Volkswagen has officially unveiled its ID.6 all-electric SUV at the Shanghai auto show, showcasing the two variants of the up-to seven seat “lounge on wheels” that the company has designed specifically for the Chinese market.
The two variants – the ID.6 Crozz which is made at the FAW-Volkswagen plant in Foshan (in China’s north) and the and ID.6 X which is made by SAIC Volkswagen in Anting (in China’s south).
“With the new ID.6, we are laying the foundations for at least 50 percent of our cars sold in China being electric by 2030,” said Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand.
“We are maintaining momentum and gradually increasing our range of MEB cars: By 2023, Volkswagen will have a total of eight ID. models in China, making MEB nationwide there. The economies of scale that we have achieved allow us to offer the latest technology at an affordable price – and thus further expand our electric offensive.”
In a video of the event, the two China variants of the ID.6 were driven on stage at the Shanghai motor show by local celebrities Elvis Wang and Lianya Su and met there by the CEO of Volkswagen Brand China, Dr Stephan Wöllenstein.
Wöllenstein used the presentation to stress that the EVs, which have a longer wheel base than the ID.4 and can seat up to seven passengers, were designed to give drivers a “smooth, relaxed ride” that is “comfortable and safe” – and, above all, quiet, in a “busy and noisy world.”
“Driving the ID.6 is like driving in a capsule of tranquility,” says Wang in the video – and Wöllenstein notes that as well as the quiet engine the EVs have “special acoustic glass and perfect body and floor insulation,” so passengers can relax and enjoy the massage seats after a long day at work. Yes. Massage seats.
With an extra 30 centimetres in length on the ID.4, the ID.6 accommodates a third row of seats and features a second row of seats that can be adjusted longitudinally, as well as a large panoramic glass roof. A panoramic sunroof that opens is available as an optional extra.
Not unlike Tesla EVs, the ID.6 comes without any physical buttons and switches, which are replaced with a 12-inch display with a touchscreen, and “Hello ID” voice control.
Beyond the relaxing interior, the video confirms that VW’s all-electric MEB platform offers a upper range of 588km (lower range 436km), with the car’s battery system – 58kWh or 77kWh – creating a low centre of gravity for optimised stability and safety, and a control panel and display system that is “more intuitive than ever before.”
On the outside, the cars look very much in keeping with the petrol Volkswagen SUVs currently on the market, although a little more curvy and sleek looking and both variants incorporate the front and rear lights with the VW badge, lighting it up red at the back when the lights are on, and a luminous blue-white at the front.
Safety has also been a focus; Wöllenstein says the company carried out more than 2,500 different tests including more than 300 special safety tests, and built more than 800 test vehicles that were driven over 6 million kilometres. And he says that the EVs also offer a driver assistance package for “relaxed, semi-automated driving.”
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.