Take a look at the front of many modern cars, and there is a good chance they appear angry about something. Narrow headlights, enormous grilles, sharp creases, and oversized intakes have become familiar tools for giving even ordinary family cars a more intimidating personality.
Volkswagen is preparing to head in another direction, as the company wants its future cars to look approachable, recognizable, and perhaps even a little cheerful.
Volkswagen Group design chief Andreas Mindt explained that philosophy in an interview with Autoweek, where he questioned why so many manufacturers have embraced aggressive styling. His criticism wasn’t subtle, either, describing the trend as “nonsense.”
That thinking is already influencing Volkswagen’s newest models, including the ID. Polo. Rather than trying to make every new EV look like it arrived from another planet, Mindt wants Volkswagen to rediscover what made its cars immediately recognizable in the first place.
Volkswagen Doesn’t Want Its Cars Looking Angry
Mindt believes aggressive styling is partly about creating road presence. A car with an imposing grille and threatening headlights can appear faster or more important when it arrives in another driver’s rearview mirror.
He used the Audi A1 as an amusing example, suggesting its aggressive face can make approaching drivers think something much faster is coming up behind them. Volkswagen itself, he argues, doesn’t need to play that game.
“Why not give cars a friendly look?” Mindt told Autoweek. He went considerably further by saying he doesn’t want to live in a world filled with cars that look as though they were “designed to kill zombies.”
That doesn’t mean every Volkswagen Group vehicle is about to become adorable. Mindt acknowledged that brands, including Lamborghini and Cupra, deliberately attract customers who appreciate a more aggressive appearance, and he sees room for those different identities within the group.
Volkswagen occupies a different position. Its cars have traditionally appealed to an exceptionally broad audience, so Mindt believes their styling shouldn’t deliberately alienate people.
Volkswagen Thinks Its Early EVs Went Too Futuristic
That philosophy also explains why Volkswagen’s latest electric cars are beginning to look more conventional. Mindt believes some of the company’s first ID models tried too hard to visually separate themselves from the Volkswagens that came before them.
He praised elements of those cars, including their proportions, large wheels, short overhangs, and spacious interiors. At the same time, he believes the push toward futuristic styling went too far and occasionally lost sight of the customers Volkswagen was trying to convince.
The original ID.3 is his best example. Mindt considers it fundamentally well designed, yet argues that it doesn’t look enough like a Volkswagen and could easily have worn another manufacturer’s badge.
The ID. Polo represents the new approach. It’s modern, but deliberately incorporates familiar Volkswagen design cues rather than treating electric propulsion as a reason to reinvent the automobile’s appearance.
Physical Buttons Are Coming Back, Too
The rethink isn’t limited to exterior styling, either, as Volkswagen is also reversing some of the interior decisions made during its initial EV push, particularly the move away from physical controls.
Mindt said customer research showed that people weren’t happy with the disappearance of conventional buttons. Newer Volkswagens are therefore bringing more of them back, while the much-criticized electronic sliders are also being reconsidered.
There is still room for playful technology. The ID. Polo includes a retro display mode that can transform its digital instruments into graphics inspired by an old Golf GTI, while the infotainment system can resemble a vintage radio and cassette player.
Mindt calls touches like these his “secret sauce.” The goal isn’t to retreat into pure retro design, but to build modern cars that feel familiar, optimistic, and occasionally humorous.
After years of increasingly angry automotive faces, a Volkswagen that doesn’t appear furious to see you in the parking lot might actually feel surprisingly fresh.