IIA Mobility 2023: Some of the Best Reveals

IIA Mobility 2023: Some of the Best Reveals

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Known for being one of the world’s largest mobility trade shows, the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, or IIA Mobility, is a car show we eagerly anticipate each year to discover what manufacturers have cooking. 

Just so you know, this is the same show where the sleek-looking Audi Grandsphere, Porsche Mission E concept (now called Taycan), VW Polo Mk6, and iconic BMW E30 M3, to name a few, made their international debuts. 

This year is particularly interesting, with everything from an electric GTI, to a baby G-Class. 

Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept

We knew it was going to happen, and this is it. The new Volkswagen ID. GTI Concept that seeks to bridge 48 years of ICE-powered GTIs with the brand’s electric future. Unlike the GTIs of today, where the ‘I’ suffix stands for ‘Injection’, this one means ‘Intelligence’, according to VW. 

Based on the ID.2All Concept that was revealed earlier this year, the new ID.GTI is everything a GTI is, except for the lack of an internal combustion engine. That said, it comes with GTI detailing such as red detailing on the front grille, flared wheel arches, and stunning double-spoke 20-inch wheels that VW says are based on the original steel wheels from the Mk1 GTI. Interesting. 

Looking at the dimensions, it’s 4,104mm long, 1,840mm wide, and 1,499mm tall, thus making it bigger than the current-gen Polo. 

While its technical details remain under tight wraps, production of the ID.GTI is expected to begin in 2026. It promises to become a 'silent' hot hatch of note. While we’ll miss the ‘Vrrrphaa’ sound, it’s a good thing that the GTI nameplate lives on, albeit in a different form. 

Mercedes-Benz CLA Concept 

If there’s a model that we feel Mercedes-Benz wasn’t paying too much attention to with regard to electrification, it has to be the CLA.

Unveiled at this year’s IIA Mobility, the CLA Concept draws inspiration from the Vision EQXX concept and is based on the automaker’s MMA platform. Despite its subjective looks, it retains its swoopy ‘coupe-like’ stance that has been synonymous with the CLA nameplate but combines it with cleaner and slippery design cues for great levels of aerodynamics. 

There’s no information regarding the battery packs, but in the press release, Mercedes-Benz makes mention of a range of up to 750km on a single charge and an 800-volt charging configuration that allows a rapid top-up of up to 400km in 15 minutes. 

The CLA is earmarked to go into production sometime before the end of 2024 and will be sold alongside ICE-powered variants. 

Little Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Teased for the first time alongside the CLA Concept at the show is what Mercedes-Benz calls the ‘baby g-Class’ (apparently not a typo) that is said to have been in development for quite some time. As we expected, it will be fully electric. 

The teaser image reveals the name 'g-Class' and showcases the familiar boxy silhouette of the larger model. Despite its tiny stature, it will take the character of its big and brash G-Class and condense it down into a more compact package. 

We will have to wait for the g-Class to make its debut in the coming months, but we expect it to make use of technology shared with the upcoming EQG.

Mini Cooper

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‍As the brand works extra hard to become a fully electric car maker by 2030, Mini took to this year’s IIA Mobility to debut its electrified 3-door model, which is available in two variants: the Mini Cooper E and Mini Cooper SE. 

With sleek and clean design cues, the electric Mini will be sold alongside its ICE-powered counterparts. 

Powering the base E model is a front-mounted electric motor with 135kW and 290Nm that is fed power by a 40.7kWh battery pack, enough to whisk the city car silently from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds while also offering a range of up to 305km.

The SE variant employs a larger 54.2kWh pack, powering a 160kW and 330Nm electric motor. It dashes from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds, while its EV range is rated up to 402km. 

All these attributes should cater well to day-to-day driving duties in and around cities when the Mini Cooper models arrive locally, likely before the end of the year or early 2024. 

Mini Countryman 

With slightly larger dimensions than its ICE-powered counterparts, the Mini Countryman remains the brand’s flagship model, and as electrification strategies go at the firm, it has been given the electrification treatment. 

It’s offered in two performance levels; the E with an output of 150 kW and 250Nm and the SE ALL4 with 230kW and 494Nm. 

The former makes use of a 54kWh battery pack that feeds power to a front-mounted electric motor enough to blast it from 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds before hitting its limiter at 170km/h. The SE ALL4 with its AWD system uses a bigger 66.4kWh pack that lets the SUV accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds before hitting the top speed of 180km/h. Both models have a range of 462km and 433km, respectively. 

Like the Mini Cooper 3-door, the Countryman will be sold alongside its regular models when it goes on sale in the coming months. 

Audi Q6 e-Tron Interior

Following the preview of the exterior of the Q6 e-Tron sometime in July, Audi has now given us a glimpse of the SUV’s interior, which looks like nothing we’ve seen before. 

According to Audi, the Q6 e-Tron is the first model series to be based on the new Premium Platform Electric and the E3 electronics architecture. This has allowed Audi engineers to rethink the interior design, range of functions, technology, and aesthetics.

Take a closer look at the interior, and you will understand why the Q6 e-Tron aims to become a big deal for the Ingolstadt-based marque. There’s a free-standing curved display that consists of a 14.5-inch Audi MMI touch display and a 11.9-inch virtual cockpit. 

The front passenger is treated to a 10.9-inch display that is integrated into the passenger side of the dashboard and can be used to watch movies or for navigation. If you are worried about distracting the driver, Audi says the screen is only visible to the passenger. 

The Q6 e-Tron is expected to make its public appearance in 2024, and sales should begin months after that. 

BMW Vision Neue Klasse Concept

Fancy a futuristic-looking model? Well, BMW unveiled its Vision Neue Klasse Concept, which gives us a glimpse of what future electric cars from the Munich-based automaker could look like. 

BMW's recent designs have caused quite a stir among enthusiasts, and chances are, they could very well inspire the next 3 Series sedan, which is expected to make its landfall in 2025 as a 2026 model. 

The Vision Neue Klasse Concept depicts a new design language as well as a new electric platform, while also paying homage to the legendary 2002 model.

While its looks remain subjective, it’s not a final product and it may undergo significant changes before it reaches production. We also don’t expect the next 3 Series to look exactly like the Vision Neue Klasse Concept, but it will likely share some of its features and specifications.

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