The first rumors that Volkswagen was working on an all-wheel drive version of its ID.3 hatchback emerged nearly simultaneously with the car itself – but don’t get your hopes up, because it is a one-off job.
Ralf Brandstetter, CEO of VW Passenger Cars, personally introduced the ID.X as a concept vehicle. He pointed out that the car turned out around 200 kilograms (441 pounds) lighter than the original RWD ID.3 despite an added motor.
VW has other AWD electric cars in its portfolio, including the Skoda Enyaq RS iV with its 306 PS (302 hp / 225 kW), and the Audi Q4 50 e-tron quattro with the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, both rated at 299 PS (295 hp / 220 kW). The new design study is a bit more powerful still at 333 PS (328 hp / 245 kW) and needs 5.3 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph).
Like the latest Golf R, the prototype has a dedicated Drift Mode. It also comes adorned with neon accents, large wheels shod in low-profile tires, and low suspension.
While the ID.X Concept itself won’t make it into production, the manufacturer will reuse some of its tech in its future models. This could include the ID.3 GTX, although it won’t arrive until much later.
Volkswagen is currently busy developing another EV on the same platform. Called the ID.5, it is a coupe-SUV that will also get a dual-motor GTX version later on.