Volkswagen ID.8 Larger Electric SUV Announced

It will become VW’s roomiest high-riding EV, even bigger than the three-row ID.6.

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Jul 14, 2021 at 1:02pm ET

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Volkswagen has made several big announcements about its future, its strategy and the vehicles it plans to launch. The biggest announcement has to be that the automaker is working on and planning to launch an even larger electric crossover called ID.8, which will be about the size of today’s Atlas model (sold in North America and China). It may also be a three-row vehicle.

The manufacturer didn’t go into any more detail about the ID.8, but we can look at the Atlas for reference and to see what we can expect, at least in terms of size. The Atlas is just over 5 meters (198 inches) long for the three-row version, it sits on a wheelbase that measures 2.98 meters (117 inches) and even though it’s about as big as a Touareg, it’s actually underpinned by the MQB platform (also used in the Golf, for instance).

We expect the ID.8 will also get the MEB platform that all other ID-badged models ride on.

Gallery: Volkswagen "New Auto"-Event (Juli 2021)

One interesting point made during the same event was that Volkswagen sees the ID.6, which is basically an extended ID.4 with three rows of seats, as a replacement for the Passat. This makes us wonder what plans the automaker has for the production version of the ID Vizzion - that is a much more Passat-like electric model, yet it is not mentioned here, even though it seems like the logical choice.

Perhaps this is Volkswagen’s global view, to replace the Passat with a crossover, since the production model inspired by the Vizzion will only be sold in Europe. Last we heard about it, the start of production was reportedly scheduled for 2023 (in sedan and wagon body styles), and that it will provide up to 435 miles / 700 km range, as well as be a direct rival for the BMW i4 and the Mercedes-Benz EQE.

What do you think?

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More generally speaking, Volkswagen will continue its commitment to making electric vehicles and to switching to a fully-electric lineup as soon as possible. It wants to become an “EV leader” by the year 2025 and it stands a very good chance of becoming successful in that segment with upcoming models such as the ID Buzz.