Volkswagen has continued the build-up to the launch of the new ID 4 electric crossover next month with new official sketches that showcase the exterior design of the car, which was developed with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency.

The compact SUV, which recently went into production at the firm's Zwickau factory in Germany, is the second machine built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric platform, following the recently launched ID 3 hatchback.

The design of the ID 4, which was first seen as the ID Crozz concept, is based on the ID 3, with Volkswagen Group design chief Klaus Zyciora describing it as "clean, flowing and powerful". He added that the mix of gentle surfaces with clear edges was intended to make it to look "as if shaped by the wind itself".

Zyciora said aerodynamic efficiency was a key factory in the ID 4's design, in order to maximise its range. Volkswagen says the machine will have a drag coefficient of 0.28, making it substantially more efficient than most SUVs. “The electric design evolution of the ID 4 also means that we have focused very strongly on the aerodynamics,” said Zyciora.

The emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency resulted in the ID 4's flowing shape, with VW saying the rear of the car has been "significantly drawn in" to maximise this. There is also a large roof spoiler and the bodies of the rear light clusters have been designed to help ensure that airflow at the rear of the car is cleanly separated.

The ID 4 will be sold globally and produced at factories in Germany, the US and China. Volkswagen brand boss Ralf Brandstätter was present to watch the first series-production ID 4s emerge from the Zwickau line recently.