VW Launches Hybrid SUV With Giant Monitor
The first Volkswagen production model with a range extender features an interior that differs significantly from the brand’s typical design language.
With the upcoming ID.2, inspired by the Polo, Volkswagen has promised a broader return to physical buttons. However, traditional controls will not be reintroduced everywhere.
Ralf Brandstätter, Volkswagen’s head of operations in China, said last year that while Europeans are nostalgic for the days of analog switches and buttons, Chinese buyers prefer something entirely different: “AI-first, connected vehicles with seamless voice control and smart cockpits.”
Europeans Want More Buttons, Chinese Buyers Want Huge Screens
With the VW ID. Era 9X, Chinese customers get exactly that. The new XL SUV for the world’s largest automotive market has an interior that—apart from the brand logo—is hardly recognizable as a typical Volkswagen cabin.
The six-seat SUV uses very few traditional controls. Physical buttons are kept to a minimum. Instead, a dual display with two 15.6-inch screens dominates the cockpit.
Rear passengers also benefit from a 21.4-inch screen that folds down from the ceiling, similar to the setup in the BMW 7 Series. Passengers in the second-row captain’s chairs also have door-mounted projectors that display various multimedia content. The traditional digital instrument cluster has been replaced by a head-up display, although the massive screens beside it will likely draw most of the attention.
Volkswagen has also installed extensive ambient lighting throughout the cabin. In total, 12.8 meters of LED light strips extend up to the roof area and frame a panoramic glass roof.
The interior features a completely flat floor—after all, this is an electric vehicle. However, it is not just any EV; it is Volkswagen’s first model with a gasoline engine acting as a range extender.
Electric SUV With Four-Cylinder Engine as a Range Extender
Alongside the release of the interior images, SAIC Volkswagen has announced the start of production for the range-extender engine.
The system uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the well-known EA211 engine family, producing 104 kW (141 hp). Volkswagen explains that the engine uses the Lambda-1 combustion method under all operating conditions, where λ describes the air-fuel ratio.
When λ = 1, the air and fuel mixture is perfectly balanced. This means there is exactly enough air available to completely burn the fuel, ensuring efficient combustion, maximum energy output, and lower emissions.
Mazda plans to follow a similar concept with its upcoming Skyactiv-Z engine, expected to debut next year in the CX-5 with a proprietary hybrid system. Porsche’s T-Hybrid system is also designed to operate at the ideal air-fuel ratio of 14.7:1.
Large SUV With Up to 400 km Electric Range
The ID. Era 9X will be available with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, featuring either a single-motor or dual-motor setup.
The SUV is enormous by Volkswagen standards. It measures 5,207 mm in length, 1,997 mm in width, and 1,810 mm in height. The generous 3,070 mm wheelbase provides space for a 51.1 kWh battery, or an optional 65.2 kWh battery pack, which comes standard in the all-wheel-drive version.
The larger battery is expected to provide an electric range of up to 400 km, although this figure is based on China’s more lenient CLTC test cycle.
Part of VW’s Major China EV Strategy
As expected, the model is also among the heaviest vehicles Volkswagen has ever developed. The dual-motor variant can weigh up to 2,700 kg.
At the same time, the Era 9X introduces a new design language aimed specifically at Chinese customers, including new exterior colors such as Fairy Green and Desert Gold. According to Volkswagen, the screen-dominated interior combines “German aesthetics with Eastern charm.”
According to Motor1, the ID. Era 9X is intentionally not a typical Volkswagen—and that is exactly the point. The goal is to develop a vehicle designed specifically for China rather than adapting a global model by simply extending the wheelbase, which had often been the strategy in the past.
The ID. Era 9X will be the first of more than 20 New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) that Volkswagen plans to introduce in China by 2027. NEVs include both fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
Whether Volkswagen’s major product push in China will succeed remains to be seen, given the intense competition in the market. Just recently, reports highlighted the difficult launch of Audi’s new China-focused brand, AUDI (without the four rings), whose first model—the E5 Sportback—may struggle to attract buyers after the initial excitement fades.
