Volkswagen is developing a new fleet of electric vehicles based on progressive concepts and designed in avant-garde style. Full production will begin in 2020. Right now, at the international 'Auto Shanghai 2017' (19 to 29 April), the German carmaker is providing an important look ahead at this new family of electric mobility vehicles. The I.D. CROZZ is Volkswagen's first electrically powered crossover utility vehicle (CUV) – a four-door coupé and sports utility vehicle (SUV) in one. Following the headline-grabbing presentations of the I.D. (world premiere in Paris in 2016) and I.D. BUZZ (world premiere in Detroit in 2017), the I.D. CROZZ now follows as the third exciting version of the I.D. family. It is, once again, a zero-emissions vehicle with a very long range, charismatic electric mobility design and an interior concept that is completely new. The sportily designed I.D. CROZZ now underlines, as a concrete example of what might be seen in 2020, just how diverse the electrifying spectrum of future Volkswagen electric models is going to be.
All-wheel drive and a range of 500 kilometres (NEDC). I.D. CROZZ – the name says it all. I.D. stands above all for 'Identity' and 'Iconic Design', while CROZZ relates to the new CUV category. A sporty, interactively designed zero-emission all-rounder – with electric all-wheel drive that is equally impressive in the urban jungle as it is on the rough terrain of an adventurous and active life. The I.D. CROZZ delivers power of 225 kW, has a top speed of 180 km/h and can cover up to 500 kilometres (NEDC) on one battery charge. At charging points with power output of 150 kW (DC) the high-performance battery can be 80% recharged by the fast-charging system within 30 minutes.
The MEB is redefining space. The I.D. CROZZ is more compact and has a lower roofline than Volkswagen's latest mainstream SUV, the New Tiguan L (China) / Tiguan Allspace (Europe). And yet the CUV provides just as much space. The key to this in the car's design: like the I.D. and I.D. BUZZ, the I.D. CROZZ is also based on the newly conceived Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). The MEB models' axle and drive system modules are spread some distance apart; stretched out between them is a long wheelbase. All drive system modules are compact, while the battery is fully recessed within the vehicle floor. The configuration of the seats also offers great flexibility. It creates room that can be put to varied use – a generously proportioned and carefully designed 'Open Space', which defies the normal class distinctions.
Interactive headlights. Dominant visual features at the front of the I.D. CROZZ include the signature lights of Volkswagen electric mobility. The light elements – C-shaped LED daytime running lights and variably controllable LED headlights formed in the middle out of five thin LED strips – merge together to create a single front section with electronic, moving 'eyes' ('Interactive Spotlight'). And this interaction is important. Because the I.D. CROZZ, when driving at the driver's request in fully automated mode, communicates via this 'Interactive Spotlight' with other road users. It also greets its driver this way whenever he or she approaches the car.
DNA of electric mobility. The signature look of the lights is part of a carefully considered electric mobility design DNA. Here, too, the MEB provides an ideal platform, as the wide axles set far apart create dynamic proportions and thus become a springboard for a new era of avant-garde design. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand, explains: "If it was ever possible to make a one-hundred per cent certain prediction of what the future will look like, it is achieved here. We are showing in 2017 with the I.D. CROZZ how Volkswagen will be transforming the roadscape from 2020. For us, the three prototypes of this new generation of zero-emission vehicles – I.D., I.D. BUZZ and I.D. CROZZ – mark the start of a design and technology revolution that is going to change individual mobility and the Volkswagen brand forever." Volkswagen's aim is to transfer electric drive systems from start-up niche to high-volume full production by the middle of the next decade. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Brand: "By 2025, we want to have sales of pure electric vehicles up to one million units a year. The I.D. CROZZ will play a key role in that. Production will start in 2020."
Design for a new era. The clear and powerful design of the I.D. CROZZ combines the masterful and rugged look of an SUV with the sporting ease of an elegant coupé. The large bonnet with its wings athletically contoured in wide radii is a defining feature. It spreads itself expressively across the full width of the high front of the car. The CUV is painted in a crisp and 'technical' shade of silver ('Silver Spark'), while with the clean surfaces its bonnet and bumper look like a sculpture – seemingly hewn out of a single block of aluminium. Dominantly integrated into the front section are the signature lights of Volkswagen electric mobility. Another illuminated feature is the VW badge integrated centrally between bonnet and bumper. It joins up to the left and right with the interactive LED headlights via a fine, striking line of light. The sharply contoured, visually light rooflines appear stretched, while the transparent roof itself is of high-end quality, with a gloss black finish on the outside. A new feature is a movable light blind in the illuminated panoramic roof that creates ambient lighting both inside and on the exterior. The stylish rear and sportily broad shoulder section look powerful and the width of the car is also emphasised by a gloss black area across the rear section with thin LED matrix segments as rear lights and the illuminated VW badge. A masculine appearance is reinforced by the full silhouette, with its strong wheel arches, the 21-inch wheels and sturdy side sills with a matt, rugged surface texture. Excellence is in the detail: thanks to the innovative design of the wheels the transition between wheel rim and tyre is almost imperceptible and as a result the wheel/tyre combination looks especially big.
Light blind, activated by gesture control. As mentioned above, one new feature is the light blind integrated into the illuminated panoramic roof. This virtual blind is opened and closed by gesture control. A carpet of light produced by LED strips then glides across the roof liner, thus brightening up the interior. The strips of light in the roof are visible from the outside, too. The gesture control system's commands are similar to those for a traditional sliding roof: a short, sharp movement of the hand opens or closes the blind completely, while a slow gesture on the other hand moves the carpet of light seamlessly until it reaches the desired position.
'I.D. Pilot' for the year 2025. 2020 will be the key year for the global launch of the first Volkswagen MEB models in the style of the I.D. CROZZ. Around five years later, from 2025, fully automated driving will trigger the next revolutionary advance. The CUV concept car being unveiled in Shanghai already has this on-demand autopilot system on board. In the fully automated 'I.D. Pilot' mode the multifunctional steering wheel retracts into the dashboard and fuses there with the digitalised instruments (Active Info Display) to form a single unit. In other words, in fully automated mode the I.D. CROZZ has no traditional steering wheel. Likewise designed as a touchpad is the infotainment system with integrated climate control. In both automatic and manual mode the driver also receives speed and navigation information via an AR Head-up Display (AR = augmented reality with 3D presentation levels).
'Open Space' creates room. Thanks jointly to the compact electric drive system and to the lithium-ion battery being integrated into the vehicle floor the interior has been made into an 'Open Space': a variable, lounge-like spatial concept offering a superior amount of room. Depending on the level of incoming light and the seat position, the way in which the dashpad, upper door trim and door inserts are coloured varies. The driver and front-seat passenger sit on high-quality integral seats (with integrated seatbelt guides). In the back legroom reaches a premium level. Life on board is made even more agreeable by features such as multifunctional control islands in the doors (door panels with capacitive touch fields for the climate and door functions). In addition, the interior of the I.D. CROZZ, with its multifunction seating concept, is highly flexible. Want to take your bike away with you for the weekend, but have no cycle rack? No problem – simply push it sideways into the back. Large swing/sliding doors and flexible rear seating make this possible, with the seats being tipped up for this purpose, as in the cinema. The passenger compartment doors also retract right back, making loading easy. The fact that the front doors open unusually wide at an angle of 90 degrees and Volkswagen has simply done away with the B-pillars makes it even simpler. All doors, rear hatch and bonnet open electrically.
Clean air. An optimum, customised in-car climate is ensured by Volkswagen's newly developed CleanAir system. Regardless of the ambient conditions, it keeps the air quality inside the I.D. CROZZ consistently high. Via the infotainment unit driver and front-seat passenger are also able to activate preconfigured climate settings. This is because the I.D. CROZZ is equipped with new CleanAir technology, whereby an active filter system constantly ensures top air quality in the interior. The menu provides information on the quality of the air in the car (Air Quality Index) and on the system's current activity. What's more, via pre-saved climate conditions it is possible for driver and front-seat passenger to activate a defined airflow, plus temperature and air humidity level as found in particularly beautiful and climatically pleasant parts of the country (tailored in the case of the concept car to China). It is thus possible, for example, for the I.D. CROZZ to be driven through the centre of Shanghai with an interior climate as fresh as that prevailing in the Himalayas.
Volkswagen User-ID and Digital Key. All individual parameters on board are automatically adapted by the I.D. CROZZ to its driver. This happens via a personal Volkswagen User-ID – an individual profile stored in Volkswagen's own digital eco-system that is activated via smart device, thus transforming itself into a Digital Key. As soon as anyone nears the car with this digital admission ticket, the I.D. CROZZ recognises them. The doors are then unlocked and all personal parameters, extending even to such features as climate settings, are activated.
Delivery service. Receiving packages not just at home but also out and about could very soon be an everyday occurrence. Serving as the post box for this new delivery service would be the 515-litre boot of the I.D. CROZZ. The delivery agent is able to locate the car by GPS and is granted temporary permission to open the boot via an app. The owner of the I.D. CROZZ is then notified via an app or e-mail as soon as the parcel has been delivered and the boot is then locked again.