VW Group debuts its affordable EV offensive 

Volkswagen Group has rolled out a four-pronged affordable EV offensive at the Munich motor show, spearheaded by a “near production” compact electric SUV concept. 

Joining the five-door five-seat ID.Cross on the stage for its global debut were its non-identical twin, the Skoda Epiq SUV and production versions of the Volkswagen ID.Polo and Cupra Raval hatchbacks, albeit still in camouflage wraps. 

Jointly dubbed ‘the electric car urban family’, the four are based on the German brand’s MEB+ electric car platform, offer up to 450km range and will come with China-fighting pricing as low as 25,000 Euros (approximately $A45,000).  

They all are scheduled to start rolling out in Europe in 2026. 

Along with sharp pricing, VW says new-generation software will enable high-end equipment in these vehicles such as travel assist with lane change, traffic light recognition, LED matrix headlights, intelligent park assist, massage seats, a 360-degree camera and a digital key. 

All four cars are to be built in Spain with Volkswagen’s Spanish subsidiaries Seat and Cupra credited as being project leaders. 

The ID.Cross Concept will go on-sale in Europe as the ID.Cross before the end of 2026, presenting VW’s new design language dubbed ‘Pure Positive’ which includes a smiling front-end 3D light signature.  

It’ll be similar in size to the Volkswagen T-Cross compact petrol SUV sold in Australia. 

Inside, there are seats that fold-down completely flat, fabric trims, a floating centre console, an 11-inch digital instrument cluster, 13-inch central touchscreen, a redesigned squircle steering wheel and – importantly, given VW’s recent trauma with haptic controls – physical buttons.  

Storage includes a 450-litre boot and a 25-litre frunk. 

The concept drives the front wheels via a new powertrain, comprising a 155kW e-motor and a high voltage battery with an unstated capacity. The WLTP range for the concept is 420km. 

Meanwhile, the Skoda Epiq was seen in Munich for the first time as a physical concept. Technical specifications should be very close to the ID.Cross, which it will be built alongside. 

Named after Barcelona suburb El Raval, the Cupra Raval hatchback will also be the sports-focussed brand’s smallest EV. It is expected to be very similar in size and specification to the ID.Polo, which it will be built alongside. 

Until last week, the ID.Polo was known as the ID.2, however, a recent decision to change the naming strategy of its electric vehicle range resulted in a few nameplate tweaks.  

The ID.Polo will be joined by an electric ID.Polo GTI hot hatch in 2026, while the Raval is expected to have a VZ-badged model that shares the hot VW hatch’s running gear. 

With these models debuting in Europe in 2026 Volkswagen is clearly planning to challenge the price advantage of the Chinese brands. 

While Skoda has been positive about bringing the Epiq here, there are no concrete indications how many of the other MEB+ models will be offered Down Under.  

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au