Volkswagen Just Built a Massive Range-Extender SUV and It’s Only for China

Key Points

• The VW ID. Era 9X is a large, luxury, China-exclusive, range-extender SUV.
• It boasts a minimalist design, oversized proportions, and a high-tech, screen-focused interior.
• Powered by a 1.5L turbocharged engine with one/two electric motors, up to 510 hp, and 600-plus miles of total range.

Another day, another EV. This time, however, it’s a massive range-extender Volkswagen, which is unlikely to find its way out of China. The brainchild of the VW-SAIC joint venture, the ID. Era 9X is a massive six-seater luxury SUV targeting the affluent Chinese, with its Range Rover-like minimalism, glitzy interior, and huge proportions.

Aside from VW’s insistence on weird and wacky names, there’s nothing fussy about the 9X overall. “Imposing yet subdued” was perhaps the design brief. Although the designers may have taken the “imposing” aspect a bit too far. The 205-inch-long VW will likely not be mistaken for anything else on the road. Maybe its corporate siblings from Europe, the Audi Q9 or a Bentley Bentayga EWB, are worthy opponents. That is, whenever the Q9 shows its face. Width and height are 78.6 inches and 71.2 inches, respectively, with the 9X riding on a long ​​120.8-inch wheelbase—truly gargantuan proportions for a VW, shall we say.

According to Motor1, this Range-extender VW tips the scales at just shy of 6,000 pounds. What may seem underwhelming is that all this mass is put in motion with the help of a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, one or two electric motors, and a 65.2 kWh battery pack. The engine is rated at 141 horsepower, while the combined output for the base rear-wheel drive model is 295 horsepower and 510 for the all-wheel drive variant. Being an EREV, VW reckons the ID. Era 9X is capable of 249 miles of CLTC range from the battery alone, while the total range is expected to be north of 600 miles.

Details are scarce about the interior, but an all-screen affair is evident up front, with minimal, if not no, physical buttons at all. From the press photos, it’s clear that there is a massive fold-down display for the rear passengers that unlocks a theater-like viewing experience. Although we’re unsure of the screen size, it doesn’t seem to be as large as the 40-inch item inside this ultra-luxury Chinese EV. As you may have guessed, this huge VW isn’t headed to the United States or Europe anytime soon, but a few EREVs of a more palatable size are coming.