VW ID.6, ID.6 Crozz Seven-Seater EV Unveiled, Loaded Up to Compete in China

• The VW ID.6, unveiled at the Shanghai auto show, is the first ID EV model that Volkswagen designed for a specific market, which is why the EV has a long wheelbase and a panoramic glass roof to feel larger.

• It also features China-market-specific connection technologies, like the ability to check on local air quality ratings.

• The ID.6 slots in below the VW Atlas in size. A version might come to North America, Automotive News said earlier this spring, quoting a VW spokesperson.

UPDATE 4/18/21, 5:00 pm: VW told Car and Driver that it will not give out specific details about future products, but we did get the hint that an Atlas-size SUV built off the MEB platform—something similar to the ID.6 described here but without the China-specific touches—will go on sale in the U.S. at some point in the future.

Volkswagen is thinking expansively about EVs. The new electric lineup already includes the ID.3 hatchback (available in Europe) and the ID.4, which is sold in the U.S. and will be getting a higher-performance GTX variant. We know the ID. Buzz van will go on sale in the U.S. in 2023. And now here comes the ID.6, a three-row electric crossover SUV based on the I.D. Roomzz concept. Unveiled in connection with the Shanghai auto show this weekend, the ID.6 will be sold in two versions in China, the ID.6 Crozz and the ID.6 X.

There will be a total of four configurations of the ID.6 in China, with the largest having seats for seven people. Two battery capacities will be available, 58.0 kWh and 77.0 kWh. On China's NEDC testing cycle, the new VWs will have a claimed total driving range of up to 270 or 365 miles. In 4Motion guise with two electric motors, the ID.6 is claimed to be able to go from zero 62 mph in 6.6 seconds, and the EV will have a top speed of 99 mph.

Like other ID models, the ID.6 rides on VW's MEB platform, an EV-only solution the company is using to transform itself into an electric mobility company. What’s different is that the ID.6 is the first ID vehicle that was developed specifically for a particular market, and VW said the ID.6 put the "needs and wishes of Chinese customers" top of mind when it comes to size, functionality, and user experience. The ID.6 will be the largest member of the ID family with a total length of 192 inches, 11.8 inches more than the ID.4. A panoramic glass roof and optional sunroof just add to the sense of roominess. When compared with the U.S.-market Atlas, it's on a similar-size wheelbase, but the Atlas is about six inches longer and wider and four inches taller than the ID.6.