Volkswagen ID X: 329 hp 4WD hot hatch confirmed for production Car News

Volkswagen boss Ralf Brandstatter has confirmed that the hot ID X concept will hit production after this year, likely dubbed the ID 3 GTX.

Speaking at the Munich auto show, brandstatter said the concept – which he revealed on LinkedIn earlier this year – will form the basis of a four-wheel drive electric hot hatch based on the ID 3 This will be the second model in the new GTX Performance Model Family.

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He declined to give details on its performance, but the powertrain of the larger ID4 GTX is likely to be picked up in bulk. He acknowledged that “more performance means less range”, but said the full line of ID 3 batteries will be available.

It’s part of Volkswagen’s continued commitment to producing enthusiast-driven driver cars in the age of electric vehicles. “Driving pleasure is another part of mobility,” Brandstatter said, adding that Volkswagen was building a physical concept version of the ID 3 convertible previewed in 2020.

He also suggested that “something will come from R”, hinting that it will be adapted to serve as a dedicated sub-brand for hot electric vehicles, in the same way that GTX replaced GTI.

The images shown on Brandstatter’s Linkedin in May revealed little, but the car was clearly a performance-focused revamp of the ID 3 electric hatchback, marked by a distinctive gray and green livery, large diameter alloy rims wrapped in low profile tires and sport seats covered with Alacantara.

The concept, according to the limited details revealed by Brandstätter on Linkedin, promised a significant performance improvement over all variants of the ID 3. Total power is set at 329 hp, which is not only 128 hp more than the variant. the most powerful currently on sale, but also 27 hp more than even the hot GTX version of the larger ID 4 SUV. However, these figures are not confirmed for the production version.

As the current ID 3 models are rear-wheel drive only, it was believed that the four-wheel drive system of the ID 4 GTX could not be matched to the standard-length MEB architecture of the ID 3. It is not. not clear if the concept compromised on seating or storage capacity to make room for the bulkier foundation. The concept would weigh 200 kg less than the standard ID 3.

Following a test drive of the concept, Brandstätter revealed that it would hit 62 mph from rest in 5.3 seconds and that it is equipped with a dedicated Drift mode, as on the new Golf R hot hatch. the brand.

At the time, Brandstätter said the ID X was not intended for production but that Volkswagen would “pick up a lot of ideas” from the project. It was created, he said, because the engineers who worked on the ID 4 GTX “discovered the fun of developing high performance electric cars, so we let them do it.”