VW's Cheapest Electric SUV Steps Out Almost Undisguised: A Closer Look at the ID.Cross Prototype
The ID.Cross prototype has been spotted again, this time with hardly any camouflage, revealing more details about VW's upcoming smallest electric SUV. The car is almost completely undisguised, even wearing a VW badge, and the only thing more obvious than its shape is Wolfsburg's desire to make it seem non-electric.
The heavy swirly wrap is gone, replaced by VW's favorite optical illusion job, where silver and black tape is slapped across the grille, lights, and bumpers to impersonate an older gas-powered model. However, the contours of the ID.Cross concept, shown a few months ago at the Munich auto show, are clearly visible under the tape.
The production doors are now almost fully exposed, and the C pillar treatment is disguised, though only enough to hide the fun ID.Buzz style inserts. The shape-wise nothing has changed, with the bluff little nose, the tight overhangs, and the tucked tail matching the concept almost panel for panel.
Inside, the ID.Cross will closely echo the concept displayed at Munich, featuring an 11-inch freestanding rectangular digital gauge cluster ahead of the steering wheel, and a much bigger, 13-inch tablet touchscreen mounted above the console with ChatGPT-powered AI assistance.
Under the skin, the ID.Cross shares its MEB platform and hardware with the new ID.Polo. The Cross concept had a 208 hp (211 PS / 155 kW) front-mounted motor, which is the punchiest of the three launch powertrains VW confirmed for the Polo EV this week.
The other two Polo options make 114 hp (85 kW / 116 PS) and 133 hp (99 kW / 135 PS), and it's likely that the second of those, if not both, will also make it to the ID.Cross. There's even talk of an ID.Cross GTI, with a 223 hp (166 kW / 226 PS) motor planned for the Polo down the line.
VW never confirmed battery dimensions for the concept, but did reveal a 261-mile (420 km) range. This ties in with the 280 miles (450 km) VW claims for the lighter, more slippery ID.Polo with a 52 kWh battery. Polos will also be available with a 37 kWh pack, though VW might not offer that on the SUV when it debuts in production form in 2026.
