We have told you that the two concepts presented by Volkswagen at the IAA Mobility 2021 refer to two different propositions for the MEB Lite (or Entry) platform.
While the Volkswagen ID. LIFE should give birth to the ID.1, the Cupra UrbanRebel would hint at a small crossover that should be named ID.2. That’s what fits with the information we have so far. However, we still see reports that the ID.2 is the ID. LIFE and that the ID.1 will be a smaller vehicle, about the same size as a Volkswagen up!. That would make the Cupra UrbanRebel anticipate a hatchback, not a compact SUV. This rendering was created with that in mind, but is it what we will get in the end?
An excellent way to start is to check what the dimensions of these concept cars tell us. While the ID. LiFE is 4.09 meters (161 inches) long, 1.85 m (72.8 in) wide, and 1.60 m (63 in) tall, the Cupra UrbanRebel is 4.19 m (165 in) long, 1.80 m (71 in) wide, and 1.44 m (56.7 in) tall.
Comparing the length of these cars shows a good 10 cm (3.9 in) difference in favor of the Cupra UrbanRebel, implying it would be the larger vehicle (crossover). However, that disparity may be entirely due to the massive rear spoiler Cupra gave it to hide its real intentions making it much lower (16 cm or 6.3 in) than the ID. LIFE was necessary to present it as a race car as well.
What bugs us is that the Cupra UrbanRebel is narrower than the ID. LIFE. That’s what happens with hatchbacks compared to compact crossovers. In that sense, the rendering could indeed present what the production version of the UrbanRebel will be. The problem is that the pricing for it doesn’t match.
Photo: Bernhard Reichel
Wayne Griffiths told Automotive News that the production version of the UrbanRebel would cost around €25,000 ($28,983 at the current exchange rate). According to the SEAT and Cupra CEO, that would happen because this vehicle would be premium and sportier compared to similar products. Fair enough, but why charge €10,000 ($11,593) more than what such a car should cost?
The Volkswagen Group said that it would achieve production cost parity with the MEB Lite. In other words, its electric cars would cost the same as the current combustion-engined vehicles in similar market segments. That said, if the production version of the Cupra UrbanRebel were a B-segment hatchback, it would be comparable to the Seat Ibiza, a car that starts at €15,000 ($17,390).
The highest price for this hatchback is €20,000. We know a Cupra version would charge a premium over the most expensive Seat offering, but a 25% premium seems excessive. It would have to offer a better battery pack, substantially more range, or much more power to justify that, which does not seem to be the purpose of the MEB Lite platform that will underpin it.
Photo: SEAT
Pricing also affects the ID.LIFE and makes us wonder about it being the ID.1 or the ID.2. Volkswagen said its production version would cost €20.000, which is about the same price the company charges for the Taigo and the T-Cross. If it has an equivalent price, it has to offer the same features and the ID. LIFE technical specifications confirm it will be a crossover, not a hatchback. In other words, it will probably be the ID.2.
The Cupra UrbanRebel is the one that still raises doubts. If it were to be a hatchback, its price would be lower. On top of that, it would not match the design profile that leaked a while ago presenting the compact electric crossover for SEAT.
With the information we have now, our best guess is that both the ID. LIFE and the UrbanRebel anticipate the compact electric crossover that Volkswagen will name as ID.2. The ID.1 should be a hatchback equivalent to the SEAT Ibiza and VW Polo, but it seems it will wait until Volkswagen has made enough money with more profitable vehicles. If it looked like this rendering, it would make a lot of people pretty satisfied with what they can afford.
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