Volkswagen puts a sporty spin on its ID.4 electric crossover, launching the new ID.4 GTX as the first member of the GTX electric high-performance brand. The new ID.4 model doubles up on motor power, relying on its all-wheel drive to slash acceleration times and boost performance. The greater GTX brand will help Volkswagen appeal to drivers looking for a sharper ride on the way toward meeting its electric fleet goals.
The ID.4 GTX makes good on the promise of a higher-horsepower all-wheel-drive ID.4 variant Volkswagen had been floating since last year's ID.4 launch. It adds a front motor to the standard rear-wheel drive layout to get all four wheels spinning with up to 295 hp, taking off from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.2 seconds and onward to a 112 mph (180 km/h) top speed.
If you're cruising more residential streets, you might also be interested to know the GTX sprints from 0 to 60 km/h (37 mph) in 3.2 seconds, a number we can only assume VW included in hopes that some would misread it as a 0 to 60 mph time. Nah, Volkswagen would never do anything that could possibly compromise public trust.
To convey its more dynamic intentions, the GTX debuts with the always-sporty combination of red and black, wearing a contrast black roof and spoiler atop a deep-red body. A honeycomb design at the sides of the front bumper and an X-shaped braking signature in the LED taillight clusters further distinguish the GTX trim from the standard ID.4.
Inside, "GTX" logos appear on the seat backs, steering wheel and side sills. "X-Blue" trim and red contrast seams brighten up the look, while an augmented reality display and minimized dashboard design with small digital instrument panel and floating central infotainment display keep the driver zeroed in on what's out in front of the bumper.
Volkswagen held the ID.4 GTX world premiere in an airplane hangar at Berlin's former Tempelhof Airport, where it demonstrated the car climbing a large ramp with a gradient of 37.5 percent. The brightly lit event included a mixed reality display driven by an Unreal game engine, 12 HD projectors and 32 infrared cameras working to blur the lines between physical and virtual realities.
The GTX will launch in Europe this summer, wearing a price tag of €50,415 (approx. US$61,100) on the German market, where it will be eligible for a €7,500 grant. Volkwagen doesn't mention any plans to bring the GTX brand over the Atlantic, but it has previously said that an American-market all-wheel-drive ID.4 will be added in the future.
Source: Volkswagen
