ON TEST: VOLKSWAGEN ID.4
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ID.4 raises stakes for compact SUV sector Here’s trouble for rivals – Volkswagen has got serious on electrics. The ID.3 set the standard, and now its big brother, the ID.4, raises the stakes even higher, says Andrew Walker
Hot on the heels of the ID.3, Volkswagen has launched its second new electric car, the ID.4. It’s Volkswagen’s first fully-electric SUV and first global electric vehicle – and as we found, it’s darn good. Like the ID.3 it is based on the brand’s new modular electric drive matrix (MEB) and its entry into the compact SUV market gives Volkswagen a head start in a sector that sees sales still increasing. Model range and battery choice The ID.4 comes in five trims. First there’s Life, Family, Max and Pro Performance specification. These are fitted with a 77 kWh battery and 204 PS motor. Then there’s a Pure model, fitted with the smaller 52kWh battery, offering power outputs of either 148 PS or 170 PS. All of these are rear wheel drive. There are also two all-wheel drive models, the GTX and GTX Max. These are the inaugural models of the new all-electric ‘GTX’ performance line and the first ID. models to feature dual-motor all-wheel drive. Both are fitted with the same 77 kWh battery as the Pro Performance models in the ID.4 line-up. To give an idea of battery range, the GTX and GTX Max can travel up to 301 and 291 miles respectively (WLTP, combined) on a single charge. Exterior Unlike the ID.3 which looks very much like a Volkswagen, the ID.4 looks generically like a lot of traditional SUVs, so think Vauxhall Grandland X, Nissan Qashqai and KIA Sportage. The front features narrow, sweeping front lights and a large windscreen. Mirroring the www.companycarandvan.co.uk
latest Audi EV trend, the rear light cluster spreads right across the back of the car. The VW badge is prominently located centre front and rear with the ID.4 logo located on the centre rear. Interior The interior is almost identical to the one found on the ID.3. So factor in a centrally mounted 10” infotainment touchscreen, a 5.3” dash panel display, a flat bottomed steering wheel and a gear lever on the right end of the centre console that you twist to select from Drive, Reverse or Neutral. The colour-way on our First Edition model was different, featuring a white steering wheel with white trim around the touchscreen and electric window switches. Light grey and gloss black adorn the remainder of the cabin. The seats are finished in grey, with a pink/orange/ brown like coloured trim. Build quality is pretty good, although there are some cheaper, harder plastics located lower down. Practicality The interior offers at least as much room as you’ll find in a Volkswagen Tiguan. Front seat passengers are spoiled for space, with even an armrest each. In the rear, there’s room for three adults to sit comfortably side by side. Cabin storage is generous, so you get four large door pockets, two central cup holders, some clever central storage between the front seats, where the twin USB’s are located. The glove box though is tiny. Rear passengers get plenty of head and legroom and two USBs and their own heating vents. And if there’s only two in the back, an
armrest folds down, inside of which there are cupholders. Luggage capacity with the rear seats upright is a more than generous 543 litres, which increases to 1,575 litres with the rear seats folded. The boot is flat and rectangular, so it’s easy to slide stuff in and out of it. There’s a hidden storage space under the boot floor, where the two charging cables can be stored out of sight. Equipment and safety Many of the advanced features found on the ID.3 are shared with the ID.4, namely ID.Light (the intelligent strip of light below the windscreen that communicates with the driver), the central airbag that prevents front seat occupants colliding in a side-impact or rollover and Car2X, a system that allows the car to wirelessly exchange information about local hazards with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure. Our test car, the First Edition, comes very well equipped. You get an electronic parking brake, a Driver Alert system with fatigue detection, ESC (Electronic Stability Control Programme) including traction control, 2-Zone ‘Air Care Climatronic’ air con, with keyless entry and starting system. Infotainment and tech is not bad either, with driver profile selection and personalisation, phone connectivity and contacts. Also on offer is a heated, leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel with rake adjustment, front and rear parking sensors, Adaptive Cruise Control, a Front Assist radar sensor controlled distance monitoring system and Lane Assist. Continued on page 32 Company Car & Van | February 2022 | 31
