Volkswagen is developing a new fleet of electric vehicles that will start full production in 2020. At the ‘Auto Shanghai 2017’ international show, Volkswagen will reveal 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 (NEDC) 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’.
DESIGN
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 one-hundred 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.”
INTERIOR
Around five years after the first I.D. vehicle goes on sale, from 2025, fully automated driving will trigger the next automotive revolution. The CUV concept car being unveiled in Shanghai already has this on-demand autopilot system on board. In the fully automated ‘I.D. Pilot’ mode the multifunctional steering wheel retracts into the dashboard and fuses with the digitalized instruments (Active Info Display) to form a single unit. In both automatic and manual mode the driver also receives speed and navigation information via an augmented reality head-up display.
Thanks to the compact electric drive system and to the underfloor lithium-ion battery, the interior has been transformed into an ‘Open Space’: a variable, lounge-like space offering a superior amount of room. The driver and front-seat passenger sit on high-quality seats with integrated seatbelts and headrests. Rear-seat legroom is at a premium level.