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New Models

2021 Volkswagen ID.4 GTX revealed: Performance electric SUV outmuscles Golf R

Golf R power, Golf GTI acceleration and Touareg practicality in a zero-emissions package: Volkswagen has revealed its first electric sports SUV.


The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 GTX has been officially revealed, ahead of its European launch later this year.

A high-performance version of Volkswagen’s first electric SUV, the flagship ID.4 is the first in a line of hot GTX-badged ID electric vehicles, offering more power, tweaked styling and sporty interior detailing.

Powering the performance SUV is a 77kWh lithium-ion battery, sending power to two electric motors for a combined power output of 220kW.

That's 7kW more than the outgoing Volkswagen Golf R in Australia, though it falls short of the 235kW outputted by the new-generation Mk8 model due locally in 2022.

All-wheel-drive enables a 6.2-second sprint from 0-100km/h – matching the new Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch on pace, and coming in 2.3 seconds quicker than rear-drive, 150kW ID.4 variants.

Top speed is increased from 160km/h to 180km/h, thanks to a revised electronic limiter.

The addition of front-axle traction drops the claimed driving range on Europe's WLTP cycle from 520km to 480km. 125kW DC fast charging allows 300km of range to be added to the battery in 30 minutes.

20-inch alloy wheels fill the arches as standard, with buyers able to upgrade to 21-inch units hiding larger performance brakes up front (though drum brakes are retained at the rear).

Optioning the Sports package lowers the ride height by 15mm and adds both stiffer sports suspension and progressive steering, while the Sports Plus pack adds adaptive dampers and unlocks up to five drive modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual and Traction.

On the styling front, visual changes versus the regular ID.4 include a revised front bumper with honeycomb grille inserts and tri-dot LED fog lights, plus body-coloured side skirts, a black roof and rear spoiler, new rear bumper, and GTX badging.

Matrix LED headlights are standard, as is a full-width, 3D-effect LED tail-light bar.

Inside, front passengers enjoy a set of GTX-embossed sports seats with red contrast stitching, along with a 'X-Blue' leatherette dashboard, flat-bottomed steering wheel (with GTX badging), and piano black trim.

Available features either fitted as standard or as an option include a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, a heated steering wheel, 30-colour ambient LED lighting, and an augmented-reality head-up display.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 GTX will go on sale in Europe early in the second half of 2021, priced from €50,415 (AU$78,500) in Germany – just under €6000 (AU$9300) more than the current most affordable 77kWh rear-drive ID.4.

Don't expect to see the hot crossover on Australian shores, with our lagging emissions regulations pushing the ID.4's local arrival out to 2023 and beyond.


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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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