An oasis of well-being. The interior team’s goal was to create a place of relaxation with the ID. CROSS Concept. Take the control panel as an example: the function-oriented upper part has a very high-quality look and gives the interior stability in an otherwise minimised space. The ambient lighting enhances the floating look and ensures a calm feeling of well-being in the vehicle. This feel-good oasis is emphasised by fabric-covered surfaces and a restful colour spectrum, reminiscent of nature. The dominant colour in the interior is Vanilla Chai, a light shade of beige. A bouclé yarn is used for the textiles – a fabric that, thanks to its fine, irregular loops, has a very soft surface in terms of both look and feel. The most well-known example of products made from bouclé are the iconic Parisian haute couture women’s suits. In the case of the ID. CROSS Concept, the fabric is called Daisy and its look, feel and colour scheme help to create a lounge-style ambience on board the SUV. In addition to the seats, the central areas of the door panels and the dash panel surface are enhanced by the bouclé fabric. A special topstitching called Marcy, inspired by the fashion world, graces the seats and gives them an exclusive, designer touch. Another highlight is a fabric piping, where the bouclé fabric is double-layered. In addition, textile-covered buttons have been included in the seats – elaborate details reminiscent of high-quality furniture that add a homely touch to the interior. Like this natural textile, the plastics used in the ID. CROSS Concept in the trim colour Vanilla Chai also indicate very high quality.
Surrounded by nature. Preconfigured light, sound and climate modes (Atmospheres) transform the interior into a relaxation zone. The basic atmosphere is created by background lighting in the area of the instrument panel, the centre speaker on the dash panel, the centre console as well as the doors and seats. On the other hand, plant motifs are projected onto the displays (instruments and Infotainment system). They repeat the theme of the visually free-floating centre console, whose semi-transparent side trim features real eucalyptus leaves as a new feature. Drivers and guests are thus surrounded by nature in the ID. CROSS Concept – physically and digitally. In addition, the centre console has been equipped with cup holders in the open front area, which can be used to hold modular inserts with plants and fragrance dispensers to further perfect and customise the natural atmosphere.
Everything in sight and under control. The innovative cockpit landscape with its well thought-out ergonomics and intuitive operation ensures a relaxed atmosphere while on the road. In the ID. CROSS Concept, Volkswagen has created a harmonious interaction between displays with intuitive menu structures, natural voice control and buttons for direct functions. The multifunction steering wheel with clear button control has been completely redesigned. The two central displays of the ID. CROSS Concept are arranged on a visual axis: the digital instruments (28 cm/11 inches) and the central touch display of the Infotainment system (diameter: 33 cm/13 inches).
Enhanced ID. Light. The separate air-conditioning block with illuminated buttons for controlling the central air-conditioning functions is located below the Infotainment system. The next level then transitions into the centre console, which appears to hover in mid-air. Among other things, this area features inductive charging cradles for two smartphones and – within easy reach of the driver and front passenger – a multifunctional rotary pushbutton for controlling other vehicle functions. ID. Light has also been enhanced: this light function from the Volkswagen ID. models provides intuitively perceptible signals – for example when navigating or in the event of danger. In the past, ID. Light extended over the dash panel in front of the windscreen. In the ID. CROSS Concept, the front doors are now also equipped with ID. Light – form follows function in the purest sense. The newly designed door release levers also show that form and function on board the SUV concept car are in perfect harmony. Integrated into the front door armrests, the driver and passenger automatically grasp the ergonomically designed handles and intuitively pull them upwards to open. The door handles in the concept car are already largely in line with the 2026 production status. An indicator that shows that the ID. CROSS Concept is much more than just a concept car – it is a detailed insight into next year’s Volkswagen world.
Turn your smartphone over to activate ‘calm status’. With graphics in colours inspired by nature, the digital instruments and Infotainment display add to the relaxed ambience in this electric SUV. To enhance this harmonious effect, the information displayed on both screens can be reduced to a minimum if necessary. And this is done in a completely new and intuitive way. It is an idea that came from everyday life: what do people do almost automatically during a conversation or in a restaurant if they don’t want to be disturbed by their smartphone? They mute it, of course. However, they also place the smartphone on the table with the display facing down. The UX designers (User Experience Designers) made use of precisely this automatic action in the ID. CROSS Concept: as soon as the driver places their smartphone in the inductive charging cradle of the centre console with the screen facing down, all vehicle displays switch to the restful ‘calm status’. At this moment, the information from the instruments and the Infotainment system is reduced to the most important displays. The digital instruments now only display the current speed. All unnecessary widgets are also hidden on the Infotainment screen. The background graphics of the displays – nature-inspired motifs – are now in the forefront. As the system takes into account the time of day and syncs with a weather app, graphic details such as a morning mood with sunshine, raindrops or leaves gently waving in the wind can be seen there depending on the time and weather conditions. The colour scheme of ID. Light and matching sound effects are also integrated. The digital world thus builds a bridge to the real world outside the ID. CROSS Concept. This harmony creates a particularly harmonious and relaxed overall atmosphere on board the Volkswagen SUV.
‘Me time’ in Relax mode. For longer breaks while on a journey, a Relax mode can be activated. Among other things, the concept car’s specially designed seats are completely folded down to create a reclining area in the style of a VW Bus. All seat backrests are folded forward in this case. The rear panels of the backrests are made of a very soft material that is deliberately reminiscent of a very comfortable yoga mat. The Volkswagen design team have christened the moments of relaxation enjoyed in Relax mode ‘me time’.
Space for travel. The innovative package of the MEB+ turns the interior of the five-seater ID. CROSS Concept into a veritable giant on the inside, in particular thanks to the striking spaciousness in the rear. For Volkswagen, the focus in this model was on making the electric SUV as versatile as possible. On the one hand, the ID. CROSS Concept is perfectly tailored for city traffic due to its compact exterior dimensions. On the other hand, the SUV is also an all-rounder suitable for family and friends, which can handle longer trips plus luggage. The boot volume of the concept car is 450 litres. When the bonnet is open, another small luggage compartment with a load capacity of 25 litres opens up what is known as a “frunk”, which can be used for the charging cable, for example.