Volkswagen ID 2 based EV SUV to get 4WD option

Volkswagen is readying an all-new entry level EV SUV that will be based on the ID 2 EV hatchback and sit under the popular VW ID 3. The new EV SUV is expected to be christened ID 2X and have SUV specific cues like more ground clearance and a 4WD option.

1. VW ID 2X SUV to be based on ID 2 EV hatch
2. Will get optional 4WD
3. Could also get a performance variant

Sources tell us that the VW ID 2X SUV is on hold, and is yet to be greenlit for series production. Introducing a more rugged iteration of the ID 2 hatchback will allow Volkswagen to mirror its current entry level petrol powered line-up, consisting of the popular latest-gen VW Polo and the T-Cross (sold as the Taigun in India).

This new ID 2X EV SUV will sit on an even more engineered version of the MEB Entry skateboard platform that has been specifically designed for entry-level EVs of various bodystyles.

The introduction of a four-wheel drive system in the ID 2 line-up also raises the intriguing possibility of an electric successor to the current high performance Volkswagen Golf R sold internationally, which would provide Volkswagen with a baby hot EV to rival Abarth’s new 500e and the upcoming Alpine R5. It has already been confirmed that Volkswagen’s R performance brand will be electric only by 2030, with “several electric R models in the planning stages”.

Volkswagen earlier hinted at its plans for 4WD hot hatchbacks with the ID X concept – a lowered, lightened and stiffened version of the ID 3 with 329hp, a 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds and a dedicated drift mode. However, it remains to be seen if the smaller version of the MEB platform could accommodate this level of power and the associated chassis revisions.

Volkswagen line-up for India

Volkswagen currently sells multiple petrol-powered models in India ranging from the Virtus sedan, the Taigun and the Tiguan SUVs. As far as EVs go, the brand is currently testing the VW ID 4 SUV that is likely to go on sale in India sometime this year.

What are your thoughts on the ID 2X SUV? Let us know in the comments below.