Normally, when a new vehicle debuts, the test mules that helped develop the finished product are either crushed or tucked away in a warehouse like the Lost Ark in Indiana Jones. But Volkswagen took a different approach with one of its test vehicles for the ID.4. Instead, it was converted into the ID. Xtreme concept revealed today in Locarno, Switzerland, giving a taste of what an off-road version of Volkswagen's electric crossover could look like.
The concept is based on an ID.4 GTX, which is sold as the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive ID.4 in the United States sans the GTX badge. That means the ID. Xtreme sends power to all four wheels, and software changes to the drive control unit boost the output to 382 horsepower, 87 ponies more than the standard GTX.
The ID. Xtreme also gets, well, more extreme looks thanks to a raised suspension, 18-inch off-road wheels, and approximately 2.0-inch-wider 3D-printed wheel arches. A butch bull bar also protrudes from a redesigned front bumper, while an LED light bar is perched atop the roof to illuminate rough terrain at night. A completely closed aluminum underbody has been installed to protect the battery from pesky rocks and other debris.
The snazzy livery on the outside is apparently mirrored by orange accents on the interior, although Volkswagen didn't provide any photos of the cabin. Volkswagen also says there are redesigned seats and that many surfaces are wrapped in Alcantara. The ID. Xtreme has been fitted with a sound generator in the wheel well that projects some sort of driving noise created by Volkswagen's design team, although without a recording, we can only guess at what it sounds like.
We doubt anything like the ID. Xtreme will ever be offered by Volkswagen, although with Honda launching the TrailSport sub-brand, Subaru creating the Wilderness line, and Hyundai adding the XRT badge, off-road appearance packages have become a hot trend and Volkswagen might be inclined to join in.