VW’s ID Cross Concept Previews the Look of Future Volkswagens
The concept version of what will become the production VW ID2 breaks cover.
Alisa PriddleWriterManufacturerPhotographerSep 07, 2025
volkswagen id cross concept profile
Volkswagen has turned the other cheek in Munich at this coming week’s IAA auto show with the ID Cross Concept it’s revealed just ahead of the show’s official opening. The production version of the ID Cross SUV will be the latest member of the ID electric car family when it goes into production as the ID2.
But more than that, the compact electric SUV concept serves as a harbinger of the design language that will characterize VW’s of the future. It doesn’t look like the other members of the ID family and that’s on purpose. But it does pay homage to some Volkswagens: the shape of the C-pillars is derived from the Golf, and the louvers in the upper area are a nod to the ID Buzz and past VW buses where they were integrated into the ventilation system. The idea is to create distinctive vehicles that are still recognizable as VWs.
volkswagen id cross concept front three quarter
Quartet of Affordable EVs
The ID Cross Concept is a thinly veiled look at one of four production electric cars coming in the small and compact segment, known as the Electric Urban Car Family, starting in 2026. Built using VW’s MEB+ platform, the front-wheel-drive vehicles represent the next wave of affordable entry-level EVs for Europe.
The foursome includes the ID2 all (which will be the ID Polo), the ID GTI concept, and the ID Every1 concept that will be shown as a production vehicle in 2027. The ID Cross is the fourth car, the production version of which will be shown next summer. It will be on sale as early as next year, said Kai Grünitz, Board Member for Technical Development at the Volkswagen brand.
The ID Cross Concept has LED matrix headlights and a light strip with the illuminated VW logo and another light strip and logo across the back, along with a rear diffuser. There is black underbody protection, an “urban jungle” green flying roof that extends to the spoiler and rests on glossy black pillars, black roof rails, and it rides on 21-inch wheels. “Designed by Volkswagen” can be read on the roof from above—although we aren’t sure who is looking. The frunk can store the charging cable.
volkswagen id cross concept interior
Flowers and Yoga Mats
There are a lot of fabrics in the concept’s beige cabin, including a loose yarn to create soft surfaces and covered buttons on the seats. The ambient lighting and overall nature theme, including plant motifs on the screens, is designed to be calming. There are even inserts fit into the cupholders to hold plants—reminiscent of the flower vase in the Volkswagen Beetle.
Furthering the theme, if you put your phone in the charging cradle with the screen facing down, all vehicle displays switch to a calm status, hiding unnecessary widgets and limiting information to the most important displays. When parked, activating Relax mode reclines the seats so you feel like you are on a yoga mat.
The new electric drive will have a range of about 420 km (261 miles) in the European WTLP ratings system.
The concept, which is making its premiere at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, is also on display on at stand in Munich’s city center and is open to the public.
volkswagen id cross concept rear three quarter
New T-Roc for Europe
Volkswagen also showed an all-new T-Roc small SUV, the second generation of the best-seller in Europe. It will be offered with a hybrid powertrain that is expected to eventually make its way into future Golf and Tiguan models.
The public also can check out the Golf GTI Edition 50, an anniversary model and Volkswagen’s most-powerful GTI, which made its debut at the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring.
Alisa Priddle
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
