Volkswagen has begun hinting at a production version of its ID Crozz concept SUV, starting with a name change to ID.4. The model name will be followed by a superscript notation for its generation, this first-gen being "01."
VW plans for the ID.4 to be carbon neutral in its design, operation, and manufacture, following in the footsteps of the ID.3. The zero-emission SUV will be true to that name. Its design is aerodynamically efficient as well, with its unspecified drag coefficient aiding the projected range of 500 km (310 miles) per charge.
The automaker plans to launch the ID.4 with rear-wheel drive, and follow that with an all-wheel drive variant. The ID.4 is based on Volkswagen’s new MEB platform. That modular design allows the electric vehicle drive technology to be optimized for interior space and drive dynamics. The eliminated need for a driveshaft in the EV means that batteries can be positioned at the center of the vehicle, under the floor, to aid both center of gravity dynamics and weight distribution.
A new infotainment and digital cockpit design will also come with the ID series. VW says that the new interfaces will feature both touch surfaces and intuitive voice control.
Volkswagen aims to be carbon-neutral and fully electrified by 2050, and has thus announced several hybrid and plug-in models that are coming soon as part of that initiative. Future model upgrades in the R lineup, for example, will be hybrids instead of larger engine options, starting with the upcoming Touareg R. That SUV will have 100 kW (134 hp) of its output produced by its electric motor, with the balance of the 340 kW (456 hp) of total system output coming from its engine.
The Volkswagen ID.4 SUV has not yet been priced, nor has a launch date been announced. With the production model now shown, however, we can assume that launch for the vehicle will happen within a year.
Source: Volkswagen
