Volkswagen ID 4 GTX 2021 review

The GTI for the electric age uses two motors to deliver four-wheel drive and 295bhp Just as deliveries of the standard ID 4 electric SUV get under way, Volkswagen has crowned the line-up with a hot GTX variant.As with the original Golf GTI back in 1976, VW is attempting to provide its new car with an added dash of driver engagement. The thinking is that a select group of EV buyers, just like those of conventional cars, want to stand out from the crowd. So in the same way that the GTI badge boosts the appeal of the Golf, the GTX badge is meant to make the ID 4 more attractive to driving enthusiasts.It’s far from a simple reworking of VW’s second dedicated EV. In fact, the changes go quite deep – most notably to the drivetrain. Unlike the standard ID 4, which has a single electric motor to power the rear wheels, the GTX uses a motor on each axle, giving it four-wheel drive. This layout has already been seen on its sibling models, the Audi Q4 E-tron and the Skoda Enyaq iV.The GTX’s asynchronous front motor delivers 107bhp and 120lb ft, while its synchronous rear motor develops the same 201bhp and 228lb ft as it does in the exclusively rear-driven ID 4 Pro Performance. All up, there’s a combined 295bhp and 348lb ft of torque.The headlining output can be accessed for a period of 30 seconds before the power electronics ease it back to preserve the charge and avoid overheating. Drive is sent to the wheels via a single-speed gearbox on each axle.