For an electric car that’s not supposed to hit the market until 2026, the Trinity sedan sure is being teased a lot by Volkswagen. Granted, these numerous previews likely depict a concept car that will preview the swoopy sedan as the first new EV from the company’s second generation of ID-badged models. The latest image shows the car hiding under a cover with its sleek coupe-like roofline.
You can tell it’s an EV by the impressively short overhangs at both the front and rear, allowing the engineers to push the wheels towards the vehicle’s extremities to maximize the wheelbase for greater interior room. The low-slung nose is typical of a car built on a dedicated electric car platform that doesn’t need a tall frontal area to accommodate an internal combustion engine.
The heavily sloped roofline seems to suggest we are looking at a more practical liftback than a typical sedan as the rear end seems to be too short for a traditional trunk lid. Therefore, Trinity could have a liftgate in the same vein as the Arteon, making it easier to maneuver cargo in and out of the vehicle. The absence of side mirrors indicates the car VW is hiding is a concept rather than a production model.
Likely to be built at a new factory near Wolfsburg, the next-gen EV will ride on an evolution of today’s MEB platform and should be about 4.7 meters (185 inches) long with enough space inside for five people. The company’s CEO Ralf Brandstätter has said it will carry a starting price of €35,000 and offer more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) of range based on the WLTP cycle. You can rest assured it will have fast-charging capabilities as VW is working on a setup that will recharge the battery from 5% to 80% in a mere nine minutes, meaning 29 minutes of charge should translate into approximately 390 km (242 miles) of range.
In terms of performance, Trinity will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in less than five seconds. A level 2+ autonomous driving system will be ready at launch, but the vehicle will technically support level 4. VW will also implement new software for the infotainment system and is expected to offer on-demand features, allowing owners to unlock functions post-purchase by paying a subscription courtesy of over-the-air updates.
As to when the car will be unveiled as a concept, the premiere could take place in 2022 seeing as how VW has already published quite a few teasers. The production model due four years later is probably set to go by another moniker since Trinity is the internal codename for the ambitious EV project.
Source: Volkswagen
