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Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, ID.5 electric performance SUVs confirmed for 2021 reveal

Volkswagen will triple the size of its electric SUV range in 2021, with the brand confirming the arrival of two new, sports-focused mid-size models.


Hidden in a press release detailing Volkswagen's fleet-wide CO2 emissions output in 2020 is confirmation it will launch two new electric SUVs in 2021, alongside the previously-revealed ID.4: the ID.4 GTX and ID.5.

While no additional details on the models were confirmed in the release, Volkswagen's description of the ID.4 GTX and ID.5 as separate models all but confirms their identity: the ID.5 is a coupe-styled (and more aerodynamic) version of the standard ID.4 SUV, while the ID.4 GTX is a high-performance variant of the aforementioned ID.4 – debunking numerous rumours the latter, GTX-suffix badge could be applied to the coupe-inspired model.

Spy shots reveal the ID.5 will opt for a sleeker take on the ID.4's conventional crossover shape, with the roofline sloping down past the B-pillar to meet a tweaked rear end featuring a prominent tailgate-edge spoiler.

Top of story: The standard Volkswagen ID.4.

The interior – reduced rear-seat headroom excepted – is expected to be all-but-identical to the standard ID.4, as is the range of powertrains offered at launch, comprising a selection of rear-wheel-drive, big-battery choices led by a 150kW/310Nm, 77kWh flagship variant shared with the ID.3 electric hatch.

The ID.5's more aerodynamic body should allow for a longer range than the flagship ID.4's 520km WLTP range.

By contrast, the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX will launch as the quickest and most powerful ID.4 variant on sale, widely expected to be powered by a pair of electric motors delivering 225kW of power and 460Nm of torque.

If the mechanically-identical Skoda Enyaq iV RS is any guide, expect the all-wheel-drive ID.4 GTX to cover the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds – more than two seconds quicker than the 150kW rear-drive model – and be capable of a 470km WLTP range, the latter figure derived from a report from Automotive News Europe.

 

Drive

Volkswagen's media release also confirms the introduction of the GTX badge, which reports from December 2019 would grow to be applied to high-performance versions of the German brand's other electric vehicles, including the aforementioned ID.5 and the upcoming ID.6 sedan and wagon.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 GTX and ID.5 are expected to make their full debuts in the coming months, ahead of a confirmed European market launch by the end of 2021.

However, don't expect to see either model in Australia for a number of years, with Volkswagen Australia pointing to a 2022, 2023 or later launch for its ID electric vehicle range Down Under.

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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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