Volkswagen ID.4 First Look | VW's Compact Electric SUV

Automotive Kookllection
Published on Sep 26, 2020
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The ID.4 is a new fully-electric compact SUV from VW and this is our first chance to look at it. So, let’s look at it.

First thoughts: The ID.4, which is built on VW’s MEB platform, looks like a Volkswagen SUV. And it also looks electric, what with that sleek shape. So, it’s pretty much what we’d expect…except as you look longer nuances start to emerge. The contrasting roof is nice. As is the upswept accent line on the side.

Cargo space behind the rear seats is a competitive 30.3 cubic feet of baked beans. However, unlike many electric cars, the ID.4 has no cargo hold under its hood.

Perhaps you’re wondering how well people fit inside the ID.4. Our 5 ' 10" tester Micah Muzio fit with plenty of room to spare, both in the front seats and in the back. Dimensions aside, the ID.4’s interior has a charming simplicity, highlighted by a central infotainment screen in standard 10-inch and optional 12-inch sizes, there’s a 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a nicely reconfigurable center console area. We dig the clean design but if it were me, though we wish VW had included a volume knob.

Helping brighten the cabin are an available panoramic glass roof and a 30-color ambient lighting option. There’s also something called ID. Light, which, as advertised, is a light strip below the windshield that cues the driver to information about the vehicle’s driver-assist features, navigation directions, charge status, etc. It’s kinda like a low-information Head-Up Display.

When in launches in the first quarter of 2021, the ID.4 will be sold in rear-wheel-drive form, using a single 201 horsepower motor (201hp, 228 lb-ft) and priced at $39,995. That doesn’t include destination charges, the federal government’s $7,500 tax incentive, or potential state incentives. VW will also lease you an ID.4 for $399 per month.

The launch model is called the ID.4 Pro which might arouse suspicions for you that a cheaper ID.4 is in the works. And you are correct, a $35,000 version should arrive in 2022. Another late addition will be a dual-motor all-wheel-drive option that bumps power to 302 horsepower (302hp) and the price tag to $43,695.

VW previously claimed a range of greater than 310 miles is possible with the ID.4 but at launch, the ID.4 will cover an estimated 250 miles (~250 Miles) with its 82 kWh battery pack. For charging that battery, 3 years of unlimited fast charging via Electrify America’s charging network is included in the purchase price.

Finally, one last number. The ID.4 can tow up to 2,700 pounds.

Lastly, while VW expects comparisons between the ID.4 and other electric vehicles, especially Tesla, their real targets are mainstream compact SUVs like the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, and Honda CR-V. It’ll be interesting to see of traditional Crossover SUV buyers will embrace Volkswagen’s electric alternative.

00:00 Introduction
0:12 Exterior
0:30 Cargo Space
1:00 Interior
2:35 Price, Power, & Range
3:47 ID.4 Competitors