Volkswagen teases 329-hp electric powered hot hatchback, the ID.X

KUALA LUMPUR: Back in 2019, Volkswagen started rolling out its ID models with the reveal of the ID.3 electric hatchback. Later, we saw ID.4 and ID.6. Alongside these standard electric vehicles, the German automaker also introduced us with its new badge ‘GTX’ last month, which denotes Volkswagen fast EVs. The first member of the performance-oriented electric vehicles family was the ID.4 GTX. And, now here we have another performance Volkswagen EV concept in front of us, which is codenamed as ID.X.

The company’s CEO, Ralf Brandstätter posted the photos of the ID.X on his personal LinkedIn page recently, together with revealing some important specs. In his post, the model is clearly labelled as a concept, 

Said to be the electric successor to the Golf R, the ID.X concept is based on the ID.3. It is created by VW engineers as an exploratory project that might see a green light for production. 

The prototype has taken many guts from the ID.4 GTX and stuffed them into the small structure of the ID.3 hatch. It uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system which generates a maximum power of 328 hp, alongside an 82-kilowatt-hour battery. This means it is a tad more potent than VW’s other MEB-based models, including the ID.4 GTX. 

Despite the addition of an electric motor in the front, the prototype is 200 kilograms lighter than the ID.3, says Brandstaetter. The additional motor allows it to sprint to 100 kmph in just 5.3 seconds, which means it is two seconds faster than the standard RWD ID.3. Further, the VW head said the show car has a drift mode, much like the new-gen Golf R. Other changes for high-performance include a lowered suspension system and low-profile tyres with massive wheels. Giving a distinguishing appearance to the ID.X are neon accents inside and out.

In the end, Brandstaetter mentioned that if even the concept does not go into production, the company may use the involved ideas in future projects. Well, looking at the reaction of auto enthusiasts and the level of work that has been done, it is hardly unlikely that VW will roll out its production version. Let’s wait and watch.

Also read: 2021 Volkswagen Golf MK8 now available in Singapore