First driving test Volkswagen IDX: this is how the 340 hp ID3 drives

They have had good experiences in Wolfsburg with the ‘try it once’ principle. For example, in 2015, the MEB platform was born out of the blue and almost all electric models of the Volkswagen Group are based on it. Development engineer Andreas Reckewerth is one of those people who ‘try it once in a while’. He cares about the ID3 from the very beginning. Recently, he and his team have been tinkering, programming and testing. And what turned out? Indeed, more was possible. Meet the IDX, a 340 hp version of the electric Volkswagen. We had the exclusive opportunity to get acquainted with the prototype, accompanied by Ralf Brandstätter, chairman of the board of the Volkswagen brand. “Most people already know that you win every traffic light sprint with an electric car,” says the director. “The IDX also beats the GTI Clubsport in the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h. You don’t have to make concessions when you drive an EV and it doesn’t mean that you no longer experience driving pleasure, quite the contrary.”

The wild-looking ID3 in manganese gray with neon yellow striping, dubbed ‘the matte beast’ in Wolfsburg, completes the 0-100 sprint in 5.3 seconds. The Golf GTI Clubsport needs 5.7 seconds to do this. In the intermediate sprint from 80 to 120 km/h, the IDX is a full second faster than the GTI: 3.5 to 4.5 seconds. “The model is just a rear-wheel drive; four-wheel drive would become technically too complex,” says Brandstätter.

This is clearly noticeable when we meet at the test oval and the circuit, where Brandstätter and we take turns. You can opt for the ESC Sport and ESC Off modes, where the electronics only intervene at the very end (which the tires do not like, by the way). What a difference with the 146 to 204 horsepower that the regular ID3 has to offer. You can drift with this version.

VW counterpart

Of course, that’s not much use in everyday practice, but it’s nice and fun to have so much power in reserve. Herbert Diess, the company’s chief executive, once said of the Tesla Model 3 Performance that the car “went like a firefighter.” This must then be the VW counterpart. Incidentally, there is more suspension comfort than we expected, despite the 21-inch wheels with 245 tires. And it offers a good dose of driving pleasure. We hope that at Volkswagen they leave the sound of this car untouched, because it sounds really nice. It’s not artificial, you hear the turbine-like hum of the electric motor.

The team led by Reckewerth has achieved a fine example of sustainability with this model. The IDX resulted from an ID3 First Edition that was to be scrapped, a 62 kWh battery from an ID3 that had been involved in a collision and an ID4 GTX that had been subjected to a crash test.

Facelift before

The wishbones, brakes, struts and springs stem from the ID4, just like the Performance motor plus axle. The software was overhauled, as was the powertrain. The IDX weighs 1,933 kilograms and delivers a strong torque of 460 Nm. In the interior, a few things were adapted that are not to the liking of the customers; Volkswagen will integrate this from the end of November in new equipment variants of the ID3. The display measures 12 inches instead of 10 inches, the little-loved ‘sliders’ are now finally illuminated, the upholstery is higher quality and the inside of the doors are now covered with Alcantara. “We have taken the criticism of our customers to heart,” says Brandstätter. The facelift of the ID3 will take place earlier, at the beginning of 2023. The model will also receive new door panels, decorative stitching instead of plastic in waste container gray, a new front bumper and a different hood. The non-functioning parts of the shared rear lights will soon be equipped with lighting. Jozef Kabaň, the new chief designer, is responsible for the changes that should upgrade the ID3. The EV will also be more sustainable in the future, entirely in accordance with CEO Brandstätter’s wishes. For example, the roof liner is covered with fabrics woven from plastic waste from the sea. “It is most sustainable to use materials that have already been produced,” said the VW director. The IDX fits in perfectly with that.