It’ll come as no surprise that Europe is once again enjoying some unique European cars that the U.S. sadly won’t. Today, those two pieces of forbidden fruit are the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX and ID.7 GTX Tourer. In case you weren’t familiar, “GTX” means performance for VW’s EVs, so we’ve got one hot hatch and one hot wagon to cover.
Starting with the ID.3 GTX (that you’ll see in the gallery at the top of this post), it’s essentially a spicier version of the ID.3 electric hatchback on sale in Europe today. Power is goosed up to 282 horsepower, or 322 horsepower if you opt for the “Performance” model of the GTX. That power is doled out exclusively to the rear wheels, resulting in a rear-drive hot hatchback that can do 0-62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. We like the sound of that.
VW also tosses in a unique suspension with its DCC adaptive dampers; the battery pack is slightly larger for more range than the base ID.3, and it gets a unique front fascia, glossy black trim aplenty and 20-inch wheels to set it apart on the road. Inside, the GTX adds high-bolstered sport seats, red trim and stitching all over and a model-specific steering wheel.
Moving on to the wagon, this ID.7 GTX Tourer ups the ante on the electric long roof over and above the standard ID.7 Tourer. It features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain good enough for 335 horsepower, making it the most powerful wagon VW’s ever produced, narrowly beating out the slick Arteon R Shooting Brake for the crown.
Design changes include a GTX-specific front bumper and honeycomb grille along with black-painted accents everywhere and unique light graphics. You get special 20-inch wheels, GTX-specific seats and steering wheel. Red accents similar to those found in the ID.3 GTX can be seen throughout the cabin of the ID.7 version, too.
Volkswagen says these two GTX models will be launching in Europe soon, but don’t expect either to make it stateside. It’s too bad, because we could definitely use some affordable hatchback and wagon options in the performance EV space.
