The low-slung ID Aero concept shown in China on Tuesday provides a foretaste of the production-ready Aero, due to go on sale there in the second half of 2023.
Only slight changes are expected when the showroom version of the four-door saloon is unveiled at next year's Shanghai motor show. It will also be sold in North America.
Volkswagen is also planning to start building a European edition of the Aero at its German factory in Emden in 2023. The car will rival the Tesla 3, which is assembled at a huge new factory near Berlin.
The five-metre Aero is the sixth member of the ID family after the models ID3, ID4, ID5 and ID6 as well as the iconic ID Buzz camper van. It is not clear if it will be badged as an ID7.
"With the ID. Aero show car, we are revealing a preview of the next member of the ID. family," said Volkswagen CEO Ralf Brandstätter, calling the Aero "an emotional and at the same time extremely aerodynamic design."
The car has a range of 620km (WLTP cycle), which makes it suitable for longer journeys. The concept features a 77 kWh battery, with other battery options in the pipeline.
Styling is fairly conventional for the more conservative Asian market with the honeycombs typical for the ID family. The front is horizontally split into two in the bumper.
Further back the ID Aero features a high waistline, with a deep etched swage running from the headlights to the tail-lights which give it a distinctive shoulder line.
The door handles are flush and the wheelbase has been chosen to accept wheels up to 22 inches in diameter. The sporty two-tone wheels have a turbine design and are integrated flush into the wheel housings.
The boot is set high, with a fully-wraparound light bar and an illuminated Volkswagen badge.
With a drag coefficient of 0.23, the ID Aero is likely to be the most aerodynamically efficient of VW’s new wave of electric models.
Volkswagen said it was stepping up its electric offensive in China, with the ID Aero, poised to become the fourth fully-electric model series in China.
Volkswagen said it is aiming to become the leading supplier of sustainable vehicles in China. As early as 2030, it is planned that at least every second vehicle sold in China will be an electric vehicle.
