Volkswagen will bring its sporty, all-wheel drive ID4 GTX and ID5 GTX electric SUVs to Australia.
GTX is emerging as the electric incarnation of Volkswagen’s storied GTI performance badge, and in Europe, powerful GTX versions of the ID4 electric midsize SUV and ID5 electric coupe-SUV are now available.
It’s already been confirmed that the Volkswagen ID4 and ID5 models will be released in Australia in the second half of 2023. Those vehicles will centre around rear-wheel drive (RWD) powertrains with 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque.
The ID4 and ID5 GTX models add a secondary electric motor to the front axle, for AWD punch
Speaking with Chasing Cars, Volkswagen Australia director of passenger vehicles Michal Szaniecki said that the sporty GTX grades were a “natural extension” of the ID4 and ID5 ranges already locked in for Australian release.
“ID4 and ID5 are natural democratisers of electric mobility. They will come [to Australia] first, and GTX will follow. When? To be confirmed, still, but we’re working on it, but it’s a natural extension to the range in Australia,” he said.
We asked Szaniecki if the usual “short delay” between the launch of a Volkswagen model and its corresponding performance grade would apply to the ID4/ID5 and the GTX versions – and the answer was “yes”.
GTX grades bring AWD, almost 50 percent more power
The GTX grades take performance up a notch, adding a second, smaller electric motor on the front axle to bring combined outputs up to 220kW of power and 460Nm of torque – increases of nearly 50 percent.
By dint of their dual-motor configurations, the GTX models also uniquely add all-wheel drive (AWD) traction to the ID4 and ID5 ranges – a key feature for Australians who drive on unsealed or snowy surfaces.
The GTX grades feature red highlights inside
Acceleration is also markedly quicker in the GTX grades, which slash the standard 150kW models’ 8.5sec 0-100km/h claim to just 6.2sec.
The GTX models still sit some way off the blistering performance offered by some electric SUVs, though. The Tesla Model Y Performance ($100,000 before on-road costs) makes 336kW of power and sprints from 0-100km/h in 3.7sec.
However, the ID4 and ID5 GTX grades are likely to be significantly more affordable than the six-figure Tesla. Volkswagen Australia has indicated that a well-equipped 150kW version of the ID4 will be priced around the level of the brand’s Tiguan 162TSI R-Line SUV ($58,890 plus on-road costs).
Power and torque jump by nearly 50 percent for the GTX, compared to the standard grades
Like the Pro Performance grade of ID4 under evaluation by Volkswagen Australia at present, the ID4 and ID5 GTX models use a 77kWh usable battery. Range for the performance grades falls to 482km (WLTP). The peak DC charging speed, like other 77kWh models, is 170kW.
A GTX version of the Volkswagen ID3 hatchback has also been approved for production in Germany.
Volkswagen to bring hot R badge to electric models in future
Australians seeking even brawnier performance from an electric Volkswagen won’t have to wait all that long.
An even more powerful version of the ID4 GTX called the ID Xtreme was revealed in concept form this week, producing 285kW of power from its dual motor configuration. That performance could be allocated to a future R-badged version of the ID4 and ID5 SUVs.
Volkswagen’s 285kW ID Xtreme concept might preview R-like outputs for future electric models
“The R chapter has not been closed with [internal combustion engines],” said VW Australia passenger vehicles boss Szaniecki.
“[R] is going to have a new face, a new incarnation, with electric vehicles. We are working together closely with our R department in Germany to bring it as soon as possible.
“I’d say it is a work in progress. Today I have no details, but there is a performance range or family with electric vehicles, absolutely.”