New Volkswagen ID. Xtreme idea review
The Xtreme Concept brings a good deal-wished experience of spirit to Volkswagen’s ID. range
As ideal vehicles go, Volkswagen’s ID. Xtreme isn’t always as good a deal of a pie-in-the-sky gadget as a few. For a start, it acts below its very own strength โ because of this Auto Express may want to get in the back of the wheel to attempt it out.
Volkswagen ID. Xtreme specification
Model: Volkswagen ID. Xtreme idea
Powertrain: 77kWh/2x e-motors
Power:382bhp
Charging:135kW DC
Transmission: Single-velocity automatic, four-wheel force
0-62mph:5.3 seconds
Price:N/A
Top velocity:N/A
Range:N/A
On sale:N/A
The Xtreme turned into designed, engineered and constructed via means of Volkswagen’s 68-person-sturdy Team Passion and Friends. The idea is primarily based totally on a 2d-lifestyles ID.four GTX prototype that turned into used as a software program check and improvement vehicle throughout its unique improvement phase, so there may be an detail of sustainability and circularity to the Xtreme with the two-and-a-half-year-antique improvement gadget having included round 2,000km in its first lifestyles.
Equipped with VW’s 77kWh battery, the GTX’s output improved from 295bhp to a complete of 382bhp โ pretty a leap, with the MEB-primarily based totally vehicle’s rear motor receiving the most important upgrade. This improvement object pumps out 275bhp on its very own, in comparison with the usual GTX’s 201bhp output, at the same time as the the front-hooked up 107 bhp motor is unchanged. However, in comparison with the collection manufacturing GTX the Xtreme serves up everlasting four-wheel force; its front motor is continually working, in contrast to the GTX, whose front axle most effectively cuts in while the automobile senses a few wheelspin.
This greater strength and most effective a touch extra weight because of the rugged roof rack and the front bash bar โ plus chunkier 18-inch wheels and complete off-street tyres โ approach the Xtreme will dash from 0-62mph in 5.three seconds, almost one complete 2d quicker than the ID.four GTX.
Those wheels are managed via means of KW rally recreation suspension, which has introduced a 30mm growth in journey top. The automobile’s music has swollen by way of means of 20mm all-spherical too, at the same time as new 50mm wider 3D-published black wheel arch extensions cowl the greater width.
They upload a certainly off-street look, alongside the complete-width LED mild bar at the roof rack and the paint job; at the same time as it capabilities black and orange decals, the white frame paintings has been hand-completed with a brushed impact to offer the impact of muddy marks, which has then been lacquered over. It seems cool.
The adjustments are extra diffused interior and quantity to a couple of supportive bucket seats completed in black microfibre material with orange stitching, ‘Xtreme’ embroidered headrests, plus extra soft-contact cloth for the sprint and further orange accents and a comparable transfer in colour for VW’s ID. Light sprint LED. It’s strictly a four-seater, with extra subtly sculpted rear seats, too.
Off the road the Xtreme does not sense as explosive as you would possibly think. It’s clean the crew has mapped the strength to nevertheless are available easily in preference to with a large thump, including youโll discover in a Tesla. This isn’t any terrible element, as on our sub-0 check path it approaches there may be no wheelspin, the four-wheel force tech genuinely deploying the strength without issue.
As I get rolling the strength sincerely is available in and the Xtreme begins off evolved to select out up velocity hastily, the whistle from the roof rack in reality the quality indicator of my hastily growing velocity (and drowning out the noise from the Porsche Taycan-sourced outside sound generator), as even for a idea, refinement remains good.
Like the usual automobile, the greater regenerative braking in B mode may want to nevertheless be stronger, however the mechanical brakes are sturdy and the grip from the chunky tyres in those situations offers masses of reassurance.
Jinking through the slalom path VW set for us, the element that sincerely moves me approximately the ID Xtreme is how direct it nevertheless is, in spite of the better journey top and new rubber.
In truth the expensive-feeling suspension controls the roll (now no longer helped via way of means of the nevertheless substantial weight) particularly well, supplying sufficient comments thru the seat to decide grip, with the broader tyres giving a touch extra weight to the steering, too. But it is nevertheless direct, in spite of the off-street-centred tread block design.
The different fantastic detail is the prototype rear motor. Even with the ESC on it lets in for extra slip, so that you can certainly convey the rear axle into play thru route adjustments, the use of the throttle to subtly steer the automobile from the rear โ or in case you want, complete donuts may be at the menu too, as we discovered out.
This is the sort of dynamic interplay we desired from the ID.four GTX from day one; the greater grunt and extra pleasing results of the developmental rear motor assist triumph over the flat-feeling chassis of the GTX.
So how near is the ID Xtreme to a manufacturing reality? Well, VW’s crew says it was designed โto reveal the capacity of the MEB platform and gauge client commentsโ following its debut at the ID pageant in Locarno, Switzerland. The comments turned into good, so at the same time as the Xtreme won’t make it to manufacturing as we see it here, factors may want to trickle right all the way down to VW’s ID line-up.
Conclusion
Jumping in the back of the wheel of Volkswagen’s ID. Xtreme on and off-street (albeit most effective mild work in relation to the latter) gave us a touch of its greater spirit, something that has arguably been missing from VW’s ID-badge machines till now, so let’s wish the logo can harness a number of this character for its destiny manufacturing vehicles.
