Skip to main content

Morning Overview

VW opened orders for its lower-priced ID. Cross EV at about €27,995

Volkswagen opened orders for the entry-level ID. Cross Trend in Germany the week of Oct. 19 at €27,995 including VAT, about $31,500 by Electrek’s conversion. The small electric crossover pairs an 85 kW motor with a 37 kWh battery, and it undercuts the €36,525 asking price of the version that went on sale in July by €8,530. Electrek’s Peter Johnson reported the order opening on Oct. 19.

Save more, waste less: The Cool Down’s newsletter sends smart, simple changes that help you and the planet in your everyday life.

Subscribe to The Cool Down →

We may earn a commission if you sign up.

What the €27,995 Trend gets

The Trend is the cheapest way into the ID. Cross, and it comes with the smallest hardware in the range. According to Johnson’s Oct. 19 report, it has an 85 kW motor, equal to 114 horsepower, and a 37 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with a WLTP range of up to 324 kilometers, or about 201 miles. DC fast charging peaks at 90 kW and takes about 23 minutes to go from 10 to 80 percent. The page gives no delivery dates for the Trend.

The price sits near the bottom of Volkswagen’s German lineup. Johnson puts the ID. Cross between the gasoline T-Cross at €25,280 and the Tiguan at €39,385. The car is 4,161 millimeters long, 1,794 millimeters wide and 1,588 millimeters high on a 2,601 millimeter wheelbase, close to the size of the T-Cross, and it rides on the MEB+ platform shared with the ID. Polo.

The figures differ slightly between outlets. electrive wrote in July that the 85 kW version was expected to reach about 316 kilometers, against the up-to-324-kilometer figure in Electrek’s Oct. 19 report, and it flagged an unexplained wrinkle in charging: Volkswagen quoted 27 minutes for 10 to 80 percent on the 37 kWh version, while the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval, which use the same battery, are rated at 23 minutes. Both outlets agree on the 90 kW peak rate, so buyers comparing spec sheets should expect the final published numbers to settle the question.

Inside, the car has a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display and a 12.9-inch infotainment screen, and a Retro Display mode. Electrek’s Sept. 21 report adds that cargo space reaches up to 475 liters, 20 more than the T-Cross offers, which matters for a car pitched at buyers who might otherwise choose a small gasoline crossover from the same brand.

The two batteries and the July launch price

The Trend was not available when the model launched. In its July 23 launch coverage, electrive reported that only the Life and Style trims were orderable, both with a 155 kW front-wheel-drive powertrain and a 52 kWh NMC battery. Life listed at €36,525 and Style at €39,110, or €34,025 and €35,610 after Volkswagen purchase incentives of €2,500 and €3,500. The €27,995 Trend price was shown at the unveiling, but the configurator listed it only from mid-October.

The larger battery brings a WLTP range of up to 427 kilometers, about 265 miles, a figure Electrek first covered in its July 15 debut report, and charges at up to 105 kW, taking about 24 minutes for 10 to 80 percent. The Life and Style trims with the 37 kWh pack get 99 kW, or 132 horsepower, per Electrek’s Sept. 21 report, while the 52 kWh cars deliver 155 kW, or 207 horsepower. Range for the smaller pack falls well short of the bigger one, so the €27,995 price buys about 64 fewer miles of WLTP range than the €36,525 version.

Volkswagen says the car is in series production at its Pamplona, Spain plant, alongside the T-Cross and the Skoda Epiq. Electrek says Volkswagen has no plans to bring the ID. Cross to the United States, where the ID. Tiguan is due in early 2027 as the ID.4’s replacement. For European buyers, the practical effect of the October order opening is that the ID. Cross now spans two batteries, three power outputs and a price ladder from €27,995 to €39,110 before incentives, and Volkswagen no longer has to point shoppers to a single, costlier launch configuration.

Schäfer’s pitch against the ID. Polo

Volkswagen brand chief executive Thomas Schäfer has sold the car on accessibility. He called the ID. Cross a true Volkswagen, and said it is modern, reliable and, above all, affordable. Electrek’s Sept. 21 report quotes him going further, saying electric mobility should not be a promise for a few and should be a real choice for many.

The comparison that matters inside the company is the ID. Polo, which starts at €24,995. electrive pointed out in July that the announced base price for the Cross is €3,000 higher than the Polo’s, and the Trend’s €27,995 matches that gap. Electrek’s Sept. 7 report said the Polo had drawn 30,000 orders and a 10-month waitlist, a sign, in Electrek’s telling, of strong appetite for cheaper Volkswagen EVs. For buyers weighing the two, the ID. Cross offers the larger body and, in its upper trims, a bigger battery, while the Polo keeps the lower entry price. A reader in Electrek’s comments claimed transaction prices near €22,000, but that claim is unverified.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

Save more, waste less: Subscribe to The Cool Down →

We may earn a commission if you sign up.


More from Morning Overview

Morning Overview is reader-supported. Some links in our articles are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.