It’s not the lineup we can expect, but Volkswagen’s growing family of I.D. concepts welcomed its newest member to the fold at Auto Shanghai 2019. The new model, called the I.D. Roomzz Concept, is yet another concept crossover that previews a production model that’s scheduled to hit the Chinese market sometime in 2020. If VW’s grand EV plans come to fruition — the German automaker is putting up almost $35 billion in investments to its EV cause — the production version of the I.D. Rooms Concept would follow the all-electric hatchback and all-electric crossover that Volkswagen already has in the pipeline. Testing of the hatchback model, called the ID.3, is now in full swing after a series of videos previewing the model’s Launch Edition leaked online. The budding excitement surrounding the ID.3’s coming launch shouldn’t take away from the potential of the I.D. Roomzz Concept, especially with what this concept brings to the table.

2019 Volkswagen ID Roomzz Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 Volkswagen ID Roomzz Concept
  • Horsepower: 302
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

- 194.1 inches long, 74.9 inches wide, and 65.9 inches high - 116.7 inches wheelbase - 22-inch alloy wheels - Elaborate LED lighting setup in the front and back

How many ID. concepts has Volkswagen launched in recent years? There’s the ID. hatchback concept, the ID. Crozz concept, and the ID. Buzz concept. We can’t forget about the ID. Vizzion concept, too. If it suits you, we can even extend it to the ID. Buggy and the ID. R Pikes Peak racer. That’s six in total, which makes the ID. Roomzz concept Volkswagen’s seventh concept vehicle, showcasing its future in the industry’s all-industry landscape.

While I can’t say for certain that the Roomzz is the best-looking of the lot — I favor the Buzz, though, to be honest, most of them look the same anyway — it does provide a glimmer of what we can expect when the production model arrives. With that in mind, I’m hopeful that the production version will at least look snazzy, at least if VW follows the design tropes it laid out in creating the concept.

The Roomzz is a looker, folks, and I don’t mean that with a shrug towards its concept design roots. Of all the ID. concepts that VW has released, it’s the most natural-looking one outside of the Buzz concept. Unlike the Crozz, which straddles the line between coupe and crossover the way most coupe-crossover concepts should, the Roomzz is a crossover through and through. The profile, with the shoulder line and the raised ground clearance, is clear in its design. The hunched rear and the large wheels are indicative of a proper crossover, too. I’m also fond of Volkswagen’s use of body lines in the concept. The fender lines at the back also extend out, giving the concept proper crossover-like shoulders. Then there’s the nuanced depth created by the sharp line at the bottom. These design details are inconsequential to some people, but they play big roles in molding the shape of a concept to fit its design purpose. Volkswagen achieved that in the Roomzz, even doing so while maintaining the clean and smooth flow of the body, a design staple among all ID. concepts that have come before it. This section also showcases a number of futuristic design details, including the side mirror mounted cameras that are located lower than they traditionally are and the doors that extend away from the body when they open. They kind of look like a minivan’s version of suicide doors, don’t they? The ID. Roomzz also sits on a set of 22-inch alloy wheels.

The front section of the ID. Roomzz provides a tingle of familiarity, especially if you’ve seen Volkswagen’s other ID. concepts. Right smack in the middle is the Volkswagen logo, which, as you might expect, also illuminates. This design approach isn’t actually exclusive to Volkswagen. Infiniti’s own lineup of EV concepts also come with the same light-up feature. Perhaps automakers have found a new use for the real estate space vacated by the traditional radiator grille now that it has no use on an electric car. The solution so far? Create a bigger logo and light it up. The lower section of the Roomzz’s front fascia features a smooth bumper. Panel cuts on opposite ends of the bumper simulate the look of air intakes since real intakes also have little purpose in an electric car. The section also features patterned dots that cross the entire width of the bumper. Mind you, those aren't just normal "dots," or "freckles," as my nephew describes them. Those are Volkswagen's “IQ.LIGHT – matrix LED headlights," and as you might expect, the light up, too, one after another.

The rear section has a much cleaner look, in part because Volkswagen didn’t get too gimmicky with its presentation. No dots on this end, folks. Everything else is properly balanced, right down to the distribution of layers that gives the further enhances the concept’s muscular nature. Oh, and the Volkswagen logo lights up, too. Don’t say you’re surprised.

Overall, the Volkswagen ID. Roomzz measures 194.1 inches (4,930 mm) long, 74.9 inches (1,903 mm) wide, and 65.9 inches (1,675 mm) high with a wheelbase measuring 116.7 inches (2,965 mm). More important than these details and figures is the representation of the concept. It provides a nice visual of what we can expect, maybe even hope for, when the production version arrives in 2021. Don’t expect full translation, though, because the Roomzz is, after all, still a concept.

Interior

- AppleSkin upholstery - Wooden veneer design - Multiple seating layout, including four-seat configuration or three-row setup

To the shock of absolutely no one, the Volkswagen ID. Roomzz’s interior is its biggest selling point even though very little of it — if any — will ever make it to production. But that’s what’s beautiful about these concepts. They show the potential of what’s to come, and while we often only get a “loose interpretation” of that potential, these concept interiors give us a sense of hope that, maybe one day, we can live in a world where the interior of our cars are more than what they are today.

There’s a lounge-like feel to the cabin, particularly in this configuration. That said, Volkswagen designed the interior to house different seating configurations, so there are plenty of compatible seating layouts to choose from, including the traditional three-row layout that a lot of today’s crossovers and SUVs use. The seats themselves look plush, soft, and very comfortable. I can already imagine myself reclining one of those rear seats and enjoying the ambiance of the cabin as the car takes me wherever I need to go.

This is important to note when it comes to the Roommzz because the surroundings you’ll see in the cabin isn’t typical of what you’d expect from a concept, let alone one that’s certain to hit production in the coming years. Volkswagen describes it as a new product created from "a renewable raw material,” and while that, in itself, is a vague description, but we’ll take VW’s word for it. Complementing the AppleSkin seat covers are wooden veneers that were used on certain sections of the door panels. You’ll see these veneers specifically in the areas where VW’s ambient lighting system are located. The visual of seeing these wooden veneers light up is relaxing, which, I suppose, is the emotional response Volkswagen was going for.

As far as the front section of the interior goes, the first and most obvious takeaway is the dashboard or the absence of a conventional one.There’s no center stack to speak of nor is there an instrument cluster. It’s all about the digital cockpit, which itself features a full glass-front panel. Set the concept’s driving configuration to the manual “ID. Drive” model and the digital cockpit, along with the steering wheel, looks like it’s hovering in front of the driver. Pretty cool, right? Speaking of the steering wheel, it’s also digital, and the drive settings are integrated into it. As far as unique features go, turn your attention towards the pedals. Notice how the international symbols for “play” and “pause” are integrated into the pedals? That’s something you don’t see every day, even from a concept car setting. Then there’s the active filter system that’s also included in the list of future tech and systems that Volkswagen plans to offer in its new models. This filter system isn’t just about keeping the cabin air clean, it’s also a response to the growing demand for such systems, especially in a place like China where pollution isn’t exactly something that can be easily dismissed with a shoulder shrug.

There are a lot of things to like about the Volkswagen ID. Roomzz’s interior, including the fact that it bears little resemblance to the interior of the ID. Crozz concept that Volkswagen unveiled back in 2017. The Crozz had a more traditional dashboard layout, but it also embraced its futuristic and conceptual nature with its own version of a digital display and digital steering wheel. Volkswagen also used smart lighting concepts on both cabins to help resonate the calming and peaceful ambiance that the automaker wanted to achieve.

When it could have only tweaked certain sections of the Crozz’s interior for the Roomzz’s interior, the automaker instead designed what looks like an evolved take of a cabin that could find its way into the production versions of either of these two crossovers. That speaks to VW’s forward-thinking as much as it does to its ambition of one day launching an electric crossover with an interior that punches above its own weight class.

Drivetrain

- Two electric motors - Front motor: 100 horsepower; back motor: 200 horsepower - Total output: 302 horsepower - 6.6-second, 0-to-62-mph time - 112 mph electronically limited top speed - 82-kWh battery - 280 to 295 miles of range - 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system - Level 4 autonomy

The Volkswagen ID. Roomzz runs solely on battery power. No surprises there, right? The setup involves a pair of electric motors that combine to produce a total of 302 horsepower. The Roomzz’s electric motors work in concert with an 82-kWh battery that Volkswagen claims has a range of up to 280 miles (450 km) under the European WLTP guidelines and 295 miles (475 km) under China’s NEDC guidelines. The elaborate powertrain setup also comes with an electric propshaft that properly distributes the power between the front and rear axles through Volkswagen’s 4MOTION four-wheel drive system.

If the numbers look familiar, it’s because they are. Most of Volkswagen’s other ID. concepts share the same powertrain. The ID. Crozz, for example, has the same output, broken down in such a way that the front motor delivers around 100 horsepower and the rear motor generating a little over 200 horsepower. Combine them together, and you’re looking at a total output of around 300 horsepower when both motors are running to their maximum capacities.

It’s not just the ID. Crozz, too. The ID. Vizzion also uses the same motor setup, but instead of an 82-kWh battery, Volkswagen installed a bigger 111-kWh battery that comes with an estimated range of 413 miles once regenerative braking is taken into the equation. That’s the highest range you’ll find among all other electric cars that are available to this point.

On the autonomous front, the Volkswagen ID. Roomzz comes with Level 4 autonomy, just like most of the past ID. concepts that came before it. The ID. Vizzion is the only concept that doesn’t feature Level 4 autonomy, only because it comes with Level 5 autonomy. In any event, the Roomzz features the same two driving scenarios that other ID. concepts have. The standard way of driving, called ID. Drive, lets you take control of the wheel and the whole car. But when you want to sit back and relax, all you need to do is touch the Volkswagen logo in the steering wheel for more than five seconds. Doing so not only activates the “ID. Pilot” mode, but also the laser scanners that are integral to the cause of driving in fully autonomous mode. Four of these laser scanners are located in the roof. Once activated, the laser sensors work in concert with ultrasound sensors, radar sensors, lateral area view cameras, and a front camera to paint a clear picture of the road and its surrounding environments. Should you go want to go back to the ID. Drive setup, just touch the Volkswagen logo again and the high-tech steering wheel moves back to position for you.

Engine

Two electric motors

Horsepower

302 HP

0 to 100 km/h (62 mph)

6.6 seconds

Top Speed

112 mph

Battery

82-kWh

Range

280 miles


Final Thoughts

Concept cars, no matter what it is, always carry hope and ambition. The Volkswagen ID. Roomzz is no different. This isn’t just your typical concept car with no production future; this is a concept that has a clear path towards production. Knowing that makes it easier for us to expect it, though there’s always the hope that whatever Volkswagen builds for the road will carry a lot of the design and tech ambitions it showed in the concept. I’m not prepared to go that far because I think some facets of the ID. Roomzz Concept remains unrealistic, even in today’s world. I don’t even expect the production version to have the same lighting signature as the concept. That’s all ok. Those technologies will arrive in due time, provided that Volkswagen really works on them. What’s important is that the ID. Roomzz concept shows us a tangible preview of a future electric crossover that’s worth our hard-earned money. The concept achieved that objective in many ways, though with Volkswagen, it’s always a matter of “wait-and-see.” Fortunately, that’s not going to take long, too, because the production version of the ID. Roomzz is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2021, or at least after the first member of the ID. family, the Golf-sized hatchback, arrives later this year and the production version of the ID. Crozz follows next year. That’s not a long wait for the production version of the ID. Roomzz. Until then, we’re going to sit back, relax, and see what kooky new ID. concept Volkswagen has in store for us.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II

Read our full review of the 2011 Volkswagen Study Buggy Up!.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion Concept.

Read our full review on the 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Buzz.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak.