322bhp VW ID3 GTX Performance Costs Golf R Money
The Volkswagen ID3 GTX is a big moment for Volkswagen ā it can be viewed as a sort of trial run for the form a future electric Golf GTI might take. In the here and now, though, it exists alongside hot Golfs with petrol power, and in range-topping Performance form, early adopters will need to pay similar money to an optioned-up Golf R.
The GTX Performance gets a single motor sending 322bhp to the rear wheels, driven by a new 79kWh battery. That means itās good for 62mph in 5.6 seconds, a figure that leaves it slap-bang in the middle between the recently-updated R and GTI versions of the Golf in terms of acceleration. Top speed, meanwhile, is a high-for-an-EV 124mph. It sits above a non-Performance GTX, which gets 282bhp and a 111mph top end.
The new battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in a forecast 26 minutes, and the quoted range is 369 miles.
Volkswagen ID3 GTX Performance – interior
As per usual for VW hot hatches, exterior changes are relatively subtle: the GTX gets new model-specific front and rear bumpers and side skirts, and standard 20-inch alloys. Inside, there are new sports seats, GTX-specific dashboard trim and lots of red stitching, because sportiness.
While pricing hasnāt been confirmed for the lower-powered GTX, the Performance starts at Ā£46,225. Thatās a considerably higher entry point than any hot Golf ā the most expensive version of the Mk8.5 is the R estate, which starts at Ā£44,685.
Volkswagen ID3 GTX Performance – side
VW board member Kai GrĆ¼nitz calls the GTX Performance an āelectric counterpartā to the Golf GTI Clubsport, pricing of which kicks off at Ā£41,655. We are, however, promised āthe same fascinating lightnessā under acceleration.
Perhaps the biggest point of comparison for the GTX Performance isnāt a Golf, though, but its identically-specced Spanish relative, the Cupra Born VZ. That car starts at Ā£44,625 ā would you spend nearly Ā£2,000 more for a VW badge?
