Volkswagen IDX concept: 329bhp AWD hot hatch revealed
Shock electric hot hatch claims a 200kg weight loss, 0-62mph in 5.3secs and a dedicated Drift mode
Volkswagen CEO Ralf Brandstätter has taken to his personal Linkedin account to preview a surprise new concept car: the ID X.
Accompanying pictures give little away, but it's clearly a performance-focused reworking of the ID 3 electric hatchback, marked out by a distinctive grey-green livery, large-diameter alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile tyres and Alacantara-covered sports seats.
More notable, according to the limited details revealed by the CEO, is the significant performance upgrade it promises over all variants of the production-spec ID 3. Outright power is pegged at 329bhp, which is not only 128bhp more than the most powerful variant currently on sale, but 27bhp more than even the hot GTX version of the larger ID 4.
The ID X packs a version of ID 4 GTX's four-wheel-drive system, where production-spec cars are rear-driven only. It had been thought this system could not be accomodated by the ID 3's standard-length MEB architecture, and it is not clear whether this concept makes any compromises on seating or storage capacity to make room for the bulkier underpinnings.
It is said to weigh 200kg less than the standard ID 3, though details of how that weight loss has been attained have not been given. Images show only the front cabin area, so it is likely the rear bench has been removed for the purposes of this showcase.
Following a test drive in the concept, Brandstätter revealed that it will hit 62mph from rest in 5.3 seconds and is equipped with a dedicated Drift Mode - as featured on the brand's Golf R hot hatch.
Brandstätter said that while the ID X is not destined for production, Volkswagen will "take up many ideas" from the project. It was created, he said, because the engineers who worked on the ID 4 GTX "have discovered the fun of developing high-performance electric cars. And so we just let them do it".
As previously reported by Autocar, Volkswagen's R division is developing a plan for a full-bore, R-badged hot version of the ID 3 as its first EV, which is thought to hit the market in 2024.
Development boss Frank Welsch previously told Autocar that while the ID 3 can accomodate a four-wheel drive system, it is unlikely to do so "during the first generation". A substantial power boost and two driven axles, he said, are prerequisites for any R model.
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