Volkswagen has previewed its future entry-level electric SUV which will see a global debut by 2026. This new SUV will be based on the upcoming ID2 entry-level EV hatchback, and both models will first go on sale in Europe, followed by other markets.
This electric SUV will serve as an electric replacement for the Volkswagen T-Cross, much as its lower-slung sibling – previewed earlier this year by the ID 2All concept – replaces the Polo.
Volkswagen entry-level electric SUV: what’s known so far?
While the brand has only shown a silhouette of the SUV, some more pictures of the actual car have surfaced on the internet, but with its body completely camouflaged. Volkswagen is expected to reveal the SUV in near-production form in 2024 before showing the final car the following year, a few months after the ID 2. This new SUV is based on the same shortened MEB Entry platform as the ID 2 and it will be built alongside the hatchback in Spain.
Volkswagen is yet to confirm a name for this entry-level electric SUV, but it is likely that the current numerical naming pattern will be phased out over the coming years in line with CEO Thomas Schafer's commitment to making VW a "love brand" again. He has already confirmed plans to retain the Golf, Tiguan and Passat nameplates, suggesting there is potential for every model in the VW line-up to have its own name - but possibly retaining 'ID', like the ID Buzz MPV.
Volkswagen entry-level electric SUV: exterior and interior
A preview image of the baby SUV suggests a sharp, assertive design that's markedly cleaner-cut than the current range of curvaceous ID models. Recently appointed Volkswagen head of design Andreas Mindt called it a "safe, confident, bold" design that is "simple, like the ID 2 All" – referencing how that concept apes the clean, simplistic cues of previous Golf and Polo models.
Indeed, the resemblance to the ID2 hatchback is obvious, though the higher-riding SUV will have a more upright silhouette with bulkier wheel arches, a distinctive vent-style motif on the C-pillar (which could be glass on the production car) and a chunky rear spoiler. There will be no obvious visual links between this new SUV and today's ID 4 and ID 5, as Mindt looks to usher in a whole new brand image.
It will measure around 4.1m long, have a wheelbase of 2,600mm and offer more than the ID 2's 490 litres of boot space – no doubt with the same 50-litre lockable box under the boot floor for charging cables and valuables.
Inside, it is expected to be all but identical to the ID 2, with a 12.9-inch infotainment screen and 10.9-inch digital driver display, while adopting physical switches for the audio and climate controls. Volkswagen is aiming to eradicate all glue and hard plastics from its next-generation interiors, in line with a pledge to boost material quality while reducing its cars' environmental impact.
Volkswagen entry-level electric SUV: powertrain, battery
The electric SUV is set to be offered exclusively with a single motor on the front axle, giving 223hp, and a choice of 38kWh and 56kWh batteries, the latter giving a range of around 450km.
Volkswagen has earlier said that the larger battery will be capable of topping up at 125kW to take capacity from 10-80 percent in just 20 minutes. The smaller-battery car is set to be one of the cheapest electric SUVs on the European market when it lands, in line with Volkswagen's ambitious strategy to reduce the production and list price of its EVs.
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