Volkswagen turns the GTX voltage up on the ID.3 and ID.7 Tourer

Having breathed new life into the GTX moniker as its performance nameplate for electric vehicles with the unveiling of the ID.4 three years ago, Volkswagen has now applied the nomenclature to two further models, the ID.3 and the freshly launched ID.7 Tourer.

A pair of firsts

Representing a number of firsts for Wolfsburg, the ID.3 GTX not only becomes its debutant performance electric hot hatch, but also an effective preview of the all-electric Mk 9 Golf GTI tipped for unveiling in 2026.

ALSO READ: Practical and EV meet as Volkswagen finally debuts ID.7 Tourer

In addition to being rear-wheel-drive – another hot hatch first – the ID.3 GTX sports a powered-up Performance variant that produces a smidgen more power and significantly more torque than the outgoing Golf 8 R.

For its part, the ID.7 Tourer GTX, which only debuted in standard guise last month, takes the accolade of Volkswagen’s first performance electric station wagon only Europe will be privy to.

ID.3 GTX

Modelled on the updated ID.3 that debuted just over 12 months ago, the GTX is again based on the EV dedicated MEB platform, and while fundamentally unchanged from its sibling dimensionally, gains a series of bespoke, easy-to-spot touches inside and out.

Externally, these include GTX front and rear bumpers, extended door sills and black accents, the LED daytime running lights moved to the flanks of the bumper in a triangle design, 20-inch Skagen diamond-cut alloy wheels, a gloss black faux rear diffuser and a GTX badge in place of the ID.3 insignia underneath the Volkswagen logo on the tailgate.

Opting for the Performance package adds gloss black mirror caps and side sills to the mix, GTX badges on the doors and 235 section 20-inch wheels versus the standard model’s 215’s.

In total, five colours are available: Moonstone Grey, Glacier White Metallic, Scale Silver Metallic, Grenadilla Black Metallic and for the Performance only, the Kings Red Metallic from the Golf 5 GTI.

Opting for the latter hue also adds the option of a two-tone finish with a gloss back roof and blacked-out bootlid.

Inside, the GTX fittings comprise sports seats trimmed in fabric or imitation leather, GTX embroidered front and rear seat headrests, red stitch work, the same steering wheel as the Golf 8.5 GTI albeit with GTX badging and textile fabrics on the doors.

As part of the tech upgrade applied to the standard ID.3, the GTX comes fitted with the illuminated touch sliders for the climate control, the upgraded 12.9-inch infotainment system with integrated ChatGPT and Volkswagen’s latest software, plus an improved voice recognition system and optional Head-Up Display.

The biggest centre of attention, unsurprisingly, involves the power output where Volkswagen has fitted the ID.3 GTX with its latest APP550 electric motor positioned on the rear axle.

Combined with the uprated 79-kWh battery pack, output increases from 150kW/310Nm made by the ID.3 Pro S’ 77-kWh battery, to 210kW/545Nm.

The result is a limited top speed of 180 km/h, 0-100 km/h in six seconds and a claimed range of 600 km.

For the Performance model, an additional 30 kW has been extracted, with torque remaining unchanged. 0-100 km/h is therefore reduced to 5.6 seconds, while top speed increases to 200 km/h.

In both cases, the ID.3 GTX’s required waiting time is capped at 26 minutes from 10-80% when using a DC fast charger up to 175 kW.

ID.7 Tourer GTX

The second“ multi-purpose” GTX after the ID.4, the ID.7 Tourer, apart from its first performance EV estate status, also becomes Volkswagen’s most powerful station wagon above the Golf 8 R Estate.

Although lacking a Performance variant, the Tourer’s external changes comprise GTX front and rear bumpers, a gloss black honeycomb GTX air intake, the triangle LED fog lamps, wider door sills, a faux gloss black rear diffuser and a choice of standard 20-inch or optional 21-inch alloy wheels.

Similar to the ID.3 GTX are the colour options, the GTX badge on the tailgate and the option of a black roof, which in this instance, doesn’t extend to the tailgate.

Inside, the ergoActive front seats are trimmed in recycled micro-fibres and besides being heated and electric, feature red stitch work and GTX embroidery on the headrests.

Also included is the GTX multi-function steering wheel with red stitching, red accents on the dashboard and doors, and ChatGPT integrated into the 15-inch infotainment system.

Elsewhere, the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal panoramic roof has been carried over as an option, along with the augmented reality Head-Up Display.

The 50-watt wireless smartphone charger is, however, standard along with a sports tuned chassis and steering, the Matrix I.Q. LED headlights and dual-zone climate control.

Optional is tri-zone climate control and, as part of the Interior Plus Package, ventilated front seats and a 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system.

In terms of practically, boot space ranges from 603-litres to 1 714-litres with the rear seats folded flat.

As with the ID.3 GTX, the ID.7 Tourer GTX gets significantly more power, although in this case, the 86-kWh battery from the standard Pro S has been retained.

The introduction of a secondary electric motor though sees the GTX not only becoming all-wheel-drive, but more powerful by 40 kW for a total of 250 kW. Surprisingly, no torque figure or performance numbers were revealed.

Volkswagen did, however, confirm the standard fitting of the XDS+ electronic front differential and the adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control System as an option.

Similar to the regular ID.7 Tourer, the GTX supporting DC charging up 200 kW, which will require a waiting time of 30 minutes from 10-80%.

Not in local EV plans

Although announced at its first product Indaba last month as having started its EV evaluation programme for the local market, neither the ID.3 nor ID.7 Tourer form part of Volkswagen’s test fleet as this is solely occupied by the ID.4.

Despite this though, the latter won’t be offered for sale as Wolfsburg’s first mass selling electric vehicle in South Africa, with its initial allocation set to be reserved solely for the media from later this year.

NOW READ: Volkswagen charges ID.4 up to GTX