Quick ID.4 lacks X factor
GTX IS QUIET AND COMFY BUT FAILS TO FEEL SPORTY
All us oldies know about the Golf GTI that started the hot hatchback breed back in the late 1970s. Actually, I reckon Alfa Romeo invented the concept earlier with its AlfaSud, but that’s by the by.
The Golf made the small hatchback with a powerful engine part of the car enthusiast’s vocabulary.
What VW certainly did invent was the hot diesel hatchback in 1982 when it revealed the Golf GTD. Now the firm has used its powerful GT badge to add some appeal to e-vehicles.
GTE was used earlier on an electric Golf so the company has added an X instead, giving us the first of the breed: the ID.4 GTX.
Interesting that Volkswagen has decided to debut its EV performance brand on a crossover rather than on the ID.3 hatchback.
No bad thing as we found the ID.3 to be rather underwhelming and prefer the ID.4. But what about a high performance electric crossover? Does that work?
Before we start trying to answer that question, a brief look at how a regular ID.4 becomes a GTX. The big news is that this is the first electric
VW that’s four-wheel drive. The regular electric motor on the rear axle is joined by a 107bhp motor driving the front wheels.
This combo gives a total available horsepower of 299PS which is significantly more power than the next ID.4 down which has 205PS. That version is the Pro Performance, and like this GTX it has the bigger 77kWh battery fitted (the rest of the ID.4s have a 52kWh battery).
As we’ve discussed many times since the start of the EV revolution, performance takes on a new meaning. What matters more to customers?
A very fast 0-62mph time or range and charging speed? I think I know the answer. The ID.4 GTX, which incidentally can do 0-62mph in 6.2sec, has a range of 301 miles against the Pro Performance’s maximum of 322 miles.
The GTX is the fastest ID.4 but it is also the heaviest at a lardy 2,149kg. Sports suspension is standard which lowers the ride height by 15mm.
Above this £48,525 car is the GTX Max ( for £55,555) which has no more performance but includes
VW’s DCC adaptive dampers as standard.
They might make a difference but I doubt they turn the GTX into an electric sports car.
Although it looks it on paper, the GTX doesn’t feel quick. The accelerator response is woolly and quite a few EVs with less impressive figures feel more potent away from the lights.
The brakes are effective but feel soft and are not suited to enthusiastic driving. Ford’s Mustang
Mach-E does the best job of being an electric crossover that’s fun to drive but even that is outshone by a humble Fiesta when it comes to making its driver grin.
The good news is the ID.4 GTX, like its humbler siblings, is a quiet and comfortable motor with excellent seats and a spacious interior.
There’s very little wind noise and even on large wheels the ride over bumps is smooth.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E might be better to drive but it loses out to the ID.4 on space.
The VW has a less sloping roof and also has a considerably larger boot that holds 543 litres to the Ford’s 402 litres. Again, it all depends on your priorities.
Up front we have the same dash as the ID.3 and the same much-criticised infotainment display and lack of switches and buttons. The heating and volume capacitive touch controls aren’t even backlit.
What’s particularly annoying for an electric car is the battery percentage is hidden behind three menus on the system – it needs to be front of house.
Perhaps in the future there will be EVs that are as fun to drive as an old school hot, or even warm, hatchback.
But I doubt they’re going to be SUVs or crossovers. Certainly there’s nothing about the ID.4 GTX that causes me to think otherwise.
Accelerator response is woolly and the brakes are effective but feel soft