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VW Has Spiced Up the ID.7 Sedan with Lots More Power, AWD

1
Jay Ramey
·3 min read
a light gray volkswagen sedan sits in a basement parking garage, with flared wheel arches, a rear wing, larger wheels
Here’s How VW Has Spiced up the ID.7 Sedanravir film

  • Volkswagen has built a dual-motor ID.7 sedan concept for the ID. Treffen event, creating a one-off dual-motor version dubbed ID.X Performance.

  • The dual-motor sedan produces 551 hp with VW having added a second motor to the front axle, in addition to body and suspension tweaks.

  • The automaker is widely expected to offer a dual-motor version of the ID.7 in the near future, but it is not known at this point if it will feature these exact specs.

Following the debut of the ID.7 earlier this spring, we knew it would not be long before we'd see a performance version of the electric sedan. Volkswagen obliged this month, revealing the ID.X Performance concept, built for the ID. Treffen event at Lake Maggiore in Switzerland.

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But is this something we're likely to see at the dealership once the greater ID.7 lineup arrives?

The ID.X Performance concept's exterior has certainly received a few tweaks including flared wheelarches and a wing for the trunk lid, as well as an aggressive front splitter and rear diffuser, both made from carbon fiber. The sedan has also been lowered by 2.3 inches and has benefitted from 20-inch wheels wearing size 265 tires.

On the inside, the ID.X Performance concept has been fitted with carbon bucket seats, with red stitching added to the dash and steering wheel trim as well. But other than that, VW has kept the interior mostly stock.

2024 vw idx performance concept
A carbon rear wing and diffuser, along with larger wheels and flared wheelarches, are just some of the modifications that VW has employed. ravir film

When it comes to actual performance, Volkswagen has given the ID.7 sedan a dual-motor layout good for 551 hp. An asynchronous motor up front has joined the permanently excited synchronous motor out back, with VW adding an extra screen to the center console to control the operation of the rear axle differential lock.

"The advantages of this drive type are a short-time overload capability and particularly low drag losses," the automaker notes. "As a result, this motor type is ideal for delivering short-term power in the form of a boost function."

No word on range, though that's perhaps not the main point of this build.

The ID.X churns out 551 hp, certainly a notable bump over the 282 hp offered by the single-motor RWD version of the ID.7, which is also the only version of the ID.7 we've seen thus far.

So consider this an early preview of a dual-motor ID.7 with some performance bits attached, even if the odds of getting a carbon wing of this type on a possible production model are rather remote. Maybe watch for it on the aftermarket?

2024 vw idx performance concept
VW has kept the interior mostly stock, adding a supplementary screen and sport seats, among other small details.ravir film

"Andreas Reckewerth and his team of engineers have maximized the potential of the MEB in this vehicle, combining sporty performance with the elegant lines of a limousine," said Maria Soni Reissfelder, Head of Marketing and Sales for the Volkswagen ID. Family.

It isn't clear when we'll see a dual-motor version of the ID.7 on sale, and just how spicy the menu will eventually become.

But so far Wolfsburg has been content not to mirror absolutely everything that Tesla has done in its own lineup for over a decade, so there has been no mention of a Ludicrous-like mode for its midsize electric sedan.

The standard ID.7 sedan will arrive early next year in RWD form, with production having started just weeks ago in Germany.

Should VW offer a dual-motor performance version of the ID.7 sedan with over 500 hp, or would the market for something like this be very thin? Let us know what you think.