The Volkswagen ID Cross has been unveiled as the all-electric answer to its T-Cross, and it’s aiming for the award-winning Renault 4 and the best-selling Ford Puma Gen-E in the hotly contested B-crossover segment.
The ID Cross rides on the Volkswagen Group’s electric-only MEB+ platform: a project spearheaded by Cupra to introduce a range of small EVs priced from around €25,000. MEB+ is also used to underpin the Cupra Raval, the Volkswagen ID Polo, and the Skoda Epiq.
Like the Raval and the Polo, the ID Cross is manufactured at the Seat and Cupra factory in Martorell, Spain. At home in Germany, order books are now open. Volkswagen has yet to confirm ID Cross UK pricing and an official arrival date.
Practicality and design
At 4.153mm long, the ID Cross is marginally longer than the T-Cross and 50mm wider between the wheels. However, Volkswagen promises a larger interior thanks to the ID Cross’s electrical packaging. It has 475 litres of boot space, 20 more than the T-Cross, and a 22-litre frunk for the charging cable.
As with the ID Polo, the Volkswagen ID Cross marks a return to visual normalcy after Wolfsburg’s experimental early ID years. Depending on the trim level, there are full-length light bars front and rear, offset by illuminated VW badges. A ‘floating’ roof offset by darkened A, B, and C pillars is standard across the range.
Fitting in with the ID Cross’s ‘lifestyle’ image, roof bars capable of withstanding up to 75kg worth of load are also included with the price.
Inside, the ID Cross isn’t dissimilar to its ID Polo sibling. Both cars share the same twin-screen setup, two-spoke steering wheel, and a dashboard that’s fabric-trimmed across its bottom half. As with the ID Polo, Volkswagen has ditched the unintuitive haptic switchgear of early ID cars and added physical buttons to the steering wheel, along with a row of additional buttons for the air-conditioning.
What’s more, the ID Cross gets a full-dash light bar with 30 colour options and vertical air vents. Look closely, and the ID Cross’s digital driver readout can also be specified with the retro dial option inspired by the Mk1 Volkswagen Golf. Again, the ID Polo has the same feature.
Trim levels and range
Priced from around €27,995 (approximately £24,000 at the time of writing) in Germany, the ID Cross will be available in three trim levels: Base-spec Trend, mid-tier Life, and range-topping Style.
There are two battery sizes to choose from: A 37kWh unit and a 52kWh pack. The smaller battery is paired with a 114bhp motor in Trend trim, generating a leisurely 0-62 mph time of 11 seconds. Life and Style cars get a 133bhp motor, reducing the time to 9.8 seconds.
A 52kWh battery is available on Life and Style models, and promises the headline-grabbing range of 273 miles. Mated to a 208bhp electric motor, the larger battery option has a maximum fast-charging speed of 105kW, promising a 10%-80% top-up in 23 minutes. Here, the 0-62mph run is dealt with in 7.4 seconds.
The smaller option has a 195-mile range and a 90kW DC charging speed. This allows for a 10%-80% charge time of 23 minutes. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality is also a standard feature across the Volkswagen ID Cross range.
