As part of a significant display at the 2025 IAA Mobility show this coming week in Munich, Volkswagen will reveal its new ID. Cross Concept, previewing an all-electric compact SUV that will likely go on sale in Ireland before the end of 2026. It joins the ID. Polo as part of a new generation of affordable electric cars from not only the VW brand, but the Volkswagen Group as a whole.
So will this be called the VW ID. T-Cross?
The answer to that is unclear at this point. While Volkswagen has confirmed that it will repurpose its existing, established nameplates for an electric future - opening the way for an ID. Golf and ID. Passat, among others - the T-Cross is a relatively new model (first launched in 2018) and 'ID. T-Cross' is a little clunky sounding. Our money would be on it retaining the Munich show car's simpler ID. Cross name when it is revealed as a production car next year.
Whatever it's called, the ID. Cross is certainly of comparable size and positioning to the petrol-powered T-Cross. The show car is 4,161mm long, which is 53mm longer than the current T-Cross, but about the same height. A longer wheelbase of 2,601mm (+50mm) indicates the new car should have more interior space, while the notably increased width (+79mm) translates into a better stance on the road. It's to be assumed that the showroom-bound version will stay true to these proportions for the most part.
Even with those big, fancy wheels?
Probably not. The ID. Cross on display in Munich sits on a chunky set of 21-inch, five-spoke rims, fitted with special Goodyear tyres styled to complement the wheel design. Given that the existing VW Tiguan can only be specified with alloys of up to 20 inches in diameter, we doubt that the ID. Cross will be available with such big wheels.
They do fill the wheelarches of the show car convincingly, drawing attention to the muscular wings front and rear. There's more than a hint of first-gen VW Tiguan about the shape to our eyes, especially around the slope of the rear window.
Everything else about the ID. Cross is bang up to date of course, and no self-respecting concept car of 2025 does without expressive LED lighting. Distinctive light bars are found front and rear, plus the obligatory light-up VW badges.
Meanwhile, the SUV image of the ID. Cross is bolstered by roof rails and stylised bumpers front and back that look vaguely practical in an off-road sense. The door handles are remarkably normal, too.
It's not really a rugged off-roader, though, is it?
No; befitting the compact SUV class, this car is well and truly designed to stay on the road. Indeed, we don't believe there'll be an all-wheel-drive variant of the production model at all, in line with the specification of the T-Cross.
The ID. Cross is built on Volkswagen's “MEB+” platform for front-wheel-drive electric cars, shared with the incoming VW ID. Polo and whatever the ID.1 ends up being called (ID. Lupo? ID. Fox? ID. Up? Answers on a postcard...) and designed to be affordable.
Technical specifications for the production model won't be available for some time yet, but Volkswagen did offer a bit of a hint in telling us about the ID. Cross concept's vital stats.
Its front-mounted electric motor produces up to 211hp, while the WLTP range is quoted as 420 kilometres. Mindful that buyers of such a vehicle may use it for towing or fitting heavy bike racks, Volkswagen does tell us that the towbar could hold 75kg and that the ID. Cross could tow up to 1,200kg.
It has a decent boot too, holding up to 450 litres (the current model is quoted as 385-455 litres, though the latter figure is with the rear seats slid forward on runners), while there's a modest 25-litre storage 'frunk' under the bonnet up front as well.
What's the rest of the interior like?
There are a few concept-car fripperies in the ID. Cross pictured here, such as actual plants in the centre console, which appears to float between the front seats, and a steering wheel with an exaggerated shape. Not to mention the potentially impractical 'Vanilla Chai' upholstery colour.
However, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see that this show car's cabin is based on one set to go into production. The steering wheel may be very 'squashed' looking, but Volkswagen makes a big deal of its physical buttons. And there's more of the same in a neat bank of switchgear in the middle of the car to control the heating and cooling. We're very happy to see a big company such as Volkswagen return to this control concept, moving away from a reliance on touch-sensitive switches.
Of course there is a touchscreen on board as well for infotainment, measuring 13 inches across the diagonal, while the driver's instrumentation is on an 11-inch display. There's an intriguing looking knob on the centre console, too, which we presume can be used to alter the stereo volume and perhaps the 'Atmospheres' settings. Maybe there's one of those suited to napping while the car charges up, as the concept's seats all recline fully.
Any other little details we might have missed?
Volkswagen Head of Design, Andreas Mindt often talks about adding “secret sauce” to the firm's cars. In this case he points out the cool C-pillar treatment and the unusually straight side window line, but we couldn't help with imagining him speaking in a strong Cork accent when telling us about the name he gives to the ID. Cross's design language. It's “Pure Positive” (boy)...