Volkswagen confirms production of all-wheel drive ID hatchback

Volkswagen's top brass has confirmed the ID.3 electric hatchback will get its own hot-hatch variant, saying the recently-revealed ID.X concept is an influence for the model.

Speaking to Autocar at this year's IAA Mobility Show in Munich, Volkswagen COO Ralf Brandstätter said the ID.X concept will be the basis for an all-wheel drive, high performance ID.3 GTX – joining the ID.4 GTX as a performance-oriented EV.

As both the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 SUV are based on the same MEB platform, Brandstätter hinted the ID.4 GTX's powertrain could be grafted into the ID.3 GTX, giving it at least 220kW – but this could be increased to 245kW if figures from the ID.X carry across.

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The extra power could potentially come at the cost of driving range – with VW's 77kWh battery fitted, the top-spec rear-wheel drive ID.3 Pro S has a WLTP-tested driving range of 550km. Meanwhile the all-wheel drive ID.4 GTX can run for just over 480km on a charge, with the ID.3 GTX potentially featuring a similar figure thanks to its lighter weight and higher output.

Brandstätter also told Autocar the IDX concept was equipped with drift mode – similar to the new Mk8 Golf R – and could sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds, giving Volkswagen's engineers "many ideas" for a potential ID.3 GTX project.

According to the VW boss, the engineers behind the ID.X "have discovered the fun of developing high-performance electric cars, and so we just let them do it".

Volkswagen will need to start looking at performance hatches to replace the Golf when the company eventually ditches internal combustion engines, committing to build only EVs for Europe from 2035.

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The ID.3 was launched at the 2017 edition of IAA in Frankfurt