VW’s ID. Cross: A Budget-Friendly Electric SUV That Looks the Part

Volkswagen is stepping into the affordable electric SUV segment with the new ID. Cross, a five-seat compact that arrives in Europe this fall starting at €28,000. It shares its MEB+ platform with the ID. Polo, Cupra Raval, and Skoda Epiq, but carves its own lane with a taller, more rugged profile.

15 meters long, it takes on the Kia EV2 and Renault 4, and VW claims clever packaging gives it more passenger and cargo space than either rival, 475 liters behind the rear seats plus a 25-liter frunk.

Buyers choose between two battery packs and three power outputs from a single front-mounted motor. The base model pairs a 114-horsepower motor with a 37 kWh battery, offering 196 miles of WLTP range. Step up to the 52 kWh pack and 208-horsepower motor, and range jumps to 271 miles, beating the Renault 4’s 247 miles but falling just short of the Kia EV2’s 281 miles.

DC fast charging hits 90 kW on the smaller pack and 105 kW on the larger, with a 10-to-80 percent top-up taking around 24 minutes. Vehicle-to-load capability is standard.

9-inch infotainment screen, plus premium cloth upholstery. Optional extras include 12-way power-adjustable front seats with massage, matrix LED headlights, a panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The design is clean and modern, with slim lighting and smooth surfacing that make the ID.

Cross look more expensive than its €28,000 starting price suggests. It matches the Renault 4 on price but beats it on range, while the Kia EV2 undercuts it by about €1,400 and offers slightly more range with a standard 144-horsepower motor.