Volkswagen has confirmed it will launch its first electric crossover in the Canadian market in 2021.
Speaking to Automotive News Canada, VW spokesman Thomas Tetzlaff said the VW e-Golf hatchback will be discontinued toward the end of 2020 in order to make way for the arrival of the new electric crossover in early 2021.
Tetzlaff also confirmed the crossover will fall under the automaker's new ID family of electric vehicles and will be called the ID Crozz. All ID-branded vehicles will ride on the automaker's new MEB architecture - a dedicated new platform for electric vehicles.
VW first previewed the ID Crozz at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, when it debuted a concept vehicle of the same name. The concept featured a 301-horsepower battery electric powertrain (consisting of a 101-hp front motor and 201-hp rear motor) and was described by VW as "an affordable and stylish electric SUV."
The first MEB-based vehicle, the VW ID 3, has already debuted in Europe and will go on sale in select European countries in mid-2020. The battery electric hatchback will be offered with two different batteries: a standard 45 kWh battery pack and a larger 77 kWh one. The 45 kWh ID 3 will be able to travel up to 330 km on a single charge (as per the generous WLTP test cycle), while the 77 kWh version will have up to 550 km of range on tap. It is powered by a single electric motor rated at 201 horsepower and 229 lb-ft of torque. The ID 3 is expected to be priced from 30,000 euros in Germany, which is roughly $44,000 CAD.
VW has no plans to offer the ID 3 in Canada, though its range and performance may give us an idea of what to expect from the Canadian-spec ID Crozz, as the two vehicles will share the MEB platform.
No matter what's in store for the ID Crozz, you can bet its range will be far superior to the e-Golf. The electric hatchback, which is currently the only VW EV on sale in Canada, can travel a maximum of 201 km on a single charge and features a 35.4 kWh battery. It produces 134 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque from its single electric motor.
