With the new ID.4 GTX, Volkswagen is showing the first sporty top-of-the-range electric model on April 28th: In Europe, the respective performance models of the ID. Family will wear the logo GTX in the future. Similar to GTI and GTE, it stands for its own product brand - it charges the world of electric mobility from Volkswagen with new, intelligent sportiness.

"The letters GT have long stood for driving pleasure," says Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Marketing and Sales at the Volkswagen brand. “Now the X is building the bridge to the mobility of the future. Sustainability and sportiness are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other intelligently. "

The GTX models are particularly impressive when it comes to performance and design. An additional electric motor on the front axle brings the all-wheel drive into the ID. family designed for maximum efficiency. The additional motor switches on intelligently within a few milliseconds when very high performance or strong traction are required. In the new “Traction” driving mode, it is even permanently activated.

In addition, sporty design details and their own light signature underline the top performance of the GTX models.

The new product brand for the ID. Family gives the ACCELERATE corporate strategy a further boost. Volkswagen wants to become the most desired brand for sustainable mobility. The goal is to increase the share of pure electric cars in Europe to 70 percent of sales by 2030. Volkswagen wants to become climate neutral by 2050; around 16 billion euros will be invested in e-mobility, hybridization and digitization by 2025.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Today, the first customers in Germany collected their fully electric Volkswagen ID.4 vehicles. The cars were handed over simultaneously in the delivery centers at the Transparent Factory in Dresden and the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. Thousands of other customers are due to follow, with the company planning to deliver around 150,000 ID.4 vehicles worldwide this year. By the end of February, 23,500 orders had already been received for this model across Europe – despite the fact that many car dealers were closed and ahead of the actual market launch in Germany.

Volkswagen Board Member for Sales Klaus Zellmer said: “The ID.4 launch has been very successful and the car has been well received by customers. We’ve still got great plans – we aim to deliver around 150,000 vehicles worldwide this year alone. That is about one third of our planned output of 450,000 electric vehicles in 2021. The world car is therefore a key pillar of our accelerated electric offensive.” Speeding up the electric offensive is a core element of Volkswagen’s ACCELERATE strategy.The company plans to launch at least one new fully electric model each year.

First customers are adding to their ID. family

There was something special about today’s handovers to the first customers in Dresden and Wolfsburg. Jacqueline Heyer-Mertens and Mario Heyer from Suhl (Thuringia) and Matthias Hoeper from Oyten (Bremen) already drive the ID.303 and have now purchased the ID.4 as well. “I just love the new ID. family so I had to buy another one straightaway,” said Mario Heyer. Matthias Hoeper explained: “I’m a great fan of electromobility. I’m pleased about the addition to the family and the fact that I’m one of the first people in Germany who gets to drive this car.”

Dealers ready to go – fully trained and with an exemplary hygiene concept

For our dealerships to be able to advise customers in the best possible way, a Europe-wide training roadshow is under way. In Germany alone, more than 10,000 dealership employees are taking part. As well as learning about the vehicle itself, they also receive training in all related areas of electromobility such as We Connect and charging. At the handover of the first vehicle in Dresden, the Head of Volkswagen in Germany, Holger B. Santel, said: “The ID.4 is now being rolled out to our fully prepared dealers. The employees have been trained well. In addition, dealers are operating an individual appointment system with a safe hygiene concept. Customers finally get to touch the ID.4, sit inside it, test drive it and order it.”

Digital leadership

The ID.4 sets new standards in digitalization. For example, it can regularly receive updates and new functions over the air. Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to provide this feature from summer this year. As a result, the vehicle will always be up to date. This functionality is also a key prerequisite for new business models. The top models ID.4 Tech and ID.4 Max additionally feature a world first in digital innovation: The augmented reality head-up display projects its display into the driver’s field of view, shows selected symbols dynamically and fuses them with reality. Digitalization and software integration are further central pillars of Volkswagen’s ACCELERATE strategy.

Net carbon neutral

Like the ID.3, the ID.4 is produced in Zwickau with an entirely carbon-neutral footprint. Delivery at Dresden and Wolfsburg is also net carbon neutral. The Zwickau factory recently started a third shift on the second assembly line for production of the ID. family. The goal is to produce more than 1,400 vehicles each working day during the summer in order to meet the high level of demand for the world car and the ID. family.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The new Taigo is raring to go! Ahead of the model’s official European première, Volkswagen has revealed the name of its upcoming crossover model. The Taigo is a new addition to Volkswagen’s range of SUVs in the small vehicle segment. It impresses with a dynamic and emotional design. The new model also comes with a multitude of assistance systems and state-of-the-art connectivity.

The wait is over for those who have been looking for a CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) that combines an elevated seating position with a sporty coupé silhouette. The new Taigo will be launched on the market with economical TSI engines, LED headlights as standard, a modern operating concept, a fully digital cockpit and a multitude of assist systems.

The Taigo is based on the successful Nivus model from Brazil, and will be manufactured for the European market in Pamplona, Spain. The new CUV will make its début this summer and will be launched on the market at the end of 2021.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The new Golf R, which has been on the market since the start of the year, outperforms all previous Golf R models, boasting 235 kW / 320 PS and a torque of 420 newton metres. To make sure that the power is brought to the road as effectively as possible, Volkswagen’s engineers have developed a new 4MOTION all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring on the rear axle. It forms the basis for the improved vehicle handling of the Golf R, which is setting the standard in its vehicle class.

The Golf R has traditionally been the most powerful model of the bestselling car. Featuring all-wheel drive and the most exclusive design and equipment, this highly dynamic car always represents the gold standard of technology within its class – the Golf class. And it’s no different this time around: the Golf R is the first Volkswagen to be launched with a new all-wheel drive system: 4MOTION with R-Performance Torque Vectoring. This system, intelligently networked via the vehicle dynamics settings, enables a new dimension of sportiness. 

“Our goal with the Golf R was to make its driving characteristics as neutral as possible. In other words, we want to ensure that the vehicle does not under- or oversteer – it should be as straightforward as possible to control at all times”, explains Jonas Thielebein, the engineer in charge of the Golf R. As a Volkswagen R developer, he takes particular pride in the torque vectoring system. Here, a new rear axle drive distributes the drive power not just between the front and rear axles, but also between the two rear wheels. This makes it possible to significantly increase the agility of the Golf R, particularly when cornering. “The selective wheel torque control allows you to take the car to new limits. Even at high speeds, the vehicle handling remains as neutral as possible”, Thielebein adds.

The R Performance Package

The Golf R can also be ordered with an optional R Performance Package, which increases the top speed to 270 km/h in this case. The R Performance Package also includes a larger, prominent rear spoiler for extra downforce on the rear axle, 19-inch wheels in the Estoril design and two additional driving profiles, “Special” (Nürburgring mode) and “Drift”. The driving profile selection can be rapidly accessed by lightly pressing the R button on the steering wheel.

Two driving profiles for maximum performance

Away from public roads, Drift mode opens up a whole new level of driving dynamics and further exploits the potential of torque vectoring by provoking oversteer instead of neutral vehicle handling: the maximum possible torque in this mode is available on the wheel located on the outside of the bend. The ESC in Drift mode is set to “Sport” as standard, meaning that the Golf R’s control electronics kick in at a very late stage. However, real drifts are also possible: the ESC just needs to be switched to OFF.

More control for drivers

In both modes of the R Performance Package, an accelerator pedal characteristic has been sensitively crafted in order to create an unfiltered sense of performance. This high degree of control is an advantage when it comes to perfect drifts on snow and ice, or on asphalt. In both Special and Drift mode, the gearbox calibration of the 420 Nm drive has been optimised in order to keep the rpm consistently high. In automatic mode, the dual clutch gearbox (DSG) thus switches up as late as possible and down as early as possible, which aids power development.

For the first time since the introduction of the DSG, the gearbox will stay in manual mode in both modes if the driver has selected this. Unintentionally slipping back into automatic mode is now a thing of the past. This is something that pros like Benjamin Leuchter have been waiting for a long time. As a brand ambassador and a test and development driver at Volkswagen, Leuchter has had significant input into the development and fine-tuning of the Golf R. “My verdict is clear: the Golf R is the stand-out model in the product line! With the new all-wheel drive, which distributes the power perfectly across the wheels, and the two new driving modes, the Golf R offers a hugely fun driving experience.”

Photo and video series in the Volkswagen Newsroom

A wide selection of drift shots on snow and ice is available in the download area of the Volkswagen Newsroom. Additionally, the Golf R Winter Challenge can be viewed on the Volkswagen and Volkswagen R channels. In this unique video series, Benjamin Leuchter and Swiss racing driver Jasmin Preisig go head-to-head in the Golf R.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com