It is believed high-ranked officials at the VW Group have had secret talks in recent weeks about the prospects of importing the ID.6 to Europe from China, but a final decision will be taken in the coming weeks. If it gets the proverbial green light, some 15,000 units will be shipped from the People’s Republic to the Old Continent annually as part of a five-year plan that would involve approximately 80,000 vehicles.

Such a decision to import a vehicle from China would create a precedent as additional models could be shipped to Europe. That could have a negative impact on the VW Group’s European workforce since company executives could decide to bring more cars from China where costs are significantly lower, thus cutting down on the number of employees the company has in Europe.

When contacted by Business Insider, a VW spokesperson hinted that importing the ID.6 could very well happen: “If models are successful in one market, it is only natural that the market opportunities in other regions are also analyzed. Of course, this also applies to the seven-seater ID.6 SUV. Volkswagen could also open up a new market segment in Europe. A decision has not yet been made as to whether the ID.6 will be launched on the European market.”

A different statement was made by a spokesperson of VW’s works council who characterized the possibility of bringing the ID.6 to Europe as nothing more than “speculation,” adding that there haven’t been any discussions in that regard. This tells us a conflict is brewing between the top brass at the VW Group and the works council. Should the three-row electric SUV come to Europe, it would open the floodgates for more Chinese-made products, which would consequently cut European production and endanger many jobs.

Source: Business Insider

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It’s currently being showcased at Auto Shanghai in two distinct versions – ID.6 X and ID.6 Crozz – since the electric family hauler will be manufactured by VW’s local joint ventures with SAIC and FAW, respectively. Should the German automaker ever decide to sell the ID.6 outside of the People’s Republic, it’s the Crozz we’ll see in global markets. However, nothing has been confirmed at this point as VW only says it’s thinking about bringing the large EV to the United States.

Meanwhile, the ID.6 Crozz is getting the video walkaround treatment courtesy of YouTuber Wheelsboy. He got up close and personal with the showcar from Auto Shanghai where the electric SUV is being exhibited in a vibrant orange shade with contrasting white accents for the badges, roof, and for the electrically operated door handles. What VW did not mention when the vehicle was officially unveiled a few days ago were the LED lights built into the roof rails, which should look rather interesting at night.

Even with all three rows of seats in place, there’s still a decent amount of cargo room behind the rearmost seats. The version Volkswagen is showcasing at Auto Shanghai is the six-seat model, but the ID.6 will also be offered with a seven-seat configuration. Children and some teenagers won’t have any issues with headroom and legroom sitting on the rearmost seats thanks to the vehicle’s generous size increase over the five-seat-only ID.4.

The YouTuber also provides a quick look at the ID.6 X with its slightly different styling. As the host of the video says, the SAIC-built version will remain strictly a China-only affair as only the FAW version has chances of being sold elsewhere. It’s too soon to say whether the Crozz will be built at a second factory for global consumption or it will be exported from China where the local version is assembled.

Source: Wheelsboy / YouTube

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At the heart of the two electric SUVs is the VW Group’s MEB platform, meaning the ID.6 is closely related to the ID.4. The main difference between the two is the third-row cabin of the newer model, allowing the company to sell the vehicle in China with six or seven seats. At 192 inches (4,876 millimeters) long and with a wheelbase measuring 116.7 inches (2,965 mm), the ID.6 is considerably larger than the ID.4 sold globally.

Coming with single and dual-motor setups, the dedicated EV will be available in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations. The entry-level trim will have 177 horsepower, followed by the midlevel model with 201 hp, and the dual-motor AWD flagship rated at a healthy 302 hp. The crown jewel of the ID.6 lineup sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 6.6 seconds and maxes out at an electronically governed 99 mph (160 km/h).

The cheaper ID.6 models will make do with a 58-kWh battery with enough energy for 436 kilometers (271 miles). Stepping up to the bigger 77-kWh battery will result in a boost in range to 588 kilometers (365 miles). These range numbers are based on the China NEDC test cycle, so if VW will ever decide to sell the SUV elsewhere, that rating will go through changes.

Customers will get to pick from several alloy wheel designs, ranging in size from 19 inches all the way up to a 21-inch set. At an additional cost, a panoramic sunroof that opens will be available to allow more light to enter the cabin, which will boast longitudinal adjustment for the second-row seats.

The ID.6 joins the ID.4 also offered in China in Crozz and X derivatives and will help VW in its attempt to have EVs represent at least half of its annual sales by 2030.

Source: Volkswagen

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The ID.6 has already been homologated in China by the local Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which actually disclosed quite a few details about the new EV. It’s going to be 192 inches (4,867 millimeters) long and a good chunk of the wheelbase will be represented by the wheelbase, measuring 116.7 inches (2,965 millimeters).

At first, the Volkswagen ID.6 will be sold in a rear-wheel-drive configuration featuring a single electric motor rated at 201 horsepower. That’s the same setup available in the aforementioned ID.4, but with the latter getting a dual-motor AWD variant with 300+ hp, it would make sense for the ID.6 to get this setup considering it will be larger and heavier.

Mirroring the ID.4 sold in China in two different versions, its bigger brother will also spawn distinct configurations since the electric SUV will be built by Volkswagen’s local joint ventures with FAW and SAIC. The models are going to be called ID.6 X and ID.6 Crozz, with each having a unique visual identity while having largely the same underpinnings underneath the skin.

The adjacent teaser images should ease the wait until the official double premiere scheduled for the second half of April at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show. Sales should start in China later this year when Volkswagen will also reveal the ID.4 GTX as the high-performance version of the smaller SUV for global markets. In addition, 2021 will see the launch of the ID.5 serving as a sleeker ID.4 with a coupe-inspired roofline.

Source: Volkswagen

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Volkswagen brand CEO Ralf Brandstaetter told reporters about the firm’s plan to unveil the ID.6 at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show in the second half of April. The model was previewed at the same show a couple of years ago by the Roomzz concept pictured here and will serve as the German brand’s rather belated answer to the Tesla Model X.

Roughly the same size as the Touareg, the new VW ID.6 will initially go on sale in China this fall where it will be produced locally by the SAIC and FAW joint ventures. According to a company spokesperson, a launch in the United States is seen as “conceivable,” while European availability has already been ruled out. It’s not the only new electric SUV that VW is launching this year as the ID.4 GTX and ID.5 have already been confirmed to debut in 2021.

The company’s electric car portfolio will grow in the years to come, starting with 2022 when the Bulli concept will morph into a road-going electric Microbus. VW recently announced a new entry-level car, possibly called ID.1, for a 2025 launch, while an electric sedan codenamed “Trinity” is earmarked for a 2026 release.

At the same time, traditional nameplates such as the Golf, Tiguan, Passat, but also newcomers like the T-Roc and Tayron, have all been confirmed to get next-generation models and will be sold globally with a plug-in hybrid system. These cars equipped with combustion engines will have batteries large enough to offer 62 miles (100 kilometers) of pure electric range.

It’s unclear whether the Polo supermini has a future in VW’s lineup, and we can say the same thing about the Arteon. Perhaps they’ll be replaced by the aforementioned ID.1 and one of the electric sedans the company is planning.

Source: Automotive News Europe

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