Volkswagen ID. Era 9X Unveiled: A Digital Revolution with Screens Galore and Unique Range Extender Engine
Volkswagen is preparing a flagship SUV for China with an interior that hardly resembles the brand's familiar models. The ID. Era 9X will be the brand's first production car with a gasoline engine-generator (range extender) and will feature a fully digital cabin.
Interior: Screens instead of buttons
The six-seater SUV cabin has almost no regular buttons. The front panel is occupied by two 15.6-inch displays. A 21.4-inch screen, which retracts from the ceiling, is provided for the second and third-row passengers. Separate seats are installed in the second row, and projectors for displaying multimedia content are integrated into the doors.
There is no separate digital instrument panel — it is replaced by a heads-up display. The main focus, apparently, will be on the central screens. The cabin is integrated with 12.8 meters of contour lighting, including the ceiling around the panoramic roof. The floor is completely flat.
Gasoline Generator
In parallel with the publication of the interior images, the SAIC Volkswagen joint venture announced the start of production of the engine-generator. It is a 1.5-liter turbo unit of the EA211 family with a power of 141 hp.
Volkswagen claims that the engine uses the Lambda One combustion method in all operating modes. At λ = 1, the air-fuel ratio is stoichiometric: just enough air is available for complete combustion of the fuel. This increases efficiency and reduces emissions. A similar approach is implemented in future Mazda Skyactiv-Z powertrains and the Porsche T-Hybrid hybrid system.
Dimensions and Techniques
ID. Era 9X will be available with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive — with one or two electric motors, respectively. The dimensions of the model are:
- length — 5,207 mm
- width — 1,997 mm
- height — 1,810 mm
- wheelbase — 3,070 mm
Two battery options are provided: 51.1 kWh and 65.2 kWh. The more capacious battery is standardly installed on the all-wheel-drive version with a range of 400 km according to the CLTC cycle.
The curb weight of the dual-motor version can reach up to 2,700 kg, making the model one of the heaviest in Volkswagen's history.
For the Chinese market, a new design style and special body colors have been developed, including Fairy Green and Desert Gold. According to the company, the interior combines "German aesthetics and Eastern character."
Source: Motor1
