The ID.6 is the ID.4’s really big brother

The fully electric family SUV, VW’s largest electric car so far, is one of the stars of the Shanghai Motor Show in China and that is where it is staying. The ID.6 has been developed exclusively for the Chinese market which is where it is being made.

It is still interesting for us because it shows what VW designers can achieve using the kit of modular electric car bits known as MEB. That kit already forms the basis of the ID models we do get here, the ID.3 hatch and the ID.4 compact SUV. It also shows that VW’s ID ambitions extend upwards and that such a larger model needn’t look ungainly. We rather like its grown-up T-Roc styling.

The ID.6 is 30cm longer than the ID.4 but still well under 5m (at 4.88m) and said to be impressively spacious inside, even with all seven seats occupied, thanks to a lot of the extra length going inside the wheelbase. Adjustable second-row seats, a glass panoramic roof and an all-digital interior without any physical buttons or switches all feature.

The best version gets 301PS (225kW), all-wheel-drive, 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and a range of 365 miles from its 77kWh battery.

VW may not sell the ID.6 you see here outside China but rest assured that one of the new ID models the company plans to launch each year from now on is sure to be a larger family model. VW has already stated its IDs will “cover all sectors” on its way to hitting a 70 per cent electric car target in Europe by 2030. The ID.6 gives us a taste at least of what we can expect.