Volkswagen ID 6 X 2021 first drive

This is the Volkswagen ID 6 SUV, which was until recently considered to be a China-only model within the German brand's rapidly expanding ID sub-range.

However, that positioning in the global line-up might be about to change, because rumour has it this car – Volkswagen's biggest battery-powered model to date – is heading for Europe as an import.

The ID 6 is essentially an extended-wheelbase version of the ID 4, designed to seat as many as seven people. In every other dimension, the two cars are very similar, the ID 6 being less than 40mm taller and 30mm longer than the ID 4. In fact, in the flesh, the only easy way of visually differentiating the two is via the badges on the bootlid and the ID 6's larger rear window.

Two variants exist – the ID 6 X tested here and the stockier-looking ID 6 Crozz, with each being made by one of Volkswagen's Chinese joint-venture partners (SAIC Volkswagen builds the X in Shanghai, while FAW-Volkswagen builds the Crozz in Foshan).

Under the skin, four powertrain configurations will be offered in China. There will be RWD with either the 58kWh or 77kWh battery and 177bhp or 201bhp; and the range-topper will be a 302bhp, 77kWh car with AWD.

It's the flagship we're testing here, and while no official figures yet exist for range, we would expect this car to manage slightly less than the ID 4 GTX's 298 miles.

The pervading sense of familiarity with the ID 6 extends to the simplistic interior. It gets the same 5.3in instrument display as the ID 4, along with the 12in infotainment touchscreen. Control for the latter is largely via touch-sensitive icons, but there are also some capacitive buttons lined up beneath. Frankly, these could be more sensitive, as we've learned with ID models already in the UK, especially for selecting things such as the driving mode. The user interface also remains an issue in general.

Materials in this top of the line Prime-trim car are nevertheless of good quality, and there are plenty of soft-touch elements beyond the quilt-effect setats. However, the almost pink-hued plastic marking the upper and lower dashboard division in this car does feel somewhat cheap. Hard plastics elsewhere aren't too hard to find.

Where the Touareg-sized ID 6 excels concerns space. The second row is truly sprawling and the third row will be quite usable by most adults, although taller passengers will struggle to get comfortable for longer journeys – mostly on account of the modest leg room but also because head room is impinged by the gently sloping roofline.