Volkswagen will bring the I.D. Crozz crossover electric vehicle to the U.S. market in 2020, with an unspecified “largish” sedan introduced at the same time. The two vehicles will be the first models on sale in the U.S. built off the new, EV-specific MEB platform. They will be followed in 2022 by the promising microbus-looking I.D. Buzz, another MEB platform variant. (The current VW eGolf is built on the MQB platform, which is not specifically made for electric drivetrains and batteries.)
The Crozz debuted in Shanghai earlier this year, the third member of the I.D. family after the original I.D. hatchback that debuted in Paris last year and the I.D. Buzz microbus first shown in Detroit this year. The original I.D. hatchback is not planned for U.S. sales at this time.
VW is calling the Crozz a crossover — hence the name Crozz — but seeing it parked on stage it looked more like a mildly jacked-up sedan, sort of the AMC Eagle of the modern age. You could also say it looks like a high-lift Eclipse if the Eclipse had been a five-door hatch.
The Crozz is listed as a concept vehicle, so size, shape and specs could change before its 2020 debut, but you get an idea what it will look like in production. VW lists power output of the Crozz at 302 hp running through an all-wheel drive powertrain with a range of “up to” 300 miles.
“The I.D. Crozz-based electric vehicle will be an affordable and stylish electric SUV — and there is more to come,” said Hinrich Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. “The I.D. Cross and I.D. Buzz will help Volkswagen kick off an EV revolution in the United States.”
The LA Auto Show will be the first time the Crozz, Buzz and the original I.D. will be shown together in North America. They are part of what VW claims will be 15 different EVs on sale globally by 2025.
The Crozz — no relation to the disgraced comedian formerly known as “The Cos” — features voice-activated doors and trunk, as well as autonomous driving ability via I.D. Pilot mode. The Crozz has an 83-kWh lithium-ion battery that will power a pair of electric motors, one on each axle. The front generates 101 hp, the rear 201. The rear motor is the main driving force on the Crozz, with the front coming online when needed. Weight distribution is 48 front/52 rear.
The Crozz will be able to recharge to 80 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes using a 150-kW DC charger.
So far Volkswagen has committed over $7 billion to create the MEB platform that will underpin all its EVs in the future. The goal is to sell 1 million electric Volkswagens by 2025, or what will then represent about 15 percent of the company’s total worldwide sales.
“The worldwide demand for cars will be 83 million this year,” Jurgen Stackmann, board member for VW sales and marketing, said . “The world is fully in love with personal mobility, so we need to grow the percentage of electric vehicles.”
Even with electric drivetrains, Stackmann said price is important.
“We have to stay within the price range that people would expect from a normal car.”
Hence, the Crozz will sticker for about the price of an equivalent gasoline-powered crossover SUV, he added. The current Tiguan stickers at from $25,195 to $37,550. Don’t take that as a guarantee for 2020, but you get the idea. They’ll be affordable.
“If the cars are beautiful and fun to drive, if it’s fun to be in those cars, if the range is sufficient and they offer great value, why on Earth would you not buy an electric car?”