Volkswagen’s all-electric onslaught continues to take shape, as evidenced by this Aero B sedan prototype testing virtually undisguised on public European roads. Leaning on traditional three-box sedan proportions (there doesn’t even appear to be a liftgate), the production Aero B is expected to fill the same role in VW’s lineup as the current Passat.
If you’re scratching your head as to the origin of this prototype, look no further than the VW ID.Space Vizzion. “But that was a wagon,” you might protest, and you’d be correct, but remember, this is a European manufacturer we’re talking about. Of course they led with the long-roof model.
While the Aero B (or whatever it ends up being called) may look like a traditional sedan, we expect its battery-electric powertrain to be lifted directly from Volkswagen’s existing ID line of EVs. That opens up the possibility of front-, rear- and all-wheel drive configurations, and while we expect VW will take a conservative approach (as it did with ID.4), the platform is certainly capable of supporting a sporty offering.
And as we saw with ID.4, even if Volkswagen chooses to power only one axle, an electric powertrain makes it far easier to justify making it the rear one, as that configuration has none of the packaging shortcomings you’d face with an internal-combustion engine. In other words, even if VW doesn’t make it fast, it could still be offered in an enthusiast-friendly RWD setup, albeit with a battery pack’s worth of weight to shove down the road. A GTX model certainly isn’t out of the question, either.
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