Volkswagen revealed a new, full-sized ID.Era 9X SUV at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, a giant three-row model that will top the brand’s range in China. The German company is deadly serious about regaining its foothold in the Chinese car market, and it’ll do so with cars derived from three different joint ventures, each tailored to regional preferences. The biggest is the ID.Era 9X, and it’s built in collaboration with Shanghai-based SAIC, the parent company of MG. But the 9X’s importance goes beyond just rekindling success in China. According to Andy Mindt, VW’s global design boss, the brand’s new-generation Chinese models will act as a test bed for European offerings, previewing elements of what we might expect to see here in future. While not directly related to a specific model set for the UK, the ID.Era 9X provides us with a closer look at some of the technology that a future high-end SUV, such as a new Touareg, could feature. VW is already working on a new flagship SUV due later this decade for Europe, and we know that it’s the first car from the brand to be built on its new, hi-tech SSP platform. In terms of scale, this should match the current car, and could form a technical basis for other high-end SUVs from the Volkswagen Group too. Any connection to the ID.Era, for now, is likely to be focused on the in-cabin technology and design. VW has developed fascinating new tech, for example, that’s able to feed an image to a screen mounted behind trim panels. On the new ID.Era, the driver’s display is a high-resolution screen integrated into the wooden trim on the dashboard. However, when it’s switched off, the display disappears, leaving only the wooden trim on show. The same type of hidden displays are used on the rear doors, too, controlling things like the adjustable seats, ambient lighting and in-cabin entertainment. Under the bonnet is a clever range-extender hybrid system, unique to the ID.Era 9X. This pairs a 1.5-litre VW-sourced turbocharged engine with either one or two electric motors. There are also two battery options available, one at 51.1kWh and the other a massive 65.2kWh. Range is quoted at up to 248 miles when fitted with the larger battery pack – and as it runs on an 800V electrical system, it’ll be able to recharge those batteries from 10-80 per cent in just 17 minutes. This, remember, is all before the petrol engine kicks in, and when that’s taken into account, range is rated at a huge 992 miles. Peak power is equally impressive, with up to 510bhp available in the top-spec all-wheel-drive model. However, as MG has already told us, this type of range-extender powertrain is struggling to adhere to tough Euro 7 emissions regulations – ironic when it’s designed to mostly run on electric drive. The five-metre-plus SUV class isn’t just popular in China and the USA, as it’s growing rapidly in the UK and Europe, too. It’s well documented that Audi is making its own three-row flagship, and Mercedes’ GLS is selling in high numbers, too. The long-wheelbase Range Rover and Bentley’s extended wheelbase Bentayga are other options. So while there are some elements we can take from the ID.Era 9X and imagine them in a future Touareg, it’s very clear this is a project designed to make a statement in China. However, if a £100,000 VW was to arrive in the UK, would you consider it over a more overtly luxurious SUV of a similar size? We’d hazard a guess that it would like to know the answer.
