New VW ID. Roomzz electric SUV unlikely to come to Europe

The new Volkswagen ID. Roomzz concept will morph into a production model in 2021, but it won't be coming to the UK

The new Volkswagen ID. Roomzz large electric SUV is very unlikely to come to Europe after market launch in China, according to the firm’s marketing and sales boss.

Speaking to Auto Express, Volkswagen executive Jurgen Stackmann explained that the car that will become VW’s Tesla Model X rival will go to the US market after its Chinese launch. However, Wolfsburg bosses don’t believe it is a core model for Europe.

• Shanghai Motor Show 2019

“Europeans like compact car shape, they don’t like extra large”, he summed up, adding that Tiguan sized electric SUVs are where the company would focus in its home markets.

The ID. Roomzz is the sixth – and so far biggest – vehicle to join the brand’s all-electric ID. family. Though officially a concept, a production version of the ID. Roomzz is due for release in China in 2021.

Beyond previewing a production version of a zero emission seven-seat SUV, the Volkswagen ID. Roomzz showcases the potential direction of the brand’s level four autonomous driving tech and how it might be integrated into future models.

As with previous versions of the ID. range the Roomzz sports a clean look which is intentionally less aggressive than that of typical SUVs. It lacks any sort of front grille, while LED lighting elements run the full width of the car both front and rear. Klaus Bischoff, Chief of Design at Volkswagen, explains, “The ID. Roomzz shows us what we can expect from full-size electric suvs in the future.”

At 4,915mm long the ID. Roomzz is 114mm longer than the current Tourareg, while the wheelbase is 72mm lengthier as well. Elsewhere, the Roomzz is both slightly narrower and lower than Volkswagen’s current flagship SUV.

The cabin is accessed through four sliding doors, revealing what Volkswagen says is a lounge-inspired design with a shapeshifting layout. When the human driver is in full control (known as ID. Drive mode), the seats are placed much as they would be in a conventional car. ID.

Pilot mode rotates each chair 25 degrees inwards for a more sociable layout, while the fully-autonomous ID. Pilot Relax mode, allows each occupant to position their seats however they like, including a fully reclined mode. The production version will feature a more conventional system, and will offer seating for up to seven.

The dashboard is largely button free. The steering wheel features a range of touch sensitive functions surrounding a 5.8-inch screen. Engaging autonomous mode is a case of touching the VW logo on the wheel for five seconds, at which point the wheel retracts into the dashboard to create a little more space.

In addition to a conventional infotainment screen, the Roomzz uses OLED screens in place of conventional door mirrors, and like in the ID. Vizzion saloon an augmented reality head up display can superimpose real time navigation directions into the driver’s field of view.

As with VW’s other electric concepts, the ID. Roomzz rides on the brand’s MEB platform for electric vehicles. A pair of electric motors – one front, one rear – are connected by what VW calls an ‘electric propshaft’ four full four wheel drive. With 302bhp on offer, the Roomzz can sprint from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

An 82kWh battery translates into a 280-mile range on the WLTP testing cycle. A 150kW fast charging system should enable a top up from empty to 80 percent in 30 minutes, while an inductive charging system also features.

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