All-wheel-drive VW ID.4 shown; outside the U.S. will it wear the GTX badge?

On Wednesday, Volkswagen unveiled a new top-of-the-line version of its ID.4 battery-electric compact crossover.

This version is called the ID.4 GTX and features a twin-cylinder engine with around 302 horsepower, an all-wheel drive system, and sporty design elements inside and out.

VW has confirmed that the ID.4 GTX will not be sold in the U.S., but we will get the same "edgy" powertrain in an upcoming model known as the ID.4 AWD Pro. The ID.4 AWD Pro will be powered by an 82 kWh battery and will be sold starting at $44,890.

GTX.

GTX is VW's new brand name for electric vehicles, similar to the GTI, GTE, GTD and GLI badges used for internal combustion engine vehicles.

VW has not stated why the GTX badge was not introduced here. Perhaps because it does not want to remind local buyers of the Jetta GTX of the early 1990s; perhaps VW also realizes the association with Plymouth GTX muscle cars.

The ID.4 GTX is estimated to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds, with a top speed of 112 mph; similar figures are expected for the ID.4 AWD Pro.

The ID.4 went on sale in the U.S. in early spring. Prices for it start at $41,190. It comes standard with the same 82 kWh battery as the ID.4 GTX, but with only a single rear-mounted 201 hp motor. The range in this configuration, according to the EPA, is 250 miles.

In 2022, when ID.4 production begins at VW's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, non-emergency buyers can expect a lower starting price; VW claims that once local production begins, the starting price will drop to around $35,000. The ID.4 is currently shipped from a factory in Germany.