New Volkswagen electric sedan modelled on Passat spotted in the wild

A number of European automotive media outlets have caught site of a new electric sedan coming in 2023 from German automaker Volkswagen, the Aero-B, which is the production version of the ID.Vizzion concept that was unveiled back at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. 

Celebrity and fashionista paparazzi may have nothing on the ardour and dedication of automotive media photographers, who by now have presumably mapped out every local road, off-road track, and closed racetrack used by automakers around the world. 

A number of outlets over the weekend caught glimpses of the new Volkswagen Aero-B, the codename given to the production version of the company’s ID.Vizzion concept which will act as an electric alternative to the VW Passat. 

Expected to be launched in 2023, and with a potential range upwards of 600-kilometres on a single charge, the Aero-B will reportedly be available first as a sedan before an estate-bodied version makes an appearance. 

An official name for the car has yet to be confirmed, this next ID model will be based on Volkswagen’s full-sized MEB architecture and, like the VW ID.4, will be offered in a choice of rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. It is expected that a GTX model will also follow, as has been confirmed for most VW ID models. 

Accompanying the photos of the VW Aero-B was a lot of conjecture about the specifics that might be found in the car.

Autocar expects that this next ID will be equipped with Volkswagen’s 84kW battery, offering nearly 700-kilometres of range on a single charge, while AutoExpress expects that the car will only come with the 77kW battery, giving it the promised 600-kilometre range. 

However, considering that we are only dealing with spy photographs and vaguely announced specifications for a vehicle not expected until 2023, we can probably expect the specifics to go through several iterations before an official announcement is made.