VW's ID Aero flagship electric sedan targets China, Europe and U.S.

Volkswagen's new ID Aero full-electric sedan will be built in Germany and China, and will also be sold in the U.S., the automaker said.

VW showed a near-production concept of the midsize sedan in China this week, ahead of a planned sales launch in 2023.

The ID Aero will use the same MEB platform as other VW Group full-electric models such as the VW ID3. It will be the VW brand's "flagship model," Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars in China, said during the car's online launch.

It will be almost five meters long, and will compete in China's still-healthy midsize sedan market, which accounted for 12.1 percent of sales in 2021, Wöllenstein said.

"Midsize sedans are a crowd-pleaser in China," he added.

The segment is less robust in Europe, at least for non-premium models, which accounted for a total of 302,138 sales in 2021, according to figures from Dataforce.

The VW Passat was the top-ranked model, with 83,172 sales, ahead of its Czech sibling, the Skoda Superb, which had 45,858 sales, and the Peugeot 508 (28,526). The No. 4 VW Arteon had just 23,821 sales.

Two versions of the ID Aero will be built in China, one each for VW's two joint venture partners, SAIC and FAW Group. The production model will be unveiled early next year with deliveries starting in China in the second half, Wöllenstein said.

European models will be made in VW's plant in Emden, Germany, which currently makes the Passat and Arteon models. No timing or production location was given for versions to be sold in the U.S.

The aerodynamically optimized body has a low drag coefficient of 0.23, VW said in a statement. The slippery design includes illuminated touch surfaces in place of door handles and sloping roof, giving it a fastback look.

The concept is "a pretty accurate preview of the car to come" Wöllenstein said.

The aerodynamic shape will help give the production version a range of up to 620 km (385 miles) from a 77-kilowatt-hour battery, based on WLTP standards, VW said.

The car is recognizable from 2018's ID Vizzion concept, which VW said had the interior space of a VW Phaeton large luxury sedan.

VW has also said it will make a station wagon version, as previewed by the 2019 ID Space Vizzion concept.

In China, the ID Aero will compete against a growing number of electric sedans from new "smart EV" companies and brands such as the Nio ET5 and ET7, the XPeng P7 and P5 and Geely's Zeekr 001, as well as the Tesla Model 3.