by New SUV from Volkswagen, Designed for China
While more and more automakers are focusing their efforts on the rapidly growing Chinese electric vehicle market, buyers in other regions of the world may miss some interesting new models. The Volkswagen ID. Era 9X is one of the latest examples, and this model offers many interesting solutions.
Information about the new crossover appeared after documents were submitted to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as well as from Volkswagen itself. This full-size extended-range SUV was created by the SAIC Volkswagen joint venture and is designed to compete in a market that combines the advantages of electric drive and practicality for long trips.
Fully electric crossovers are becoming increasingly common in China, but they still do not meet the needs of every buyer. This is where extended-range electric vehicles come to the fore, where a gasoline engine is used solely to charge the battery.
Dimensions and Design of the Model
The Volkswagen ID. Era 9X, which interestingly shares the same 9X index as the EREV crossover from Zeekr, surpasses in size many popular Western models, including the VW Atlas and Touareg. It is even slightly longer than the BMW X7. The car’s overall length is 5207 mm, width is 1997 mm, and height is 1810 mm. The wheelbase is 3070 mm.
For comparison, the BMW X7 has a length of 5181 mm, width of 2000 mm, height of 1805 mm, and a wheelbase of 3105 mm. Thus, the ID. Era 9X turns out to be slightly longer and taller, although somewhat narrower and with a smaller wheelbase. Given its dimensions, it firmly occupies a place in the segment of full-size premium off-road vehicles.
The exterior design of the production model remained very close to the ID. Era concept, which Volkswagen presented at the beginning of last year. The premium and modern appearance has hardly changed during the transition to series production.
Volkswagen has not yet revealed the interior details of the production car. However, if it is close to the concept, one can expect a massive infotainment system spanning the entire width of the dashboard. An additional roof-mounted display for rear-seat passengers may also be available. Technical specifications confirm that the ID. Era 9X will have six seats in a 2+2+2 layout.
Available Powertrains
The most interesting part is hidden under the hood. The ID. Era 9X is an extended-range electric vehicle where the gasoline engine is used only to charge the battery. Volkswagen will offer three powertrain configurations with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.
The base model is equipped with a single electric motor on the rear axle with a power of 220 kW (295 hp), powered by a 51.1 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery. The battery-only range is up to 267 km. The car’s weight is 2600 kg.
The second version uses the same electric motor on the rear axle but receives a larger 65.2 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery. This upgrade increases the electric range to 340 km. The weight increases to 2620 kg.
Finally, the top version retains the 65.2 kWh battery but adds a second electric motor on the front axle, increasing the total power to 380 kW (510 hp). This configuration increases the weight to 2700 kg. The battery-only range slightly decreases to 321 km.
Complete data on the total range (electricity plus gasoline) has not yet been published, but all three configurations are expected to be able to cover over 1000 km, depending on the final fuel tank capacity.
Plans for the Global Market
Information on pricing has not been disclosed yet and is expected to be announced in the coming months before the start of official sales. While entry into Western markets is not confirmed, there are small grounds for optimism regarding individual regions.
Mazda already exports its models produced in China by joint ventures to Europe and Australia, and Nissan is preparing to do the same. It cannot be ruled out that Volkswagen will consider similar steps for the ID. Era 9X, at least in certain international markets, although the appearance of this model in the USA is almost impossible.
The emergence of the ID. Era 9X vividly illustrates how specific regional markets are becoming, especially in the era of electric vehicles. Chinese buyers receive a product perfectly adapted to local conditions and preferences – a large, technological SUV with a solution to the “long-range” problem, allowing independence from the development of charging infrastructure. It also shows the growing independence of Chinese divisions of global auto giants in product development. The question of whether such models will become more global, as is already beginning to happen with Japanese brands, remains open, but the trend towards product localization is only intensifying.
