Four characters. A good idea.

As we all know, Paris knows a thing or two about fashion. Two fashion houses can start with the same pattern and still design dresses that tell completely different stories. It all comes down to the silhouette, the proportions and the fabric. And to those little, sometimes almost inexplicable details that determine whether something merely looks good or actually has style.

Volkswagen has clearly learnt this lesson. On the eve of the Paris Motor Show, four small electric cars take centre stage: the ID. Polo, ID. Cross, CUPRA Raval and Škoda Epiq. Three brands, one shared platform, more than 80 per cent identical components. The cars are built in Martorell and Pamplona. A thoroughly sensible industrial family line-up.

Until you actually look at the cars.

Because the four siblings have little interest in looking alike. Each has its own quirks. One wants to please, another prefers to provoke a little, and the third, above all, aims to make life easier. A family with plenty of character. And little inclination towards uniformity.

The wonderful art of understanding a brand

Andreas Mindt takes to the stage in Paris for the first time as Head of Volkswagen Group Design. And he has taken on a role that one might well envy. At least as long as one doesn’t have to consider the responsibility that comes with it.

It’s all about the design identity of major car brands. About what makes them distinctive, how they carry their history into the future whilst remaining fresh and independent. And how all of this can be combined with the technical capabilities of a huge corporation.

A wonderful task. With rather challenging family dynamics.

Because a brand is more than just a logo, a headlamp design or a familiar radiator grille. It has a history, its own vision of the car, and characteristics that people associate with it. Some have evolved over decades. Others need to be reimagined.

What actually makes a Volkswagen a Volkswagen? Why is a CUPRA allowed to be more daring? What do people value in a Škoda? Which distinctive traits are essential to the brand? And where can you occasionally open the windows and let a breath of fresh air in?

The answers aren’t to be found in any design manual. At least, not in full. You have to understand the brands, develop a feel for their culture and open up the right creative possibilities.

Mindt and his team lay the foundations for this, develop tools, pool knowledge and define quality standards. The brands’ design teams can concentrate on their actual work: designing distinctive cars that reflect their heritage whilst still sparking curiosity about the future.

The Group takes care of the possibilities. The brands take care of their personality.

Four siblings. And each has a mind of its own.

Volkswagen calls its design philosophy ‘Pure Positive’. A very friendly statement. Behind it lie Stability, Likeability and something Mindt calls ‘Secret Sauce’. A little secret ingredient, then. Those details you might only spot at second glance, which bring a smile to your face and make a car likeable.

The ID. Polo shows what that can look like. Its front end is open, almost smiling. It comes across as familiar, approachable and pleasantly uncomplicated. A car that has clearly decided to get on well with its surroundings. After all these years of grim-looking radiator grilles, that’s a good decision.

The ID. Cross has a more robust presence. Wider shoulders, greater stability, a striking C-pillar. The sort of car that would probably help with a house move and then cheerfully tidy away the tools afterwards. After all, a Volkswagen is allowed to look robust without necessarily wanting to start a row.

Things are a bit more spirited at CUPRA. Passion, boldness and rebellion are the guiding principles. The Raval features taut surfaces, striking lines and lighting that demands attention. CUPRA’s head of design, Jorge Díez, says they’re downright obsessed with design. This little chap looks as though he’s decided, at first glance, to have a bit more fun than his relatives.

And then there’s Škoda. The Epiq embodies the ‘Modern Solid’ design language and possesses that pleasing blend of robustness, simplicity and practical intelligence that has made the brand so successful for years. Clean, defined volumes, the characteristic ‘Tech-Deck Face’ and an interior that promises more space than one might expect from the outside. A car that aims to be sensible whilst still placing importance on making a good impression.

Four cars with different ideas about how they might please their owners.

In some families, one might describe this as a delightfully successful upbringing.

When industrial rationality gets creative

The truly exciting aspect of this project lies beneath the attractive exterior.

Volkswagen has investigated which components contribute to a brand’s identity and which can be shared. The vast majority of components are shared across the four cars. Visible and tactile elements are designed to be brand-specific. The rest benefits from industrial rationality.

This saves money. Quite a lot, in fact. According to the Group, this approach has already saved 600 million euros.

And it creates scope. For different design solutions, for distinct brand identities, for automotive personalities built on a shared technical foundation.

Artificial intelligence is now playing its part too. Software developed within the Group transforms sketches into photorealistic images and videos. Colours, materials and surfaces can be viewed in different lighting conditions and environments. According to Volkswagen, this saves up to a third of the time and costs involved in the design process.

Designers can experiment, compare, discard ideas and think ahead more quickly. The actual work, however, remains a human endeavour.

After all, even the best software is still a long way from knowing why a Volkswagen should look friendly, a CUPRA exciting and a Škoda pragmatic. This requires people who understand brands – their history, their distinctive features and their cultural characteristics. People who recognise when a design is authentic and when it is merely pretending to be so.

And who, on occasion, also have the courage to leave something out.

The art lies in developing distinctive products from shared industrial foundations, without one brand becoming the disguised sister of another.

Volkswagen reports just under 150,000 orders for the four models, even before deliveries have properly begun. A remarkable vote of confidence for this small family of cars.

It’s the difference that makes it a joy

Paris is, of course, a wonderful setting for this story. A city where people appreciate good proportions and fine details. Where style is taken for granted and a well-cut dress sometimes makes more of an impression than a lengthy explanation of its merits.

In one of the official press photos, the four cars stand side by side in front of the Arc de Triomphe. Three brands, four cars. As we know, Alexandre Dumas’s Three Musketeers were actually four.

One for all, all for one. Under the bonnet, this motto is taken quite literally at Volkswagen.

Above it, each carries its own sword.

In Paris, one would say: Très chic.