Volkswagen's star showcase at this year's IAA Mobility show is an electric SUV concept that provides a look at an upcoming, battery-powered compact SUV. Named the ID.Cross, the latest VW concept is the fourth in a series of concept vehicles Volkswagen has revealed in recent years, which preview its future mass-market electric offerings. The ID.Cross is, from a size standpoint, quite close to the Volkswagen Taigun, and the production model it spawns is expected to be one of Volkswagen's most affordable EVs globally. The ID.Cross has been showcased at IAA 2025 alongside the ID.Polo and ID.Polo GTI, both of which will be revealed in final production form in the first half of 2026.
Also Read: Volkswagen Polo EV To Be Revealed In Near-Production Form On September 8 At IAA 2025
Volkswagen wants the ID.Cross to look friendly, and has given it a ‘smiling’ face.
Based on the VW Group's MEB Plus (MEB+) architecture, the ID.Cross measures in at 4,161 mm in length, 1,839 mm in width and 1,588 mm in height, with a 2,601 mm wheelbase, which means it falls just short of matching the Taigun's dimensions in every dimension except width.
ID.Cross rides on large 21-inch ‘Balboa’ alloys.
The ID.Cross showcar – finished in ‘Urban Jungle’ green – follows what VW calls its ‘Pure Positive’ design language, characterised by three ideals: stability, likeability and ‘secret sauce’. The unmistakeably VW face of the SUV has been styled to make it look like it is ‘smiling’, with a full-width daytime running light built high into the front-end.
ID.Cross is a strict five-seat concept.
The ID.Cross has a chunky, muscular silhouette, riding on exaggerated 21-inch ‘Balboa’ alloys shod in 235/40-section Goodyear tyres. The full-width tail-light emphasizes the width of the SUV, and the VW logo at the back is, just like the one at the front, illuminated.
Designed to provide the experience of a ‘feel-good’ oasis, the interior of the ID.Cross makes use of ‘Vanilla Chai’ (or beige) fabrics for a lounge-like atmosphere. Also part of the package are pre-configured light, sound and climate modes, which VW labels ‘Atmospheres’.
‘Vanilla Chai' interior houses two screens.
There are a total of two screens inside the ID.Cross – an 11-inch instruments display, and a 13-inch central touchscreen unit. The seats of the ID.Cross can be folded down completely to create a flat reclining area, just like on the iconic VW Bus. Boot space is rated at 450 litres, and there's also a 25-litre ‘frunk’.
The ID.Cross is equipped with an electric motor that produces a peak 208 bhp and drives the front wheels only. This will be sufficient to propel the SUV to a top speed of 175 kmph, according to VW, and the company expects this SUV to have a range of up to 420 kilometres (WLTP), though no battery details have been shared at this point.
The ID.Cross is likely to have a range of over 400 km in production form.
While Volkswagen will unveil the production version of the ID.Cross for Europe in the second half of 2026, Volkswagen's first mass-market EV for India – expected to be an electric SUV – is unlikely to arrive before 2027, and is likely to be a product shared with Skoda Auto. In a previous interaction with carandbike, Martin Jahn, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Skoda Auto, had confirmed the Group is evaluating the possibility of introducing an EV for India based on a modified version of the Group's MEB architecture.
