2022 Volkswagen ID.6 detailed: Tiguan-sized seven-seat electric SUV takes on Tesla Model Y with 436km-plus range, but there's a catch

Volkswagen has taken the covers off its ID.6 mid-size all-electric SUV which it hopes will help it secure Chinese-market dominance.

Despite a name and shape seemingly a good fit for global markets, Volkswagen will offer this version of the ID.6 in China only, stating it intends to become the “number-one EV brand in the market”. The ID.6 is built in two versions for the Chinese market, with neither to be exported.

With dimensions of 4876mm long, 1848mm wide, and 1680mm tall and with the choice of six or seven seats, the ID.6 is roughly the same size as the brand’s conventionally powered Tiguan Allspace, and it will be available with either a 58kWh or 77kWh battery pack, good for a 436km or 588km range (measured to the Chinese NEDC standard).

Electric motors will be able to be chosen in either 132kW/220Nm, 150kW/220Nm, or 225kW/320Nm versions, all driving the front wheels via a single-speed reduction gear.

The ID.6 will offer a high level of computing power and connectivity for the Chinese market.

The ID.6 will be built in two factories in China as part of the country’s joint-venture policy whereby foreign manufacturers must lean on domestic entities in order to sell cars in its market. One version will be called the ID.6 X and built in conjunction with SAIC motor, the same parent company of MG and LDV, and another will be called the ID.6 Crozz and will be built in conjunction with FAW.

Read More About Volkswagen

M G Marvel R electric SUV revealed

The vehicles vary slightly in their presentation and both specifically are designed to take on regional rivals, which VW singles out as Nio and Xpeng.

Each car will feature a head-up display, a digital dashboard, the full array of safety features, and voice control for its multimedia system, alongside a familiar VW steering wheel and a relatively minimalist interior treatment dominated by a large multimedia screen.

Volkswagen's ID electric vehicles have stripped-back interiors.

While these iterations of the ID.6 will not be exported to either Europe or Australia, it would not be surprising to see a variation of the ID.6 for western markets revealed in the near future as the brand has already released the smaller ID.4 SUV for Europe.

Read More About Volkswagen

V olkswagen ID.4 detailed: Hyundai Kona EV rival to spearhead electric push in Australia

Volkswagen’s road map for the Australian market currently has its ID.3 Golf-sized electric hatch and ID.4 small SUV targeting a 2023 launch window, although as the brand’s local operation frequently points out, our market is low-priority for models due to a lack of emissions-reducing incentives as are now in place as many other higher-volume markets throughout the world.

Read More About Volkswagen

C ould Volkswagen's ID.3 be Australia's cheapest electric car?