Volkswagen, the company that created the hot hatch phenomenon over 40 years ago, is about to do it all over again in the electric age. At the Munich Motor Show, Ralf Brandstatter, the company’s CEO confirmed that the all-wheel drive ID.X concept revealed back in May will enter production as the ID.3 GTX. nThe twin-motor, all-wheel drive hot hatch could be in showrooms in 2022 and will be the third of VW’s EVs to get the GTX badge. The ID.4 GTX SUV and even bigger ID.5 GTX have already been confirmed.
But VW fans hoping for a zero-emissions equivalent to the legendary Golf R might have to temper their excitement a little. Auto Express reports that Brandstatter made it clear the production ID.3 GTX won’t be quite as punchy as the ID.X concept. The concept was powered by a dual-motor powertrain delivering a combined 329 hp to all four wheels. But the GTX is likely to use the 295 hp twin-motor setup already seen in the ID.4 GTX. The SUV is claimed to reach 62 mph in 6.2 seconds, but the smaller ID.3’s lighter curb weight should result it dipping into the fives.
That kind of performance would put it between the Golf GTI and Golf R, but there could be more to come. The GTX’s name is clearly designed to show that it’s VW’s electric equivalent of the fabled GTi badge, and VW hasn’t ruled out R versions of its electric cars appearing in future.
