Volkswagen Adds I.D. Crozz CUV to Electric Lineup

Volkswagen unveils its all-electric I.D. Crozz concept car at the Shanghai auto show.

A high-riding CUV with seating for four, it is the third in a series of zero-emissions concepts VW Chairman Herbert Diess is touting for production as part of a broad-based strategy aimed at netting the German automaker up to 1 million EV sales globally by the middle of the next decade.

The all-wheel drive I.D. Crozz follows the earlier I.D. hatchback and I.D. Buzz, with which it shares its modular platform, electric driveline and newly designed chassis. Production tentatively is to begin in 2020.

Running an all-electric driveline featuring two electric motors with combined output of 302 hp in combination with an 83-kWh lithium-ion battery, the new Volkswagen concept is claimed to have an overall zero-emissions range of up to 311 miles (500 km). That’s some 125 miles (201 km) more than the newly facelifted e-Golf on the existing European test cycle.

The motors deliver 67 hp less than that delivered by the dual electric motors in the all-wheel-drive I.D. Buzz revealed at the Detroit auto show in January, but 134 hp more than the single motor in the rear-wheel-drive I.D. hatchback unveiled at the Paris auto show in September.

Drive is channeled to the respective axles via separate fixed-ratio gearboxes and a so-called electric propshaft that is capable of transferring power between each axle, depending on the prevailing grip and traction.

Volkswagen says the battery unit, similar in shape to those already seen in the I.D. hatchback and I.D. Buzz, can be charged to an 80% state within 30 minutes using a 150-kW electrical system.

As well as a 0-62 mph (100 lm/h) time of less than 6.0 seconds, Volkswagen also quotes a 112 mph (180 km/h) top speed for the new concept.

Besides serving as a showcase for Volkswagen’s future electric driveline technology, the I.D. Crozz also highlights the sort of autonomous-driving features that are likely to begin appearing on the automaker’s more upmarket models within the next decade. As with the earlier I.D. hatchback and I.D. Buzz, the new CUV features a steering wheel that automatically retracts into the dashboard fascia when the driver chooses autonomous mode.

“If it was ever possible to make a 100% certain prediction of what the future will look like, it is achieved here,” Diess says.“We are showing with the I.D. Crozz how Volkswagen will be transforming the roadscape from 2020.”

The latest of Volkswagen’s post-Dieselgate EV concepts takes the form of a contemporary styled CUV that sets out to combine the dynamic lines of a modern sports car with the all-terrain capability of a dedicated off-roader.  Featuring two conventional front hinged doors up front and a pair of cantilever-style doors at the rear, it is said to offer interior space on par with the recently unveiled long-wheelbase Tiguan, which is planned to reach North American dealers this year.

At 182.1 ins. (4,625 mm) inches in length, 74.5 ins.(1,892 mm) in width and 63.3 ins. (1,608 mm)in height, the I.D. Crozz is 12.4 ins. (315 mm) shorter, 3.3 ins. (84 mm) narrower and 13.9 ins. (353 mm) lower than the I.D. Buzz. The new CUV also rides on a wheelbase that is a considerable 20.7 ins. (526 mm) shorter than its retro-inspired MPV sibling at 109.2 ins. (2,774 mm). It also rides on large 21-in. wheels.

As with all of Volkswagen’s more recent EV concepts, the I.D. Crozz has been conceived to offer the choice between manual and autonomous driving modes. In manual mode an LED graphic within the front section and roof is illuminated in a light blue hue. In autonomous driving mode, the LED graphic switches to a violet color for what VW calls I.D. Pilot mode.

At the same time, four laser scanners integrated into the roof are deployed to enable the I.D. Crozz to detect other road users in combination with a range of proximity sensing technology, including both ultrasonic and radar sensors as well as front stereo and side-view cameras.

Underpinning the latest Volkswagen concept car is Volkswagen’s modular electric architecture platform and a newly developed chassis that employs a MacPherson strut front and 6-link rear suspension with variable damping control.

Generous wheel clearance within the front wheel wells, owing to the inboard mounting of the electrical engine within the central part of the axle assembly, allows for a relatively tight 34.4-ft. (10.5-m) turning cycle. Volkswagen also claims a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52, providing the basis for what it describes as “handling characteristics on par with the Golf GTi.”