VW ID. Cross for the US? Its Range and Drive Layout Raise Questions

Volkswagen’s ID. Cross has the shape and size of an electric crossover many buyers could use, but its planned European specification leaves open a bigger question: would it make sense in the United States? Meanwhile, a correction on Mitsubishi’s returning Pajero clarifies what sits beneath it—and where the SUV is expected to go.

Those are the subjects in this week’s Opinion and Editorial and Ask Nathan.

Could the ID. Cross work in America?

A reader, writing through Facebook, argues that Volkswagen needs fresh momentum and sees the ID. Cross as a possible way to reach buyers looking for a smaller electric SUV. Its design has caught their eye, and they wonder whether a more rugged version could offer an alternative to a pricier electric Jeep.

I’d like to see Volkswagen bring it over. The design has a friendly, distinctive character, and the production plan gives the concept more substance than a styling exercise: the ID. Cross is due in Europe in late 2026. But an American version hasn’t been confirmed, and the specifications described for Europe point to a tough fit here.

At about 163 inches long, it’s genuinely compact. The SUV will use an updated MEB+ platform and front-wheel drive, with battery choices of 37 kWh and 52 kWh. The larger battery is listed at up to 211 horsepower and roughly 265 miles of European WLTP range. Maximum charging power is 105 kW. Volkswagen has not announced an all-wheel-drive version.

Those figures give buyers a useful outline, but they don’t settle how appealing the vehicle would be in the United States. The stated range uses the European WLTP measure, so it shouldn’t be treated as a US range estimate. And the front-drive layout, compact dimensions and charging figure may make the package harder to position against larger electric crossovers that American shoppers often consider.

Price is another unknown on this side of the Atlantic. The expected European starting price is around €28,000, but that isn’t a US price, and there’s no confirmed American version to price. Volkswagen would have to make the case for a smaller vehicle in a market where buyers often gravitate toward larger SUVs. Bringing a new model to a market also requires investment, while demand for small cars has been a challenge.

My read is that range, price and traction would shape its prospects more than styling alone. More range and competitive pricing would make the proposal easier to assess; all-wheel drive would broaden its appeal to buyers who want extra traction. Volkswagen hasn’t announced those changes or a US launch, so they remain hopes rather than product details.

There’s still something to like in the ID. Cross as presented. Its proportions answer the call for a smaller electric SUV, and the design feels recognizably Volkswagen. For now, though, the useful news for American buyers is limited: production is planned for Europe, while a US-market model remains unconfirmed. If the vehicle itself doesn’t cross the Atlantic, some of its design direction could still suit future Volkswagen models sold here.

Correcting the record on Mitsubishi’s Pajero

A second reader, also via Facebook, challenged an earlier account of Mitsubishi’s new Pajero, known as the Montero in the United States. The correction is clear: I got the platform and the likely US destination wrong.

The Pajero isn’t related to the Nissan Armada or Infiniti QX80. Mitsubishi has confirmed that it uses the Triton pickup’s ladder-frame architecture, with a cabin designed for the SUV and different front and rear suspension. That shared foundation matters, but the Pajero isn’t simply a Triton with an enclosed body added.

Its mechanical package backs up the off-road intent. The listed engine is a 2.4-liter clean-diesel four-cylinder with a single variable-geometry turbocharger, producing around 204 horsepower and up to about 354 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with a newly developed eight-speed automatic. Mitsubishi’s Super-All Wheel Control and Super Select 4WD-II systems are part of the package, along with independent double-wishbone front suspension and a five-link solid rear axle.

The dimensions put it firmly in large-SUV territory: 193.7 inches long, 75.8 inches wide and 75.2 inches tall, with a 112.9-inch wheelbase and 9.1 inches of ground clearance. Mitsubishi quotes a 30.4-degree approach angle, a 22.6-degree breakover angle and a 25.8-degree departure angle. Those measurements, combined with the ladder frame and four-wheel-drive systems, place it in the same broad conversation as the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX.

The destination story needs the same care as the platform details. Mitsubishi’s stated rollout begins in Thailand, followed by Japan and Australia, with the Pajero intended to reach approximately 100 countries eventually. The United States hasn’t been named among the markets announced so far. A US arrival would also mean accounting for certification, shipping costs, tariffs and enough buyer demand to justify the work.

My earlier suggestion that Mitsubishi was preparing the SUV for America went beyond what had been established. The reader was right to call that out. I should have checked the details before turning an assumption into a fact.

The correction stings because the Montero still has a personal pull: I miss my first-generation example more than almost any vehicle I’ve owned. A large, ladder-frame Pajero with serious off-road equipment would be compelling here, but there’s no announced US destination to point to yet. For now, the clearest takeaway is a capable-looking new SUV with a Triton-derived foundation and an international rollout that doesn’t include an announced American market.