With the new ID.2 Polo model, Volkswagen is promising a greater return to buttons – but not all physical controls will be present again.
Ralf Brandstätter, VW's director in China, said last year that while Europeans long for the days of analog switches and buttons, Chinese buyers prefer something completely different: "AI-first, connected vehicles with seamless voice control and smart cockpits."
With the ID. Era 9X, Chinese customers get just that. The new XL-SUV for the world's largest car market has an interior that - apart from the brand logo - is not recognizable at first glance as a VW interior. The six-seater colossus has very few classic controls. Buttons are reduced to a minimum. Instead, the cockpit is dominated by a dual display with two 15,6-inch screens.
For rear seat passengers, there is also a 21,4-inch screen that drops down from the ceiling, similar to the BMW 7 Series. Passengers in the captain's seats in the second row also have built-in projectors in the doors that display various multimedia content. The digital instrument display has been replaced by a display on the windshield, although the huge screens next to it will attract the most attention.
VW has installed extensive ambient lighting inside: a total of 12,8 meters of light strip that extends to the roof and surrounds the panoramic glass roof. The interior has a completely flat floor – after all, this is an electric vehicle. And not just any vehicle, but the brand's first vehicle with a gasoline engine as a range extender.
According to interior photos, SAIC Volkswagen is announcing the start of production of the range-extending power unit. It is a 1,5-liter four-cylinder turbo engine from the long-established “EA211” family with an output of 104 kW (141 hp). VW explains that the new engine uses the Lambda-1 combustion method “under all operating conditions,” where λ describes the equivalent air-fuel ratio.
If λ = 1, the air and fuel are perfectly balanced – there is just enough air available for the fuel to burn completely. This ensures efficient combustion, maximizes energy efficiency and reduces harmful emissions. Mazda is aiming to go in a similar direction with its upcoming Skyactiv-Z engine, which will debut in the CX-5 next year and will be equipped with its own hybrid system. Porsche’s T-Hybrid system is also designed with an ideal air-fuel ratio of 14,7:1.
VW ID.Era 9X
The ID. Era 9X is available with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive – in both cases with one or two motors. The SUV is a real giant: 5207 mm long, 1997 mm wide and 1810 mm high. The spacious 3070 mm wheelbase makes room for a 51,1-kWh battery or the optional 65,2-kWh pack, which is standard in the all-wheel drive version. The larger battery is said to provide an electric range of 400 km – but this is after the rather generous CLTC test cycle that is common in China.
As expected, this model is one of the heaviest vehicles VW has ever developed. The twin-engine version can weigh up to 2700 kg. At the same time, the Era 9X introduces a new design language that is more tailored to Chinese tastes - including new colors such as Fairy Green and Desert Gold. The screen-dominated interior is said to combine "German aesthetics with Eastern charm".
