Volkswagen has officially started series production of the new ID. Cross electric SUV at its Navarra plant near Pamplona, Spain, marking another major step in the automaker’s European electric vehicle expansion.
The new electric SUV is the fourth model in Volkswagen Group’s latest family of small EVs to enter mass production. The ID. Cross joins the Volkswagen ID. Polo, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq, all of which share technology from the group’s latest MEB+ electric vehicle platform.
Volkswagen positions the ID. Cross as a more practical, SUV-style alternative to the ID. Polo. At approximately 4.15 metres long, the electric SUV is around 10 centimetres longer and five centimetres taller than its smaller sibling.
Interestingly, the ID. Cross and ID. Polo are not being built on the same production line. The ID. Cross shares the Navarra line with the Skoda Epiq, while production of the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval takes place at Volkswagen Group’s Martorell facility in Spain.
The start of ID. Cross production represents an important transformation for Volkswagen’s Navarra factory. The plant has historically focused on combustion-powered vehicles, including the Volkswagen Taigo and T-Cross.
Since becoming part of the Volkswagen Group in 1984, the Navarra facility has produced more than 10 million vehicles. Around 5,000 employees currently manufacture more than 1,400 vehicles per day.
Volkswagen has been preparing the factory for a much more flexible future in which electric and combustion-powered vehicles can be produced on the same production lines. The launch of the ID. Cross and Skoda Epiq demonstrates that this strategy is now becoming reality.
ID. Cross Offers Three Powertrains and Two Batteries
The Volkswagen ID. Cross is based on the advanced MEB+ platform and uses front-wheel drive. It will be offered with three power outputs: 85 kW, 99 kW and 155 kW.
Two battery options will be available, with usable capacities of 37 kWh and 52 kWh.
The entry-level ID. Cross Trend will use the smaller 37 kWh LFP battery and an 85 kW electric motor. Volkswagen estimates a WLTP range of up to 316 kilometres.
The 99 kW version will also use the 37 kWh battery, while the range-topping 155 kW powertrain is paired exclusively with the larger 52 kWh NMC battery.
With the larger battery, the ID. Cross can deliver a claimed WLTP range of up to 436 kilometres, making it more suitable for longer journeys.
Charging Up to 105 kW
Charging performance varies depending on the battery configuration.
The 37 kWh battery supports DC charging at up to 90 kW, allowing the battery to charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 27 minutes. AC charging is available at up to 11 kW, with a full charge taking less than four hours under suitable conditions.
The 52 kWh battery increases maximum DC charging power to 105 kW. Volkswagen says a 10-80% DC charging session takes around 24 minutes.
While these figures do not put the ID. Cross among the fastest-charging EVs on the market, the combination of compact dimensions, relatively quick DC charging and a range of up to 436 km gives the new electric SUV a useful balance for urban and longer-distance driving.
New MEB+ Technology Under the Skin
The ID. Cross also introduces several important technologies from Volkswagen Group’s latest electric vehicle architecture.
The Urban Car Family is the first group of models to use Volkswagen Group’s Unified Cell battery technology. The cells can use different battery chemistries and are integrated into a Cell-to-Pack configuration, allowing the battery pack to contribute to the vehicle’s structural design.
The electric motor is Volkswagen’s APP290, developed specifically for front-wheel-drive applications. It produces up to 290 Nm of torque.
Another key component is Volkswagen’s new internally developed “pulse inverter.” The inverter is designed to improve electrical efficiency and help reduce energy consumption.
Together, these technologies are intended to make Volkswagen’s smaller EVs more affordable while maintaining competitive efficiency and everyday usability.
A Key Model for Volkswagen’s European EV Strategy
The ID. Cross gives Volkswagen another entry into Europe’s increasingly competitive compact electric SUV segment. Its combination of SUV-inspired styling, front-wheel drive, two battery options and a starting price below €28,000 in Germany puts it directly into the growing market for more affordable electric vehicles.
More importantly for Volkswagen, the ID. Cross is part of a much broader push to reduce the cost of smaller EVs while increasing production flexibility across Europe.
With the ID. Cross now entering series production alongside the Skoda Epiq, while the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval are being built in Martorell, Volkswagen Group has effectively put its new generation of compact electric models into production.
The result is a new European EV family designed to bring MEB+ technology, new battery architecture and more accessible pricing to a much larger customer base.
