Volkswagen is about to launch the third model of its ID range reserved for all things electric. The ID.3 hatchback and the ID.4 SUV join a larger ID.6 SUV previewed by the Roomzz concept introduced in 2019 Auto Shanghai. Its siblings have its premiere at the same show in China where the three-row EV, at least initially, will be presented exclusively.
Although VW has not completely excluded the ID.6 to the United States, it will remain a sole case in China for the time being. Like the smaller ID.4, it will be available in the People’s Republic in two separate versions – each built by the local joint ventures with FAW and SAIC. The ID.6 X and ID.6 Crozz are introduced today with slightly different designs (both avoiding the sliding doors of the concept) and virtually identical mechanisms.
VW is tight-lipped about the technical specifications of its new electric sports utility vehicle, but the juicy numbers appear to be courtesy of the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The ID.6 was approved by the MIIT earlier this year, which published fully revealing images and a spacious specification page on the publicly available website.
To accommodate the third row, the wheelbase was stretched by a full 200 millimeters (almost 7.9 inches) to 2,965 mm (116.7 in) compared to the ID.4. With a total length of 4876 mm (192 inches), the ID.6 is almost 300 mm (11.8 inches) longer than its five-seater SUV sibling. The increased footprint also means it is heavier, which we expect to negatively impact efficiency and performance.
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Speaking of performance, the ID.6 version published on the MIIT website has the same rear-wheel drive as the ID.4 (and ID.3), with a single electric motor developing 201 hp. However, we also expect that the two-engine four-wheel drive setup of the upcoming ID.4 GTX will be offered, which means that the output will reach the 300 hp point.
Although the ID.6 may one day come to the US or not, it has already been confirmed that another electric mover from VW will hit the state. We’re talking about the much-hyped ID Buzz as the modern Microbus with an EV twist, which is planned for a Euro release next year, followed by a North American launch in 2023.