Following the ID.7 GTX Tourer, VW has unveiled the sedan variant of its electric performance vehicle
Through Chris Chilton
16 hours ago
- Electric sedan ID.7 GTX launches in Europe with 335 hp, twin-motor powertrain and performance from 0-100 km/h in less than 6 seconds
- 86 kWh battery accepts 200 kW DC charges, can be charged from 10-80 percent in 30 minutes
- The mechanically identical GTX wagon was unveiled in March, but the ID.7’s full US launch has now been put on hold
VW has postponed the launch of the ID.7 electric sedan in North America due to declining demand for electric cars, but in Europe it is full steam ahead. Wolfsburg’s Tesla Model 3 rival has been on sale there for more than six months and this summer the range will be expanded with a sporty GTX with two motors.
Make that two GTXs, because the sedan you see here will share showroom space with the GTX Tourer that debuted in March and delivers the exact same powertrain, but in a more practical package.
Related: VW Puts ID.7 US Launch on Ice While EV Sales Are Cool
Until now, the swoopy, if somewhat dull, ID.7 was only available in Europe with a single 282 PS (286 hp / 210 kW) engine driving the rear wheels. But the GTX adds a front motor that gives the hotter ID.7 all-wheel drive traction and boosts total system power to 335 PS (340 hp / 250 kW).
That’s not a huge power increase – and will certainly disappoint anyone who hoped last year’s 550 PS (558 hp) ID.X Performance concept would make it to production – which is why the GTX doesn’t deliver a Tesla Model 3 Performance . like acceleration. VW says a run to 60 mph in the GTX sedan takes “less than” 6 seconds, compared to 6.5 seconds for the RWD car.
With a maximum charging speed of 200 kW, the GTX is also behind what some rivals can offer, but that’s still better than the maximum 175 kW capacity offered by other ID models and allows owners to use the 86 kWh batteries of their bi-motor ID.7s to fill from 10 to 80 percent in “significantly” less than 30 minutes.
Performance features added by the VW design team to differentiate the GTX from other ID.7s are generally discreet. There’s no sign of the large trunk wing or front splitter that made the ID.X Performance concept stand out, so instead look for a jumbo-sized lower grille that looks like it was designed to be visible to the visually impaired. inch wheels (21s are optional), small GTX badges under each door mirror, a black roof and pillars and IQ.Light LED matrix headlights.
Inside, you get sports seats upholstered in a combination of plain fabric and ArtVelours Eco microfleece, a red stitched sports steering wheel and equipment such as 30-color backlighting that would cost you extra with a regular ID.7. The 15-inch touchscreen and head-up display are already standard on Euro ID.7s and work well.
The GTX sedan and wagon will go on sale in Europe this summer, but their future in North America looks uncertain. The regular ID.7 has not yet launched there and its debut has now been postponed due to weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles. Assuming the model does eventually appear, we already know that the GTX’s twin-motor powertrain will be offered alongside a cheaper single-motor model, but without the GTX branding.
VW has already said it plans to phase out the GTX badges it revived for its popular EVs globally, with the ID.Buzz GTX recently unveiled with the same 335bhp guts as this ID. 7, the country’s American division said it would not call its version GTX.
