Volkswagen ID Crozz II Concept (2017)

Two-coloured ambient lighting

The ambient lighting of the I.D. CROZZ operates with two different colours: in the manual driving mode, the ambient lighting is light blue, while in the automated 'I.D. Pilot' mode the lighting switches to a red colour.

New front end

The I.D. CROZZ II expresses an even more striking SUV character with its various design changes. For instance, the concept car has a new front end design with LED headlights that are more representative of those in a production car. Previously, the inner modules of the interactive headlights were arranged on LED fins. Now, the semi-circular LED headlights are formed by narrow, individual light facets, which as a unit are even more reminiscent of the pupils of a living being. Between the LED headlights and the LED daytime running light elements of the headlight housing, a LED light strip with larger dimensions spans across the front end; it is interrupted by a Volkswagen badge that is also illuminated. Both elements are also part of the daytime running lights. The light signature of the I.D. CROZZ II, which is created in this way, is unmistakable. On the Frankfurt show car, the area beneath the headlights and the Volkswagen badge is shaped like a 'V', which gives it a more striking contour. A cross-fin painted in the body colour in the otherwise black air intake screen on the bumper emphasises the width of the electric SUV.

Modified rear and side body

Also new: the lower part of the rear body. Just like at the front end, a cross-fin painted in the body colour spans across the entire vehicle width here. In side profile, the black sill areas beneath the doors painted in 'Hibiscus Red Metallic' stand out more prominently. In colour, they match the inner rotors of the wheels which have themselves been completely redesigned.

Design for a new era

The clear and powerful design of the I.D. CROZZ II combines the dominant and rugged look of an SUV with the sporting ease of an elegant coupé. The length of the I.D. CROZZ II is 4,625 mm. Between the front and rear sections is a long wheelbase measuring 2,773 mm. The width of the concept vehicle is 1,891 mm, and it is 1,609 mm high. The dimensions - and thereby spacial proportions - are most comparable with those of the new Tiguan Allspace. The large bonnet with its wings athletically contoured in wide radii is a style-defining feature. It extends expressively across the full width of the vehicle's high front end. The clean surfaces of the SUV's bonnet and bumpers give them a sculptural look. Long and extended: the sharply contoured, visually light roof lines. High-end: the transparent roof surface that is finished in a high-gloss black. A new feature is a movable light shade in the illuminated panoramic roof that creates both interior and exterior ambient lighting. Powerful: the iconic rear body and sporty, wide shoulders. Also emphasising the vehicle's width: a high-gloss black lateral surface of the rear end with narrow LED matrix segments as tail lights and the Volkswagen badge that is also illuminated. Masculine: the large surface area of the vehicle sides with their powerful dual wheel arches (outside in body colour, inside in a matt black tone), the new 21-inch wheels and solid, dark side sills with a matt, rugged texture in the same black tone as the wheel arches.

Light shade, activated by gesture control

One new feature is the light shade integrated into the illuminated panoramic roof. This virtual shade is opened and closed by gesture control. A carpet of light produced by open LED strips then glides across the roof liner, thus brightening the interior. The light strips in the roof are visible from the outside, too. Gesture control commands mimic the operation of a traditional sliding sunroof: a short, quick hand movement opens or closes the shade completely, while a slow gesture moves the light carpet seamlessly until it reaches the desired position.

360-degree light show

The LED headlights with their new light facets and all other exterior lights of the I.D. CROZZ II are designed to be interactive. They bring the concept vehicle to life with a 360-degree light show. An overview of the lighting scenarios:

• I.D. CROZZ II wakes up. When the I.D. is 'awakened' it greets its driver and passengers with a 360° light show: first, the glass Volkswagen logos (at the front and in the boot lid) light up in white. Starting from the front badge, a white line develops to the left and right; it passes into the line graphics of the LED headlights, whose individual light facets are now sequentially activated to welcome the driver. In tandem with the dipped beam, the illumination of the laser roof sensors and of the light shade in the roof is also ramped up. At the same time, the sensor fields for opening the doors are illuminated. Finally, by activating its daytime running lights, the I.D. CROZZ II signals that it is ready to start. When the electric doors are opened, the sensor fields pulsate; as soon as the car drives off, these sensor fields are dimmed.
• I.D. CROZZ II drives itself (fully automatically). If the driver activates the 'I.D. Pilot' mode, four laser scanners extend to the outside; a narrow wreath of light illuminates in white here.

'Open Space' creates usable space

The compact electric drive system and integration of the lithium-ion battery into the vehicle floor have generated the right conditions for creating a new 'Open Space' in the interior - a flexible, lounge-like spatial concept that offers a superior amount of room. The interior has been thought out, laid out and designed anew. A pure, airy space is the result. The sculptural, flowing structure of the surfaces has been inspired by nature - bionic shaping in place of cold engineering. The design, with its dynamically shaped surfaces and stretched curves, emphasises the room inside.

Digitalised dashpad

The digital hub is formed by the electrically adjustable and retractable multifunction steering wheel, an Active Info Display, an electronic rear-view mirror (e-Mirror), an AR Head-up Display (AR for augmented reality) and a door panel. These features, depending on their type, are operated by voice and gesture control, touch displays or capacitive button fields. All displays and controls are integrated into the dashpad, and some of them - such as the tablet - appear to 'hover'. The upper area of the dashpad or instrument panel is finished in a smooth black leather with red piping that follows the shape; the piping matches the 'Hibiscus Red' of the exterior. Embedded in the grey fabric of the door shoulder panels, the black has a very sporty appearance and underscores the charismatic look of the crossover. The displays and controls in detail:

• Tablet as infotainment system. Integrated in the middle of the instrument panel is a 10.2-inch tablet - an infotainment system with an individually configurable home screen. Its layout can be personalised via four different function tiles, such as 'Messages', 'Media', 'Telephone' and 'Navigation'. The housing and screen merge near seamlessly. A new feature here is the 'CleanAir' menu, from which information on air quality can be accessed and preconfigured climate settings are activated.
• Multifunction steering wheel. Present as usual in the middle of the steering wheel is the Volkswagen logo. In this case, however, it is an illuminated sensory surface with which the driver can switch from manual to fully automated ('I.D. Pilot') mode. This is done by touching the Volkswagen logo for three seconds. The steering wheel then retracts into the dashpad forming a flush surface. As an alternative, the 'I.D. Pilot' mode may be activated or deactivated by voice control. Aesthetics and functionality make the electrically adjustable, black multifunction steering wheel a highlight - in its look and feel and in its technology. The traditional fully round shape gives way here to a wheel with six rounded corners. This has resulted in a high-tech steering wheel, into the bottom area of which a control island is integrated. The driver controls the main vehicle functions from here via illuminated capacitive fields. These include the 'P', 'R', 'N' and 'D' gears and operation of the indicator lights. Four more capacitive buttons can be adapted to various functions such as taking a telephone call. Using two additional capacitive sliders, the driver can intuitively 'run' through menus such as the playlist, and adjust the volume of the sound system.
• AR Head-up Display. The driver receives all data relevant to driving, such as speed and visual navigation instructions, via an AR Head-up Display. AR stands for augmented reality. Information such as the directions given by the navigation system is projected in the form of virtual images located from 7 to 15 meters in front of the car. The effect is astonishingly realistic. Visual driving recommendations are projected via augmented reality to show exactly where the driver will be heading with the I.D. CROZZ II. Thanks to the AR Head-up Display, the navigation instructions - which were originally limited to a display located in the instrument cluster - are now a three-dimensional part of the surroundings that drivers can experience.
• Active Info Display. A 5.8-inch Active Info Display shows visual information to the driver. It can also be used, just like the tablet in the instrument panel, to view standard content such as the media library or the navigation map, which can be controlled via the buttons on the multifunction steering wheel. The Active Info Display gives the driver great freedom to personalise their views. The entire area of the display could be turned into a 3D navigation screen, for example. The display uses three transparent levels to display the various types of information. At the bottom or first level there is the navigation map; digital content retrieved using the Volkswagen User-ID is displayed on the second level; and the third level, at the top, is used to show driving data such as the distance to a destination.
• e-Mirror. Conventional rear-view mirrors are a thing of the past in the I.D. CROZZ II. Instead, where the interior rear-view mirror used to be there is now a system that looks the same and performs the same function: the e-Mirror. A monitor here merges the data from the three external cameras. The images are transmitted from the exterior mirror cameras mounted in the left and right-hand sides of the car body and from a rear-facing camera.
• Door panels. Information and controls that have previously only been available to the driver and front passenger are now available to rear-seat passengers too - thanks to digital door panels. These white, semi-transparent control islands are ergonomically located in the trim of the four doors, where they appear to hover in mid-air. The door panels are used to operate the electrically opening and closing doors, the central locking system and the electric windows. Each passenger is also able to individually regulate his or her climate zone. The panels are operated via capacitive buttons and sliders.

Four integral seats

The driver and front-seat passenger sit on lightweight integral seats (with integrated seatbelt guides). The contact surfaces of all of the seats are upholstered in Alcantara. A quilted pattern creates a three-dimensional look for the seat covers. In the rear seating area, legroom reaches a premium level. Furthermore, the interior of the I.D. CROZZ II is highly flexible based on its seating concept. Want to take your bike away with you for the weekend without having to use a cycle rack? No problem - simply load it sideways into the back. Large swing/sliding doors and flexible rear seats make this possible, with the seats being tipped up for this purpose, as in the cinema. The rear doors also fully retract back to the rear, making loading easy. Loading is made even simpler due to the fact that the front doors open unusually wide to an angle of 90 degrees and Volkswagen has simply done away with the B-pillars. All doors, as well as the trunk lid and bonnet, open electrically. All doors can also be opened or closed from the interior by voice command.

Clean air

Providing for an optimum, customised in-car climate is Volkswagen's newly developed CleanAir system. Regardless of the ambient conditions, it constantly maintains the air quality inside the I.D. CROZZ II at an ideal level. Via the infotainment unit, the driver and front passenger are also able to activate different preconfigured climate settings. This is because the I.D. is equipped with new CleanAir technology with an active filter system ensuring top interior air quality. The menu provides information on the quality of the air in the car (Air Quality Index) and on the system's current activity.

Zero emission all-wheel drive

With an electric drive system everything changes. Design, space, comfort and sustainability - all completely redefined. In this regard Volkswagen has created with the new all-electric architecture, a structural platform that enables progressive utilisation of all the parameters that arise from the zero-emission drive system. The I.D. CROZZ II illustrates this perfectly. The drive system components - two motors, two gearboxes, the electronics that link everything together and the high-voltage battery - are optimally incorporated into the car's package. This gives the designers and engineers completely new free spaces to work with. The lithium ion battery has an energy capacity of 83 kWh and is housed under the vehicle floor. This creates space, lowers the centre of gravity to sports car levels and ensures ideal weight distribution. The same goes for the two electric motors. They develop a system power of 225 kW and drive their respective axles directly. In most driving situations, the rear axle provides forward propulsion. As soon as vehicle dynamics make it necessary, an 'electric propshaft' redistributes the power of the 4MOTION all-wheel drive between the front and rear axles in fractions of a second. In addition, the I.D. CROZZ can be constantly driven in an all-wheel drive mode, on off-road trails or snow, for instance. At the rear axle, the work is done by a compact 150 kW motor, while at the front there is a 75 kW coaxial drive.

Ideal weight distribution

The power electronics are a crucial link for controlling the flow of high-voltage power between the motors and the battery. The power electronics convert the direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC). Meanwhile, the on-board electronics are supplied with 12 volts via a DC/DC converter. As previously mentioned, an ideal distribution of weight between the two axles has been achieved by integrating the battery centrally within the I.D. CROZZ II and locating the two drive system units at the front and rear. The ratio is 48% (front) to 52% (rear). This gives the I.D. CROZZ II handling properties on the same level as a Golf GTI. A significant role in this is also played by the running gear with its electronic damping control and newly designed multi-link rear suspension and likewise newly developed MacPherson front suspension - each equipped with an integrated drive system and a decoupled subframe. Thanks to this configuration the running gear facilitates an extraordinarily large spread between great handling and top levels of suspension and acoustic comfort. The layout of the front axle and the front end package also result in a very small turning circle of 10.5 metres.

Activating and deactivating the fully automated driving mode

Activating the fully automated 'I.D. Pilot' mode is incredibly simple: this can be done either by voice control or by intentionally touching the Volkswagen logo on the steering wheel and holding it. The fully automated driving mode is deactivated by pressing the brake or accelerator pedal, by voice control or by touching the Volkswagen logo again.

Four laser scanners on the roof

In the 'I.D. Pilot' mode, the I.D. CROZZ II activates various laser scanners. Four of them extend from the roof. When this happens, the cleanly styled roof sensors call attention to the fully autonomous mode by indirect lighting. The I.D. CROZZ II is not only able to detect other road users and its surroundings via the laser sensors; it is also assisted by ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, side area view cameras and a front camera.