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Volkswagen ID Life previews MEB's next little EV

Purple details and a recycled interior are just a few of the highlights of this future-looking EV.

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This concept is about the size of a VW Golf.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen's small but charming ID lineup is showing strong sales in the US and abroad, and at the IAA Munich Motor Show on Monday, the company is expanding the family with a concept it's calling ID Life. This adorable little guy looks set to slot in beneath the ID 3, perhaps paving the way for an all-electric Polo replacement.

The current ID lineup includes the ID 4, an electric SUV that we're rather fond of, and the ID 3, more of a Golf-size vehicle that isn't coming to the US. This new ID Life concept is smaller, but offers about 10% more cargo space than the Polo thanks to the wonders of EV packaging -- and enables a radical, reconfigurable interior. Both front and rear seats fold and mold to shape the interior to meet your needs, whether those needs are for a family hauler or a mobile movie theater.

Yes, the ID Life features an integrated projector, just one of the many concept-themed features that are highly unlikely to come to the road but do certainly make it all the more charming. Other notable touches like this include a translucent grill with hidden headlights and body panels featuring air bladders which can be quickly unzipped to turn this into a little targa of sorts.

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Another concept car with a yoke. Great.

Volkswagen

The crop-topped steering wheel features an integrated, hexagonal touchscreen to control all major features of the car, but VW is quick to point out that everything is also designed to integrate well with smartphones -- devices that nestle in purple pouches with integrated inductive chargers. In fact, purple highlights abound on the ID Life, which relies on a number of natural and recycled elements to keep its overall environmental impact low.

And how about the numbers? VW says this front-drive EV, the first on its MEB platform, will offer 234 horsepower, enough to get it up to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The 62-kWh battery pack will offer an estimated 249 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, which would probably clock in closer to 200 miles on our EPA scale. The most impressive number, however, could be the price.

Volkswagen wants the ID Life to cost somewhere around 20,000 euros when it hits the market in 2025. By way of comparison, the cheapest current ID 3 is 35,000 euros in Germany. Sadly, given VW hasn't seen fit to bring the ID 3 to the US means there's seemingly no chance this little charmer will come our way, but you never know.

Tim Stevens Former editor at large for CNET Cars
Tim Stevens got his start writing professionally while still in school in the mid '90s, and since then has covered topics ranging from business process management to video game development to automotive technology.
Tim Stevens
Tim Stevens got his start writing professionally while still in school in the mid '90s, and since then has covered topics ranging from business process management to video game development to automotive technology.

Article updated on September 6, 2021 at 2:46 AM PDT

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Tim Stevens Former editor at large for CNET Cars
Tim Stevens got his start writing professionally while still in school in the mid '90s, and since then has covered topics ranging from business process management to video game development to automotive technology.
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