Volkswagen Teases ID.4 GTX, First of a Line of Performance EVs

• VW has announced that it will brand the sportier, faster versions of its upcoming electric-vehicle lineup as "GTX."

• The new branding starts with the all-wheel-drive ID.4 GTX, which has a second motor on the front axle.

• The official unveiling of the ID.4 GTX doesn't come until April 28, but until then we can see the logo, at least.

Volkswagen is set to officially unveil a faster all-wheel-drive version of the ID.4 later this month, one that will carry the new GTX branding the company says it will be using to indicate higher-performance versions of its pure electric models.

In Europe, Volkswagen already uses GTI, GTD, and GTE branding – respectively for gasoline, diesel, and plug-in-hybrid models, with the badges applied variously to faster versions of the Golf, Polo, Passat, and even the baby Up! But on our side of the Atlantic, GTI is a model in its own right, and it's also the only member of the eighth-generation Golf clan to be sold in the States. While GTX branding hasn’t been used in the States before, it has featured in other markets. The 1984 Jetta GLI was sold as a GTX in some territories, including Canada.

The ID.4 GTX will be officially announced on April 28, but we’re told that the branding will also be used on other ID models. GTX versions will be distinguished by extra performance and, in the case of the ID.4, all-wheel drive through an additional motor on the front axle, which is the first time this will be offered on an ID model.