VW Group's 'Spanish' electric cars are the stars in Munich
The Munich Motor Show (known as IAA Mobility) was the first of these fairs to be held after the pandemic, in 2021. In fact, it did so by taking the place previously occupied by the Frankfurt event. Journalists will always remember the endless walks between its pavilions at this show, a tradition that Munich hasn't lost. But for other reasons: in addition to accommodating the entire automotive ecosystem beyond the manufacturers, it has been designed as an open and integrated exhibition in the city. Thus, the exhibits alternate between the traditional stands at the fairgrounds and, several kilometers away, outdoor spaces in central areas that, in some cases, are monumental works. For example, those presented this year by Mercedes, Porsche, and, to a lesser extent, Cupra.
Since that edition four years ago, the IAA Mobility has been seen as a showdown between Europe and emerging Chinese competition. If the Asian side took center stage in 2023, in 2025 it has been the local side, with a significant presence of German and, particularly, Spanish industry.
"For us, it's like playing at home. In the heart of Europe, where we lead the sector [with a market share of nearly 28%]. And we expect the home team to deliver its best performance," said Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, as he presented what was undoubtedly the star of the show: the Electric Urban Car Family, or, to put it simply, the four small electric cars (around four meters in size) that the German consortium will manufacture in Spain and begin selling throughout 2026.
The Cupra Raval and the VW ID. Polo (and its sportier version, the ID. Polo GTi) will be produced at the Seat plant in Martorell, and their final versions were seen in Munich... albeit camouflaged. The VW ID. Cross and the Skoda Epiq, both with SUV bodywork, will be assembled at Volkswagen's facilities in Landaben (Navarra). They were prototypes at the IAA, but 90% or more of them will remain that way when they hit the road.
"This day is a milestone in our successful electric strategy," said Blume, who noted that the group has accumulated sales of 3.5 million zero-emission vehicles and is currently the market leader in Germany and Europe. "With these cars, we begin a new era of accessibility and progress: mobility for all and from Europe to Europe," he concluded.
Although it was Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand and the Brand Core Group , which encompasses all volume brands, who emphasized that "this is a project spearheaded by Spain and led by Seat and Cupra." The combined investment (including the electrification of the factories and the Sagunto battery giant) will reach €10 billion, and Schäfer emphasized that the synergies will allow for "savings of €600 million over the life of the project."
Based on an improved version of the MEB platform already used in 2.5 million of the group's electric vehicles, the cheapest model will start at €25,000 (before subsidies), with a range of 450 km in the best-case scenario and the ability to charge quickly. The goal, with these foundations, is to achieve a 20% share of the small electric segment, which they estimate will be four times larger than the current market within eight years.
Within this category, models such as the Renault t 5 E-Tech, the BYD Dolphin Surf, and the battery-powered versions of the Citroën C3, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, and Lancia Ypsilon are already sold in Spain. The latter three are also made in Spain.
Also a step below in size (and performance) are the Dacia Spring and the Leapmotor TO3. They will be joined, but not later than 2027, by the VW ID.1 (the name should change to ID Up!). This car will be assembled at the German group's factory in Palmela (Portugal) and will cost—before any public aid—around 20,000 euros.
"If that's the price of a Volkswagen, what should the price of an electric Seat be?" Markus Haupt, interim CEO of the Spanish brand and of Cupra, its sports car offshoot, told EL MUNDO. He justified this by saying that "with current costs and margins, a Seat with that technology is not viable right now." Nor does it seem essential: the latest decisions already taken by Brussels and the planned relaxation of the ban on combustion vehicles in 2035 have provided a welcome boost to its range, "which would perfectly complement Cupra's."
The executive also confirmed that plans for the latter to enter the US "remain on hold" due to the uncertainty emanating from the Trump administration, while they explore entering Middle Eastern markets. And they hope to reach an agreement with the EU, perhaps this year, on the tariffs penalizing the Tavascán electric SUV, which is assembled in China.
The young brand—founded seven years ago—aims to break the one million cumulative sales barrier by 2025, and it didn't go idly by at the IAA. In addition to the small electric Raval, it unveiled the Tindaya, a large and exaggerated show car that appears to be something of a preview (at least in style) of the Cupra 2.0.
Of the other brands in the consortium, Audi presented the Concept C we discussed in these pages last week; Porsche presented the most powerful 911 in history (the Turbo S with 711 hp); and Skoda presented the Vision O, an electric concept car that reflects its leadership in Europe among station wagon models.
As for the rest of the manufacturers, one of the big stars has been the BMW iX3. It's not a battery-powered version of the X3, but a completely new car built from the ground up with that technology. More importantly, though, it's the first model built on the Neue Klasse platform, a philosophy that represents an exponential leap —in technology, design, and concept—for the Munich-based firm.
The car, a 4.78-meter-long SUV, offers in the first unveiled version a range of 805 km, battery recharges at 400 kWh (recovers 372 km in 10 minutes), bi-directional charging to exchange energy with the home and, above all, a nervous system equipped with four supercomputers or brains with a computing power 20 times greater than that of current BMWs. The icing on the cake is the BMW Panoramic iDrive, with a huge digital screen in the center and a head-up display at the bottom of the dashboard and that runs from side to side of the car.
These are similar arguments to those offered by the electric Mercedes GLC. It's not a derivative of the current combustion model, but rather a unique development. It surpasses the BMW in size (4.85 meters) and trunk space, although with a smaller battery, less range (713 km), and slightly slower recharges (at 330 kW). But it's not far behind in terms of its screen, a 39-inch screen (the sum of three) that fills the entire dashboard. It's the largest ever fitted to a Mercedes.
With a much more discreet presence than in previous years, Renault did live up to expectations with its first: the sixth generation of the Clio. Along with the logical advances in engines, technology, size, and quality, it adds a radical change in design. These features, applied to the French manufacturer's range, will allow them to "defend themselves against growing Chinese competition," stated its new CEO, François Provost.
The Chinese have gone from a storm to a fine rain that doesn't wet, but soaks through. The most impressive display was that of Aito, part of the Seres group, which will launch in Europe with luxury, large models with electric and extended-range engines.
Of the brands already established, BYD has slowed its momentum somewhat and unveiled the Seal 6 DM-i, its second plug-in hybrid, for Europe . It's offered as a sedan and station wagon, with up to 105 km of electric range and over 1,500 km total. Omoda was also in Munich with the new Omoda 7 SUV, another PHEV, which it has just unveiled in Spain.
Polestar, part of the Geely Group, launched the 5, a sharp GT sedan measuring over five meters, with up to 884 hp and a range of 670 km depending on the version. It's now on sale from €121,900. It will compete with the Porsche Macan or the eagerly awaited Xiaomi SU7—expected for 2027—because the new Xpeng P7+, with a similar design and proportions, offers inferior performance.
Leapmotor finally showed off the prototype of a compact electric car, the B05 , and the Turkish company Togg provided a curious note, whose sales in the Old Continent will begin in Germany and will be online only. It comes with a sedan (T10F) and an SUV (T10X), both battery-powered models.
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