Volkswagen ID. Cross Concept provides clear view of new VW T-Cross EV
The all-electric alternative to the Volkswagen T-Cross will go on sale before the end of 2026, and is expected to start from around £25k
This is the new Volkswagen ID. Cross Concept: our first look at the brand’s £25k small electric SUV that will arrive towards the end of 2026 as an alternative to the likes of Renault 4 and forthcoming Kia EV2.
As the name suggests, the ID. Cross will be the all-electric alternative to the Volkswagen T-Cross that’s been with us since 2018. It’s the same arrangement as with the petrol-powered Volkswagen Polo supermini and its zero-emissions ID. Polo counterpart that’s also arriving next year.
The new naming strategy for Volkswagen’s electric cars keeps the ID. moniker that it’s been using for several years now, with the first model to wear it being the ID.3 hatchback. But the brand now wants to capitalise on the status and familiarity of badges like Polo, Golf and potentially others, plus the iconic GTI moniker.
Volkswagen will finally start to deliver on its long-held promise of offering truly affordable electric cars next year. Kicking things off will be the ID. Polo supermini that’ll be revealed in the first half of 2026, followed by the hot ID. Polo GTI, before the road-going ID. Cross is presented sometime in the summer.
Finally, the production version of the ID.EVERY1 concept shown back in April is set to arrive in 2027. It will cost less than £18,000 and rival the reborn Renault Twingo. We thought this car might be called the ID.1, however we now suspect it’ll be badged as either the ID. up! or the ID. Lupo, after the brand’s earlier entry-level city cars.
If you can't wait for Volkswagen's new range of electric cars to arrive, why not check out our Buy a Car service to see our prices on the brand's current line-up of EVs? You can buy a new Volkswagen ID.3 for just over £25,000, or a new Volkswagen ID.4 for less than £35,000.
What will the new Volkswagen ID. Cross look like?
We’ve been waiting quite a while to lay eyes on the ID. Cross – which we were previously told would be called the ID.2X – because the first shadowy teaser image was shared in late 2023. This concept is not identical to the finished car, but Volkswagen describes it as ‘near-production’, so it’ll be pretty close.
The ID. Cross and the ID. Polo are both being designed around Volkswagen’s new ‘Pure Positive’ philosophy. Design boss Andreas Mindt says it's based on three core principles – stability, likeability and secret sauce – because “A Volkswagen must be likeable, unmistakable and inspire with its character.”
He added: “Few volume brands in the world can draw on such a strong heritage [like Volkswagen’s]. And that will always be in our toolkit on our journey into the future."
The ID. Cross Concept has a more butch and ruggedly handsome look than the friendly ID.2all concept. To our eyes, it merges the familiar shape of the T-Cross with some of the macho bravado of Volkswagen’s Amarok pick-up truck.
The upright front end features a thick glass-covered panel with an illuminated VW badge and lightbar above, which blends into the slim, 3D-effect LED headlights. The flat, subtly contoured bonnet reminds us of the Amarok, and this won’t be an SUV with chunky matte black bumpers, given the crossbar that’s finished in a ‘Golden Dusk’ hue that matches the 21-inch rims.
However, Volkswagen is keen to point out that the bumpers do protrude out, because the designers wanted to make these functional elements that offer extra protection against bumps and scraps. The glowing element in the centre is for the car’s various sensors.
The ID. Cross has a muscular stance thanks to its flared wheelarches and even more cladding. From the side you see the floating roof design, with the Urban Jungle green paint broken up by the black A and C-pillars. The three louvres at the rear are a nod to the original VW Bus and new ID. Buzz MPV, while the angled shape of the C-pillar is derived from various generations of the Golf hatchback.
The clean, simple rear-end design is a refinement of what we saw on the ID.2all concept, including the lightbar with its illuminated VW badge, square 3D-effect tail-lights and horizontal lights that wrap around onto the sides.
What will it be like inside the Volkswagen ID. Cross?
The ID. Cross – like the ID. Polo, in fact – is supposed to show Volkswagen has been listening to feedback from media and customers. Inside, the pair will apparently feature a “high level of quality with soft materials, and the intelligent combination of digital and physical controls such as buttons and knobs in the steering wheel and cockpit, as well as the intuitive operating concept.”
We can already see Volkswagen’s commitment to this in the ID. Cross Concept, because the designers have gone back to the basics. By that we mean the square steering wheel features physical buttons that have been redesigned to be as clear to use as possible, while the dashboard gets physical climate control toggles. No more touch-sensitive sliders as on the ID.3, hallelujah!
One less conventional feature is the lever-style pull handles for the doors located on their armrests, which we assume are the same as those in the latest VW T-Roc.
The 11-inch instrument panel and 13-inch touchscreen have much simpler graphics than Volkswagen’s current software, with a soft colour scheme inspired by nature. The menu structures are apparently more intuitive too, which combined with a natural voice control and all those buttons we mentioned, plus a rotary controller on the centre console, are supposed to provide a more harmonious experience for the driver.
As well as being easy to live with, the interior of the ID. Cross Concept is designed to be “an oasis of well-being”. Hence the light, calming shade of beige called Vanilla Chai that’s used for almost all the surfaces, while the fabrics are made from bouclé yarn that, thanks to its fine, irregular loops, looks and feels very soft.
Underneath the centre console, Volkswagen has also placed real eucalyptus leaves, which are visible through the translucent trim, and there’s a fragrance dispenser in the front cup-holders. Plus if you place your phone on the wireless charging pad with the screen facing down, this activates a ‘calm status’ that reduces the information shown on the two displays to a bare minimum.
The ID. Cross Concept is less than 4.2 metres long, the same as the Renault 4, yet Volkswagen says it offers “striking spaciousness in the rear”, with room inside the small SUV for five people. The 450-litre boot is 30 litres bigger than the R4’s, and unlike its French foe, the VW has a 25-litre frunk under the bonnet.
What range will the Volkswagen ID. Cross offer?
The ID. Cross will sit on Volkswagen’s new MEB+ platform, which will also be used by the ID. Polo, plus the Cupra Raval supermini and Skoda Epiq crossover that are hitting the streets in 2026. All four are part of the wider Volkswagen Group’s ‘Electric Urban Car Family’, and will be built in Spain.
Volkswagen has kept some important technical details about the ID. Cross concept to itself, including the size of the battery. However it will apparently offer up to 261 miles of range from a single charge, while a 208bhp electric motor is used to drive the front wheels. The company has also said that, as spacious the car may be, its compact dimensions are perfect for driving in the city.
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