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Intelligent performance for sustainable driving fun: the new ID.4 GTX

ByDave Stopher

May 10, 2021
  • Volkswagen expands the ID. family with the sporty GTX product brand
  • The ID.4 GTX1 brings dual-motor all-wheel drive to the ID. family
  • Electrification campaign: Volkswagen wants to increase the sale of purely electric vehicles in Europe to 70% by 2030

Wolfsburg / Berlin – At the digital world premiere held at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Volkswagen presented its first fully electric high-performance model: the ID.4 GTX. The new product brand is bringing new and intelligent sportiness to the world of electric mobility. The ID.4 GTX is the first model based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) to feature dual-motor all-wheel drive and also offers attractive, high-quality design elements.

“Electric driving is simply great fun – and with the ID.4 GTX we are adding a new dimension of sportiness and dynamics,” explained Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen Brand. “The most emotional member of the ID. family to date shows that electric mobility and top sporty performance are not mutually exclusive.”

The ID.4 GTX has one electric drive motor on both the front and rear axle. Together, they deliver a maximum electrical output of 220 kW (299 hp)* and can work together as an electric all-wheel drive – a first for the ID. family. Holding the world premiere in an aircraft hangar at the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin allowed the new model to show just what the intelligently controlled all-wheel drive is capable of: the ID.4 GTX effortlessly climbed a ramp at an incline of 37.5%. Thanks to the dual-motor all-wheel drive, the flagship model of the ID.4 product line is able to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h in 3.2 seconds and from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. The vehicle’s top speed is electronically limited to 180 km/h.

“The full torque of the electric powertrain is immediately available and you can feel the excellent vehicle handling in every bend,” says Thomas Ulbrich, member of the Board of Management for Development. “What’s more, the innovative operating and safety concept is just as intelligent as the drive train! For example, the driver is supported by the unique augmented reality head-up display and comprehensive assist systems.”

The design of the ID.4 GTX underscores its extraordinary character, combining driving fun with a robust look. The familiar light strip has been combined with powerful, dynamic elements – in particular, the three honeycomb elements that form the daytime running lights. They convey the vehicle’s sporty character even when it is stationary and, at the same time, establish a connection to the Golf GTI2. Alongside the newly designed bumpers, the eye-catching elements at the rear include the 3D LED tail light cluster with brake lights that form an X.

The body colour is more dominant than on rear-wheel drive models. The roof and rear spoiler are black, while the roof frame bar is a high-gloss anthracite. The interior also boasts a new colour scheme. The upper section of the dashboard and leatherette inserts in the doors come in the dark shade of X-Blue, which represents sustainability. Red contrasting seams – a classic symbol for sportiness and strength – add accents to the seats. The GTX logo appears on the steering wheel, sill panel trims and – in perforated form – at the top of the front seat backrests.

The new GTX product brand is a booster for both the ID. family and the ACCELERATE corporate strategy, with which Volkswagen aims to become the most coveted sustainable mobility brand. It has set itself the target of increasing the proportion of sales of purely electric vehicles in Europe to 70 percent by 2030. Volkswagen intends to become climate-neutral by 2050 and by 2025, Volkswagen will have invested around 16 billion euros in electric mobility, hybridisation and digitalisation.

The ID.4 GTX will be launched in Europe in summer 2021. In Germany, it will start at an entry-level price of 50,415 euros, with customers being able to apply for a (net) grant of 7,500 euros.

1 ID.4 GTX – Power consumption in kWh/100 km (WLTP): 19.1–18.1 (combined); COemissions in g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+.

2 Golf GTI (180 kW / 245 PS) – Fuel consumption in l/100 km (WLTP): urban 9.0–8.6 / extra-urban 5.6–5.3 / combined 6.9-6.5; CO₂ emissions in g/km: combined 157–149; efficiency class: D–C

* Maximum electrical output 220 kW: Maximum output that can be accessed for a maximum of 30 seconds, calculated in accordance with UN GTR.21.

The amount of power available in individual driving situations depends on various factors, such as ambient temperature and the charge status, temperature and condition or physical age of the high- voltage battery. In particular, the availability of the maximum power requires the high-voltage battery to be between 23°C and 50 °C and have a charge level of > 88%. Deviations from the aforementioned parameters in particular may lead to a reduction in power, through to the complete unavailability of the maximum power.

The battery temperature can be indirectly influenced by the auxiliary air conditioner to a certain extent and the charge level can, for example, be adjusted in the vehicle. The amount of power available at a particular time is shown in the vehicle’s power display.

To maintain the high-voltage battery’s usable capacity as effectively as possible, a battery charging target of 80% is recommended if the vehicle is used daily (to be switched to 100% prior to long- distance journeys for example).