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Off-roading is cool, and VW is looking for ways to show that its new ID.4 all-electric SUV can be cool, too. It’s created a new off-road version of the fun VW D.4 that ditches that regular SUVs dowdy lines and jacks them up to create an EV that looks like it can take on the next stage of a rally. Could this beefier concept preview a new ID.4 SUV?

Volkswagen calls this the ID.XTREME an off-road concept car

VW ID.XTREME off-road concept driving
VW ID.XTREAM concept | VW

VW answered the question that nobody was asking; What happens when you turn an electric commuter SUV into a beefy off-road runner? The basics are simple, VW added a “performance drive” on the rear axle and adjusted the car’s software to give this all-wheel drive EV crossover off-road ability. The improvements added 87 horsepower, to a total of 382 horsepower.

The new system and tweaks to the software mean that this crossover concept can now accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (or 100 kph) in 5.3 seconds. That’s more than three seconds faster than the stock ID.4 in rear-wheel drive trim. The new ID.XTREME is also 30mm higher, 20mm wider, and it has 18-inch wheels. In some ways it echoes VW’s EV Baja racer.

But, for an off-road vehicle designed to ford water and mud, VW missed the obvious pun in this concept’s name: why not call it the X-STREAM instead of XTREME?

Can the regular ID.4 go off-road?

Any car is an off-roader if you’re off road. But, the ID.4 is not specifically designed to go off road, even though it is available with all-wheel drive. The base ID.4 starts at $37,495 and comes as a rear-wheel drive crossover. The step up to all-wheel drive requires the ID.4 AWD Pro trim, which starts at $46,295. The Pro is nearly as quick as the new ID.XTREME, with a 0-60 acceleration time of 5.7 seconds.

This crossover is designed to get five people to and fro in comfort, not to bomb the nearest fire road. It has a very car-like 6.7 inches of clearance, which won’t be of much use on the trail. But, it’s plenty for getting around town. Though the stock car has a range of about 260 miles, or 324 for the upgraded ID.4 Pro, VW didn’t give range specs for the new ID.XTREME concept.

What parts of the new ID.XTREME could come to the ID.4?

VW ID.XTREME interior
The ID.EXTREME interior | VW

Concept cars like the ID.XTREME often preview new features that designers are considering for the next versions of a car. In this case, it seems like VW is testing new interior goodies. It could possibly use it to upgrade the GTX appearance package, or maybe the ID.BUZZ van. However, AutoWeek points out that since the ID.4 is made in Tennessee, VW could make a marekt-specific ID.4.

In the ID.XTREME, the center of the rear seat was removed to accommodate a fold-through hatch. In front, VW added a fixed console and some different trim. VW also used the concept to show off its ability to change the sound to fit its character.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.