ID. Volkswagen's big comeback with AURA L5

Volkswagen, which has fallen behind Chinese brands in the electric car race, is the new electric family sedan ID, which it will produce in China in partnership with FAW-VW. Introduced AURA L5. The target is the Tesla Model 3, which has been on the roads since 2017. However, the real news is not in the body of the vehicle, but in the software that runs it and was developed in China.

ID. AURA L5 Design and Body Structure

The vehicle is a joint work of Volkswagen's Chinese and German design teams. Also shown at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show is the ID. It largely preserves the design line of the AURA concept. On the other hand, it is described as an electric family car in the Accord and Camry class in terms of size.

Particularly short upper overhangs and long wheelbase create a fluid coupe-style stance. Additionally, the vehicle comes with a claim of 84.4% “usable floor space ratio”. However, there are frameless doors on the sides and semi-hidden door handles.

Fastback style, electric tailgate

Cover opening angle exceeding 70 degrees

Opening width exceeding 1,000 mm

Large model with LiDAR and Hyper Sense 8 end-to-end on some models

This opening makes it easy to load large items, such as groceries, luggage or a golf bag. Moreover, some versions will come with LiDAR. Therefore, driver support systems are also on the agenda.

First of all, the production version is expected to use the 155 kW (approximately 208 horsepower) electric motors announced when the concept was introduced last year. However, battery specifications have not been shared yet. In addition, the vehicle was shown as part of the extensive product package announced by VW Group China for the China International Import Expo (CIIE).

VEGA and CEA Software Architecture

In addition, the package also includes the first two models equipped with the VEGA "integrated technology matrix". At the same time, VEGA means the software infrastructure developed locally by Volkswagen Group in China. In addition, Anhui branded electric coupe crossover is also included in this announcement.

VEGA's software arm is CEA, that is, China Electronic Architecture. In fact, CEA has so far been widely used in five new models from the group's three joint ventures. Additionally, software updates were completed this year.

The company lists three main benefits of CEA: smart availability, continuous updates, and security backup. In addition, the artificial intelligence development toolchain called "C-Brain" engages artificial intelligence agents in software development, design and engineering verification.

The Big Plan for Europe

The announcement coincided with reports from Autocar and Reuters. According to this news, Volkswagen is considering using the electrical architecture developed in China in most European markets. However, according to internal discussions confirmed by brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, up to 75% of basic models in Europe could use this architecture.

On the other hand, Volkswagen has had difficulty providing a software experience that customers will like for a long time. For this reason, it entered into a multibillion-dollar software partnership with Rivian for the Scout brand. The fair will last until November 10. ID. Power transmission, battery and software details for the AURA series and Anhui coupe are expected to be clarified during the fair.