Volkswagen is taking the shift to electric vehicles very seriously, and as such, it has been flooding us with concept after concept that features futuristic looks, new technology, and all-electric drivetrains. We’ve seen the I.D. BUZZ, the new Microbus, and the I.D. CROZZ – an all-electric SUV with coupe-like proportions and a desire to drag you over to the green side. When the doors to the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show kicked off, VW was there with the I.D. CROZZ II, and reinterpretation of the original that “points the way more strongly to the production vehicle.” With that in mind, there isn’t a lot going on here that separates the CROZZ II from the original CROZZ concept. VW claims it has revamped the front and rear sections of the vehicle, while the interior has been refined just a little bit. The 21-inch wheels are a little more production ready, but far from what we’ll probably see on the production model. VW promises 310 miles of range on a single charge, a top speed of 111 mph, and quick charging to the tune of 80 percent in just 30 minutes. Not bad.

With all of this in mind, the CROZZ II isn’t exactly a huge departure from the previous example and still features some pretty futuristic features. It’s still rocking the side view cameras, and unique interior, and the same general exterior look. It does appear to be a little bit longer, but even that could be our eyes playing tricks on us. What’s more important is that this model should be seeing its way to the market as a full-fledged, all-electric model by the turn of the decade. So, before we start seeing spy shots of the production model prototypes, let’s take a closer look at this concept and talk more about it.

2017 Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II Concept
  • Horsepower: 300
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

To start off, Volkswagen painted this concept in what it’s calling “Hibiscus Red Metallic,” which just happens to be a lot more attractive than the color that graced the original concept. But, to be honest, that’s the biggest difference between the CROZZ II and the original CROZZ. Up front, the “redesigned” front fascia now includes just a little more detail on the edges and in the center. The louver inside the fake air dam at the bottom now sits just a bit higher and gets a body-colored finish. The headlights are also said to have been redesigned and brought closer to being production ready, but what that means is that the LED on the inside of the lens is now larger than before. The LED strip that links both headlights together has also grown a bit, while the VW emblem on the nose is now much cleaner to look at and certainly stands out better with the red body color. Finally, the skid plate down below has been refined with new fins to add a bit more character.

Moving over to the sides, the biggest thing that has changed is the 21-inch wheels that are more production ready. I highly doubt they’ll ever make it into production, but they do look quite nice. The cladding has also be carried over from the front fascia to the side profile, surrounding the wheel arches and covering the side skirts down below. The car is still void of your traditional door handles, so it’s possible VW will try to carry those over to the production model. Meanwhile, those side view cameras will likely be replaced by your standard mirrors, unless the technology is approved for use on road-going vehicles before the turn of the decade. Finally, the body line just below the waistline now feeds from the rear quarters to the area just above the side cameras, ultimately adding a bit of extra style here.

Around back, Volkswagen claims to have revamped the rear fascia, but I honestly can’t figure out where this comes into play. For the most part, the rear end of the CROZZ II is identical to the that of the original concept. The little louver in the opening at the bottom is now body colored, and I guess the area between the cladding and the rear deck might be a little more defined, but that’s a big maybe. Some sculpted lines have been added to the skid plate at the bottom while the black insert on the rear deck is now more of a flatter black as opposed to being extremely glossy.

So, as you can see, there’s really not a lot of revamping really going on here. This could mean that VW doesn’t expect the overall design to change much between now and when the road-going model goes into production. Then again, it’s possible that VW is just being lazy and “revamped” the CROZZ over the weekend before Frankfurt kicked off.

It’s hard to say, but the overall design is fairly attractive if you’re into coupe-like SUVs, and I’m certainly interested in seeing how this thing will fare in sales with a look like this. We’ll just have to wait and see – the turn of the decade isn’t that far away.

Interior

Like the exterior, not much has changed inside, but there are a few key things to point out. First off, the cabin still gets the four individual seats, with the left and right seats being separated by a minimalist center console. A diamond pattern adorns the seat cushions and seat backs and, oddly, the rear seats seem to have more bolstering support that the front seats (seems a little backward, right?) Up front, the top of the dash has been wrapped in black leather and accented with red piping, while the steering wheel and infotainment display have been refined to be less futuristic and more in-line with what a production model would offer.

That infotainment display is actually a 10.2-inch tablet that floats ahead of the dash while the screen that’s been added t the inside of the steering “wheel” is a 5.8-inch unit that has been going by the name “Active Info Display.” This display mimics its larger counterpart on the center stack and can be used to access your music library or the navigation system. It can also display important vehicle information like range remaining, 3D navigation map, and even information pulled from your VW ID. To complement this system, an augmented reality head-up display is in place, effectively projecting virtual images some 7 to 15 meters (31 to 45 feet) ahead of the vehicle for eyes-on-the-road driving. All features of the active display and AR HUD are accessed via the touch buttons on the steering wheel.

Along with this technology, the CROZZ II also benefits from an e-Mirror, essentially a display screen that combines images from the side and rear-facing cameras to generate a display of your surroundings. The door panels feature a semi-transparent control island that allows all passengers access to open and close the windows and doors, as well as regular the heating and cooling of their specific zone. The doors can also be controlled via voice command, and since there is no B-pillar, loading and unloading of the passenger cabin should be a breeze. Finally, the CROZZ II has a CleanAir system that filters the air inside the cabin to provide the best air quality possible – it certainly takes the idea of a cabin air filter to a whole new level.

On that note, there’s also I.D. Pilot mode, which is an autonomous drive system that can be activated via voice command or by pressing and holding the VW logo on the steering wheel. When activated, the steering wheel retracts into the dash to give the driver more room while laser scanners on the roof assist the ultrasonic and radar sensors in identifying obstacles and others on the road. The front and side view cameras also assist the system. Of course, this fully automated system probably won’t be available when this thing goes into production, but I suspect we’ll see functionality similar to that of Tesla’s AutoPilot system.

Drivetrain

Hidden below the metal sits an all-wheel drive, all-electric drivetrain that consists of two electric motors, an 83-kWh lithium-ion battery, and two gearboxes. There is one motor at the front axle and one at the rear, with the rear delivering the most power at 150 kW or about 201 horsepower. The front motor delivers just 75 kW or about 100 horsepower. Total system output is rated at 225 kW or just over 300 ponies when both motors run at their max output.

An electric propshaft splits power between the front and rear axles as needed, while the drive system can maintain full AWD functionality of off-roading or less-than-favorable road conditions. And, since the battery is stored in the floor and the drive motors located at either end, the CROZZ II has a weight distribution of 48 percent in the front and 52 percent in the rear – something that will provide for excellent handling qualities even during spirited driving.

Suspension duties are handled by a MacPherson suspension up front while the rear gets a multi-link system. The driveline is integrated into the suspension system in the front and rear as is the decoupled subframe. Because of the layout of the front axle, the CROZZ II can achieve a turning circle of just 10.5 meters or about 31.5 feet.

So far, VW has remained quiet as far as performance goes but with some 300 ponies on tap, I wouldn’t exactly expect this thing to be a slouch in production form. I would guess that it could hit the 60-mph sprint in around five seconds with top speed sitting somewhere around 130 mph at best. I know that sprint time might seem a bit low, but you have to remember that these electric motors deliver near-instant torque so getting up to speed is a breeze.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the CROZZ II is a promising concept and is slated for production by 2020, but how much of it will actually make it into production is a big question. It’s doubtful that full autonomy will have all of the kinks ironed out and pass regulatory requirements by 2020, so I wouldn’t expect a Level-5 system at launch. With that in mind, that retractable steering wheel will either be disabled or non-existent. I’m not even sure we’ll see the interior rock a steering wheel like the one seen in this concept, but I could be wrong. The interior could carry over as long as the seats and safety systems meet federal requirements, but I’m not so sure how the production model will fare with the lack of a B-pillar. The side view cameras could also disappear before production or could be left there and supplemented by side view mirrors to meet current road standards.

As far as the technology goes, we’ve seen a lot of this stuff before. Holographic function controls, automatic door poppers, etc, and they all seem to go away by production because they are either problematic or have yet to be tested enough to be considered reliable. That’s not to say that they won’t make it into production for 2020 – that is still more than two years away, and a lot can change in that time frame. What are your thoughts on the CROZZ II? How much will the production model change? Will VW meet its goal of having a full electric lineup by 2025? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.