U.S. will get VW's I.D. Crozz first — and here's the latest on that I.D. Buzz retro VW bus

When Volkswagen revealed each of its three I.D. concepts, the original I.D., the I.D. Buzz, and the I.D. Crozz, each prompted two key questions. Will it reach production? If so, when will it reach production? The company officially said that the first I.D. will arrive in 2020. With the other two, we were in the dark, but two anonymous sources with information about the vehicles told us that the I.D. Crozz will be the next I.D. product to be released after the regular I.D., and it will likely be released toward the end of 2020 or sometime in 2021.

These anonymous sources also told us that although the I.D. will be the first of Volkswagen's new electric cars to be released, it probably won't show up in the United States, at least not at first. Instead, the I.D. Crozz will be the first of the new-generation electric VWs to hit our shores. This makes sense considering America's insatiable appetite for crossovers. It's also a segment that hasn't exactly been tackled by other electric carmakers. Technically Chevrolet markets the Bolt EV as a crossover, but we've always found that to be a questionable description of it. It seems like a plain old hatchback to us.

In addition to the I.D. Crozz, the anonymous sources told us that the I.D. Buzz hasn't yet been confirmed for production, but it has the best chance yet for a VW Bus concept making it to market. According to our sources, the reason the Buzz could make it to production is because of the modular platform (MEB) VW developed for its I.D. cars. The original Microbus concept from the early 2000s failed to get approved for production because it would have required a completely new platform for that one model. But the MEB platform is scalable, so it will be able to fit a van large enough for the American market. That was one of the issues that hurt the Bulli concept, along with concern about demand for a retro van. However, if the I.D. Buzz does get the green light, we'll be waiting awhile for it. Our sources told us that it likely wouldn't show up until closer to 2025.

So what should we expect to see when the I.D. Crozz makes its production debut? Well, since Volkswagen has said that the production I.D. will have a maximum range identical to the concept, we're expecting the same for the Crozz. The I.D. has a quoted range of 373 miles on the European test cycle, which often is higher than the American cycle. The Crozz was quoted at 311 miles. This could have something to do with the Crozz having two motors for all-wheel drive. Those motors also produce 302 horsepower, compared with the regular I.D.'s 168 horsepower. It likely isn't as aerodynamic as the regular I.D., either. The I.D. Crozz will also probably wear styling very similar to the concept, which is sleek, but with more squared off corners and headlights reminiscent of VW's current crossover line.

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