In the 100-year history of automobiles, there is no shortage of models that shine brightly but never go into production.
From the Bugatti 16C Galibier's reverie for a four-door supercar, to the Audi Quattro Spyder's attempt at the "prototype of the mini R8" in the early 90s, to the 2009 Volkswagen BlueSport Concept to explore the roadster, the wheels of the concept car did not lead to their own glory, but laid the groundwork for the surging tide of subsequent production cars.
Exploration may not be the end of the road, but it will lead to important directions.
On April 24, 2024, on the Volkswagen Night on the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, 7 new cars detonated the audience, and a hundred kinds of grandeur reappeared in their heyday. Among the dazzling new cars, the most futuristic model is the ID. CODE, which is positioned as a "new Chinese DNA future concept car".
Compared to those prototypes that "came to the door of the production car", the ID. The CODE concept car carries a more heavy mission, which not only reflects Volkswagen's exploration direction of future new car design, but also reflects Volkswagen's attitude of localization in the Chinese market.
In ID. Behind the lines and contours of the CODE concept car, it is a deep reflection on the future direction of the automobile by a global car company, and it is also an enthusiastic embrace of this ancient and new land.
The Volkswagen brand's "two-way decoding" in China
"It's like a Gran Turismo!" The front of the CODE concept car was unanimously exclaimed.
The slender body is about 5 meters long, with a sense of power and fluidity, and the silhouette extends from the front windshield to the C-pillar and then connects with the spoiler on the rear window.
Sensibility sees visual impact, rationality sees aerodynamics.
There is no doubt that at a time when smart electric vehicles have become a development trend, new cars must pursue the ultimate from the two dimensions of emotional appearance and rational performance.
But ID. There's more to CODE than that.
In terms of naming, ID. The CODE name bears the meaning of "decode", and in terms of positioning, this concept car is customized for Chinese users and carries Volkswagen's new Chinese DNA.
"Decoding" has a two-way nature, and Volkswagen is trying to decode the market - what kind of cars Chinese car consumers will need in the future, and decode itself - what kind of strength Volkswagen has to meet these needs of users. Therefore, Volkswagen needs to reshape the new car from the DNA level to meet the needs of users and carefully tailor it to the Chinese market.
What do Chinese consumers like today?
According to the "2023 Car Replacement Crowd Insight Report", the younger the group, the more they like "good-looking cars, smart cars": pay attention to intelligent car technology and interactive experience, accounting for more than half of Generation Z. With the advancement of consumer demands, users' pursuit of interior and exterior appearance design is also increasing day by day.
Following such clues, we can see ID. CODE's focus on line design caters to the demands of Chinese users, and a closer look shows that the sense of technology of this concept car is not only reflected in the visual aspects such as the reduction of wind resistance in the streaming media rearview mirror and the addition of sci-fi colors to the shape of the "light cloud" transverse headlight cluster, but also hints at the intention of carrying high-end intelligent technology in the design of functional areas.
For example, ID. CODE sets up a translucent display for the side window, and an anthropomorphic personal assistant will appear when the owner approaches, providing scenario-based real-time information services. The rear door windows can be loaded with widgets such as vehicle conditions, weather and other useful information.
The front windshield leaves an area where sensors such as lidar can be installed in production vehicles to support autonomous driving functions. This is also related to ID. The intelligent driving status indicators all over the CODE echo.
Even the design of the "light cloud" headlights is also in line with intelligent technology, and the 3D micro prism forms the lamp groups on both sides, which can "rotate" to form an intelligent interactive effect, which can indicate that it is in a state of "intelligent driving".
Thus, we can say that ID. CODE focuses on the exploration of the strategic level, rather than the mass production pilot at the tactical level, just like the tens of thousands of "authentic concept cars" in the past century, there is no direct production version, but it affects the entire design language system of the car brand.
"We have always believed that Volkswagen's success in China is based on continuous innovation, which will also be reflected in our new concept cars. Stefan Mecha, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Car Brand China, explained that ID. "This concept car built specifically for China brings the Volkswagen brand DNA into a new era, meeting all the expectations of Chinese consumers in the connected era with innovative styling and cutting-edge technology." ”
After "understanding the demands of Chinese users", Volkswagen needs to prove itself with new products that the concept of "in China, for China" can be effectively put into action, and ID. CODE is the best prelude, just to lead to a louder singing later.
Forty years of forging "in China, for China"
"Forty is not confused", the public who has entered the "year of no confusion" in China, in the face of the current turbulent market and the tide of transformation of the industry, give themselves a firm answer, which is also the best response to China: "In China, for China" strategy.
Why Volkswagen needs to launch an ID. In order to reconstruct the Chinese DNA for new cars in China from the very bottom, to meet the escalating user needs and the rapid development of the Chinese market.
At present, China's auto market is the first in the world to embrace the era of intelligent networking, which has indeed brought an "elephant turn" challenge to traditional giants including Volkswagen.
However, the public, who has been deeply involved in China for 40 years and has gained the trust of 50 million users, cannot stand still from the perspective of business development or from the perspective of giving back to the audience.
Because of this, we see that the Volkswagen brand has made frequent moves in China, not only upgrading the competitiveness of its existing business, but also increasing the localization of various sectors such as R&D and manufacturing – and most importantly, the underlying thinking has also switched to the Chinese model – no wonder Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, repeatedly mentioned "China speed" in his speech.
When Volkswagen realizes that the Chinese market has grafted the automotive industry to the high-speed of the Internet, how can this global car leader not run wildly?
As a result, Volkswagen upgraded its product lineup and accelerated its transformation, Volkswagen Anhui set up Volkswagen Anhui, Volkswagen (China) Technology Co., Ltd. VCTC and Volkswagen (Anhui) Digital Sales Service Co., Ltd. in Anhui to cover highly localized vehicles, R&D and marketing, and Volkswagen China and Germany teams joined hands to create an ID with a new Chinese DNA. CODE concept car, exploring the future direction of new cars in China.
As Meng Xia puts it, Volkswagen wants to further sharpen the product experience with the new Chinese DNA, so as to "usher in the next 40 years in this dynamic market." ”
To solve the confusion of the "year of no confusion", it is obvious that Volkswagen, the global car giant that is most deeply involved in China, has found the best answer for itself.