New Volkswagen ID. Cross Concept to preview £25k electric T-Cross alternative

Volkswagen has announced its all-new small electric SUV and future Renault 4 rival will be called the ID. Cross, and it’s slated to arrive towards the end of 2026.

As the name suggests, the ID. Cross will be the all-electric alternative to the familiar Volkswagen T-Cross. It’s the same arrangement as with the petrol-powered Volkswagen Polo supermini and the zero-emissions ID. Polo counterpart that’s also arriving next year. 

The new naming strategy for Volkswagen’s EVs keeps the ID. moniker that’s been used since 2018, with the first model to wear it being the ID.3 hatchback. But the brand now wants to capitalise on the household name status and recognition of cars like Polo, Golf and potentially others. 

To whet our appetites, a near-production ID. Cross Concept is being revealed at next week’s Munich Motor Show, alongside camouflaged models of the ID. Polo and the hotter ID. Polo GTI.

With the ID. Polo expected to start from around £20,000, we predict that the ID. Cross will be priced from around £25,000 – about the same as the new Renault 4, our Small SUV of the Year for 2025. The Auto Express Buy a Car service currently has savings of around £1,500 on a new Renault 4 or over £6,000 on a Ford Puma Gen E, both with a little help from the Electric Car Grant. 

What will the new Volkswagen ID. Cross look like?

We’ve been waiting quite a while for the ID. Cross, which we were previously told would be called the ID.2X. The first shadowy teaser image was shared in late 2023 and it revealed the small SUV’s profile is closely aligned to the ID.2all concept’s, with short overhangs and pronounced wheelarches for a squat stance. 

The design sketches released recently show much more. For starters, the upright front end has some resemblance to both the T-Cross and the more butch Amarok pick-up truck. 

The drawing of the rear highlights some detail that we expect on the production car like the light-up ‘VW’ badge and an interesting three-slat design on the pillar, similar to the ones found on the ID. Buzz. The concept also features chunky wheelarches and bumpers for a wide and aggressive stance. 

As well as a desire to “make electric driving more affordable than ever”, the ID. Polo and ID. Cross are supposed to show Volkswagen has been listening to feedback from media and customers. Inside, the pair will apparently feature “high level of quality with soft materials, 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.”

What else do we know about the Volkswagen ID. Cross?

The ID. Polo and ID. Cross are just two of the entry-level electric cars the Volkswagen Group has on the way, the others being the Cupra Raval supermini and the Skoda Epiq crossover. All four will use the same MEB Entry platform and will be built in Spain.

Volkswagen already revealed an electric city car concept called the ID.EVERY 1 back in March, which also utilises the same platform. The road-going model is already slated to arrive in 2027 and will cost under £18,000, but we now know it won’t be called the ID.1. We suspect it’ll be called either the ID. Up! or the ID. Lopo, after the brand’s earlier entry-level city car models.

We expect the ID. Cross to mirror the ID. Polo’s battery line-up with a choice of 38kWh and 58kWh capacity units. The larger option is likely to provide up to around 280 miles of range from a single charge. We expect 125kW DC rapid charging will be standard as well, for a sub-30-minute 10-80 per cent top-up time.

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