Volkswagen will reveal a chunky, supermini-sized electric crossover called the ID 2X at the Munich motor show in September.

Previewed last year, the ID 2X is a higher-riding sibling to the Volkswagen Polo-sized ID 2, which is due to be launched later this year, and will effectively serve as an EV alternative to the T-Cross.

It will be based on the same shortened version of the MEB platform as the ID 2. The crossover is set to be offered exclusively with a single motor on the front axle, giving 223bhp, and a choice of 38kWh and 56kWh batteries - the latter providing a range of around 280 miles.

Volkswagen has previously said the larger battery will be capable of topping up at 125kW to take its state of charge from 10-80% in just 20 minutes. 

The smaller-battery car is set to be one of the cheapest electric SUVs on the market when it lands, in line with Volkswagen's ambitious strategy to reduce the production and list price of its EVs.

The ID 2 supermini is planned to be available from £22,000, only slightly more than today's Polo, so the equivalent SUV should go on sale at the £25,000 mark. 

Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer confirmed the new baby SUV's name in a post on LinkedIn, where he also revealed that it will make its debut at Munich.

It is the fourth and final entrant in the Volkswagen Group's upcoming range of entry-level electric cars – joining the ID 2, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq – and will be built alongside those three cars at a new plant near Barcelona in Spain.

Volkswagen head of design Andreas Mindt has described the ID 2X as a "safe, confident, bold" design that is "simple, like the ID 2 All" - referencing how that concept apes the clean, simplistic cues of previous Golf and Polo models. 

Indeed, the resemblance to the supermini is obvious in the preview image, though the higher-riding SUV will have a more upright silhouette with bulkier wheel arches, a distinctive vent-style motif on the C-pillar (which could be glass on the production car) and a chunky rear spoiler. There will be no obvious visual links between this new SUV and today's ID 4 and ID 5, as Mindt looks to usher in a whole new brand image. 

It will measure around 4.1m long, have a wheelbase of 2600mm and offer more than the ID 2's 490 litres of boot space - no doubt with the same 50-litre lockable box under the boot floor for charging cables and valuables. 

Inside, it is expected to be all but identical to the ID 2, with a 12.9in infotainment screen and 10.9in digital driver display - while adopting physical switches for the audio and climate controls. Volkswagen is aiming to eradicate all glue and hard plastics from its next-generation interiors, in line with a pledge to boost material quality while reducing its cars' environmental impact. 

The rollout of the VW Group's new Electric Urban Car Family, as Schäfer calls it, is central to stabilising the VW Group following a turbulent period in which its profits and volumes have dipped significantly, prompting plans for factory closures and swingeing job cuts across Europe.

The group as a whole delivered 2.3% fewer vehicles worldwide in 2024, year on year, chiefly as a result of a drop in global demand for premium vehicles and a challenging retail environment in China.

The decline was felt most harshly at Audi, Bentley and Porsche. Conversely, the more volume-oriented Seat-Cupra brand posted a 7.5% sales uptick and Skoda grew 6.9% - highlighting the rising importance of affordable cars.

Schäfer said that with the launch of the four new electric superminis, "the Brand Group Core is truly bringing its power to the road. We’re on the right track – and now we’re stepping it up a gear". 

Meanwhile, in early March, Volkswagen will reveal a concept for a smaller electric city car to replace the Up. Dubbed the ID Every1 and expected to be called the ID 1 in production, the boldly styled Fiat Grande Panda rival will be launched in 2027 with a base price of around £17,000.