer a more compact city car under the ID. sub-brand. At the ongoing 2021 IAA Munich Motor Show, Volkswagen has presented the ID. Life concept that previews a compact and entry-level EV.

The design brief for the Volkswagen ID. Life is strikingly clear with simple lines without any complex shapes of geometry. Circular lighting at the front and back breaks away from the current ID. design language. Hidden door handles and the absence of physical side mirrors are meant to further improve the aerodynamic qualities of the concept car.

At this stage, the ID. Life is still viewed as a city hatchback with a crossover character and a high ground clearance of 190 mm. Measuring just 4,091 mm in length brings it like a Volkswagen T-Cross, but a very wide 1,845 mm width brings it as wide as a Tiguan. Not so compact anymore then.

It is however the interior of the Volkswagen ID. Life that sets it apart and vows young consumers, able to transform into a comfortable cinema or gaming lounge for two. This is possible thanks to the inclusion of a game console and projector with a retractable screen that will use the entire area of the windscreen. Heavy digitalisation will be key to winning new customers in this decade.

Unlike fully autonomous (Level 4) concept cars, the steering wheel and foot pedals of the ID. Life will not be hidden away and as such, onboard entertainment will only be possible when the vehicle is parked.

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For those who plan to rest a little longer after the movie experience, the rear seats also can fold flat, making both rows of seats into a comfortable lying area in cabin space with a total of 1,285 litres of space, similar to a C-segment SUV. Lining the interior of the Volkswagen ID. Life concept are high amounts of natural and recycled materials such as sustainable wood for the dash panel and eco fabrics and textiles for the seats.   

One common issue with usage of larger smartphones with connectivity to the car is the lack of proper storage spaces. The Volkswagen ID. Life is cleverly placing flexible smartphone pouches with charging function on the doors. The vehicle will also be able to provide electricity to the grid, akin to a mobile power bank to support the national grid or during emergencies.

The Volkswagen ID. Life concept, based on the smaller Volkswagen electric drive matrix (MEB) platform, will also be the first model in the ID. family to feature front-wheel drive propulsion. The front-mounted motor has 234 hp and 290 Nm and takes energy from a battery pack with 57 kWh content.

Ballpark figures for the performance of the Volkswagen ID. Life concept are a driving range of 400 km, a 10-minute charge adds 163 km of range and 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds. It is a much larger and more powerful EV than the Honda e.

The entry-level Volkswagen ID. Life is expected to be priced between EUR20,000 to EUR25,000 (approx. RM98,000 to RM123,000), with production to begin only in 2025 and perhaps carrying the ID.2 name.

Volkswagen will stop selling petrol-powered cars in Europe by 2035, with 70% of the line-up already EV by 2030. More about the plans here.


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