Volkswagen ID.6 sounds perfect for Australia… except

April 23, 2021April 29, 2021 EV Central team 6842 Views

Volkswagen has rolled a seven-seat electric SUV that sounds perfect for Australia considering our love of high-rise wagons.

The trouble is the ID.6, effectively a stretched three row version of the ID.4, is only headed for China.

Unveiled at the Shanghai auto show this week, the ID.6 debuted in two versions, the ID.6 Cross X and the ID.6 X.

Almost identical, they will be built in different parts of the countries by different Chinese VW joint-venture partners.

At the moment there is no confirmation the ID.6 will ever be sold anywhere other than China, although a VW spokesman in the US admitted to media it was “conceivable” it would go to North America.

Locally, we’ve got the added issue that VW’s EV roll-out is being delayed by a lack of government encouragement for zero emissions vehicles.

As recently as Thursday Volkswagen Group Australia was a signatory to a full-page ad in The Age newspaper in Melbourne attacking the Victorian government’s plan for an EV tax.

A couple of weeks ago VW was warning Australia would become a “dumping ground’ for old automotive technology because of the federal government’s inaction on mandatory emissions regulations and fuel standards.

Based on the VW Group’s scalable MEB battery electric vehicles architecture, as per the ID.3 compact hatch and recently crowned world car of the year, the ID.4, the ID.6 will be available in four configurations with a claimed range varying from 436km to 588km (China NEDC).

As per other MEB models, the ID.6 offers 58kWh and 77kWh (net) battery packs, single and dual-motor drivetrains and power outputs ranging from 132kW to 225kW.

The dual-motor 4Motion ID.6 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 160km/h.

At 4876mm, the ID.6 is about 300mm longer than the ID.4, allowing the third row of seats to be fitted. Six and seven seat versions are available.

Standard ID.6 equipment includes sliding second row seats, a panoramic sunroof, touchscreen and voice control of cabin functions (rather than buttons and switches), over the air updates and 19- to 21-inch alloy wheels choices.