Volkswagen unveils I.D. CROZZ electric crossover concept

(April 21, 2017) WOLFSBURG, Germany — Volkswagen is developing a new fleet of electric vehicles that will start full production in 2020. At the Auto Shanghai 2017 international show, Volkswagen revealed the I.D. CROZZ, its first electrically powered crossover utility vehicle (CUV) — a four-door coupe and sport utility vehicle (SUV) in one.

Following the headline-grabbing world debuts of the I.D. in Paris in 2016 and I.D. BUZZ in Detroit in 2017, this is the third version of the I.D. family.

It is also a zero-emissions vehicle with a very long range, charismatic design and a completely new interior concept. The I.D. CROZZ now underlines just how diverse the range of future Volkswagen electric models is going to be.

The I.D. CROZZ is a sporty, zero-emission all-rounder — with electric all-wheel drive — that is equally impressive in the urban jungle as it is on rough terrain. The I.D. CROZZ has 302 horsepower, a top speed of 112 mph and can cover up to 311 miles on one battery charge. Using a 150 kW (DC) fast charger, the high-performance battery can be 80 percent recharged within 30 minutes.

The I.D. CROZZ is more compact and has a lower roofline than the all-new 2018 Tiguan, yet the CUV provides just as much space. The key to this is the car's design: like the I.D. and I.D. BUZZ, the I.D. CROZZ is also based on the newly conceived Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). The MEB models have a very long wheelbase, with compact powertrain components and a battery that lives under the floor. The interior space is generously proportioned and provides a true 'Open Space'.

The MEB’s dynamic proportions provide an ideal platform for a carefully considered electric mobility design DNA. Klaus Bischoff, head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand, explains: "If it was ever possible to make a 100 percent certain prediction of what the future will look like, here it is. In 2017, we are showing how Volkswagen will be transforming the roadscape from 2020. For us, the three prototypes of this new generation of zero-emission vehicles — I.D., I.D. BUZZ and I.D. CROZZ—mark the start of a design and technology revolution that is going to change individual mobility and the Volkswagen brand forever."

Volkswagen's aim is to transfer electric drive systems from start-up niche to high-volume full production by the middle of the next decade. Herbert Diess, chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Brand says: "By 2025, we want to have sales of pure electric vehicles up to one million units a year.  The I.D. CROZZ will play a key role in that. Production will start in 2020."

The clear and powerful design of the I.D. CROZZ combines the rugged look of an SUV with the elegance of a coupe. Pronounced fenders and strongly contoured wheel arches frame a silhouette that’s similar to a sports car’s. The hood, meanwhile, is sharp cut and muscular. On top of this base is a roof that makes the car appear agile even when stationary. A fine stripe in the car's body color borders the roof on each side. The solid roof supports, meanwhile, remain almost invisible.