ID.7

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Sedan

Volkswagen has been innovating a lot lately in its efforts to dominate the electric car industry. Among its hotly-anticipated arrivals is the new Volkswagen ID.6, a car that we're still hoping will make its way to the American market. We've already seen what the ID.6 X three-row crossover will look like thanks to a leak in China, but ahead of its debut at the Auto Shanghai Show later this month, Volkswagen has teased the SUV one more time. The images are shadowy, but they confirm that the ID.6 X will be a rather handsome vehicle with a couple of variations on its illuminated grille design.

We don't yet know what the different light patterns on the grilles of these pre-production vehicles is intended to signify, but we're sure that some explanation will follow the reveal. Perhaps these different patterns signify different trims or models with different range claims. Currently, we expect that the ID.6 X will feature an 82-kilowatt-hour battery providing almost 300 miles of range. It will share its MEB electric architecture with the rest of Volkswagen's range of ID-branded EVs and will likely generate around 300 horsepower - more than enough for a family vehicle such as this. If those specs prove accurate, Volkswagen will likely achieve its goal of overtaking Tesla.

It'll take a lot more than just a couple of different grille illumination designs to dethrone Tesla though. Its Model Y is capable of offering over 300 miles of range and with as much as 480 horsepower propelling the SUV to a top speed of up to 155 mph, the Tesla choice seems like the more rounded offering.

We expect Volkswagen to counter this with innovative features, excellent build quality, and a more luxurious interior. However, if the car is launched here, pricing could be an issue as we expect that it will be around $10k more expensive than the cheapest Model Y, which starts at around $40k. Keep an eye out for more details after the Shanghai auto show, which runs from April 21-28.