Wild 441kW Volkswagen ID.X Performance makes debut

The Volkswagen ID.X Performance is a hot new 441kW concept for a rival to all-electric sports sedans like the Tesla Model 3 Performance and the incoming Hyundai IONIQ 6 N.

Claimed to be a one-off, the Volkswagen ID.X Performance is a faster and more overtly sporting version of the VW ID.7 sedan, which is set to be sold in China, Europe and North America and is under consideration for Australia.

Unveiled at a Volkswagen ID fan meet in Switzerland, the ID.X concept packs twice the power of the VW ID.5 GTX, the mid-size electric fastback SUV that will kick of Volkswagen Australia’s long-awaited EV assault from mid-2024 alongside the standard ID.5 and its Tesla Model Y-rivalling sister models, the ID.4 and ID.4 GTX.

It’s thought the ‘X’ in the ID.X name denotes that it is a high-performance all-wheel drive electric VW and that it misses out on the German car-maker’s famous ‘GTI’ badge because that will be reserved for front-drive EVs, like the upcoming VW ID.2 GTI.

Featuring plenty of exterior tweaks over the ID.7, the ID.X sports a new front splitter and large rear diffuser made of carbon-fibre.

Wider wheel-arches, new side sills, a set of lightweight alloy wheels and tinted tail-light clusters complete the external changes.

Inside, there are red accents for the steering wheel spokes and dash, plus red stitching for the seats, dash and steering wheel.

There’s also a pair of full carbon-fibre bucket seats.

To cope with the extra performance there’s stiffer new sports suspension that sees the big sedan sit 60mm lower to the ground. Larger brake discs and beefier callipers have also been added.

To produce its big 441kW power peak, it’s thought the ID.X employs a single APP 550 electric motor on the rear axle, which alone can produce 210kW and 545-550Nm of torque but can be tweaked with software to punch out a maximum of 245kW.

On the front axle, there’s a second motor that remains undetailed but is asynchronous, rather than the permanently excited synchronous APP 550 motor at the rear.

Blending the two different e-motor types is said to deliver a big power boost without the drag losses usually associated with using two large, powerful motors.

There’s no word on just how quick the ID.X Performance is, but a 0-100km/h sprint time of around four seconds is likely – although top speed might be limited to 180km/h, in line with other all-wheel drive VW EVs.

Enhancing agility, a Vehicle Dynamics Manager oversees how much torque is delivered to each axle, and there’s also a rear differential lock.

It’s not known what type of battery the fast ID.X Performance concept is powered by, but VW says it can be charged at up to 200kW to deliver shorter charging times than the less powerful ID.5 GTX (170kW).

We expect the driving range to be less than the 698km (WLTP) figure announced for the ID.7 variant with an 85kWh battery.

Volkswagen has already announced a fast ID.7 GTX is on the way, but insiders have refused to confirm whether or not it will come with the same powertrain as the 441kW ID.X concept.

Either way, it’s thought the concept’s advanced dual-motor powertrain will appear in high-performance Volkswagen production EVs in the near future.

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