Not seen one yet @Rico but surely that will cause more drag than a relatively flat sided vehicle where air can more freely flow past rather than be restricted. It might help with down force in a similar way to a spoiler but its not exactly a quick car. I also wonder if it will whistle at high speeds LOL.
Don’t underestimate aerodynamic weirdness. There could’ve been, for example, a vortex somewhere at the rear panel that this channel counters – reducing wind noise. I don’t think it’s for driving dynamics.
Channelled air flow can improve efficiency, BMW does it too – here for example.
My guess is that it’s to reduce the wake at the rear of the car as BMW states.
That all said, whether it does something or not, i do think it looks odd. It’s not a particularly pretty car. The interior is going to be nice (looks like a Sportage as far as i can tell), so that’s good – and the price isn’t particularly unreasonable too.
Since it’s highly likely that we’ll get it on the scheme too, it’s another decent EV option if you can see past the looks (i can’t, but looks are subjective).
Prior: SEAT Ateca Xcellence Lux 1.5 TSI DSG MY19, VW Golf GTE PHEV DSG MY23
Current: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Next: we'll see what's available in 2028.