VW ID.4

Andrew Walker might have found your next SUV...

Hot on the heels of the ID.3, Volkswagen’s second new electric car, the ID.4, was launched recently. It’s Volkswagen’s first fully-electric SUV and the brand’s first global electric vehicle. It’s based on the 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.

There are five trims: Life, Family, Max and Pro Performance, all fitted with a 77 kWh battery and 204 PS motor, and a Pure model which has a smaller 52kWh battery and power outputs of either 148 PS or 170 PS. All are rear wheel drive, but there is an all-wheel drive option in the GTX and GTX Max. 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 has narrow, sweeping front lights and a large windscreen. Mirroring the 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 that 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 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.

There is as much room as you’ll find in a Volkswagen Tiguan. Front seat passengers are spoilt 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 USBs are located. The glove box is tiny, however.

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 storage space under the boot floor, where the two charging cables can be stored out of sight.

Equipment

Our test car the First Edition comes very well equipped, so 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, allowing you to set multiple profiles to preset your favourite radio stations, phone connectivity and contacts.

Battery range and performance

Our test car was the ID.4 1st Edition Pro Performance, fitted with the 77 kWh battery with 204 PS of power. Maximum torque is 310Nm, top speed 99mph and 0-62mph takes just 8.5 seconds. Claimed WLTP range is 310 miles, with consumption at 3.45 miles per kWh.

Using a standard 7.2kW home charger, it will take 11 hours to fully charge the battery from zero. All ID.4s are supplied with a 3 32-amp / 7.2kW charging cable and come with a 3 year mobility guarantee in case of car breakdown

ID.4 can also be fast charged, either via a 125 kW DC (direct current) or 11 kW AC (alternating current). Using the former means charging to 80% capacity in just 25 minutes.

The ID.4 with the 77kWh battery is 330kg heavier than the ID.3 fitted with the 52kWh battery. Subsequently, it’s not as much fun to drive as the smaller car. The 201bhp electric motor offers 150kW or 204PS and 310Nm of torque, enough to propel the ID.4 quite quickly in a straight line, but on country roads it’s a little more cumbersome than the ID.3. Thanks to its single-speed automatic transmission and rear wheel drive set-up, it is best enjoyed dawdling in traffic or on the motorway, with both tasks completed in supreme quiet and relaxing comfort.

To enhance range you can select a regenerative brake mode. In Drive you simply twist and push the gear lever to select the B function. Unlike some EVs, the strength of the regen on ID.4 is not that high. The caveat is that this also makes the ID.4 better to drive than some of its competitors.

As far as driving modes go, you can select from Eco, the best for saving battery range, limiting you to a top speed of 80mph; Comfort, Sport or Individual.

An 85-mile motorway run at motorway speeds saw us use up 100 miles of range. In town, the B regenerative braking kicks in and you’ll likely see at least a 1:1 ratio of miles travelled to range used. The large 77kWh battery will, we reckon, offer you a comfortable 250-mile range, without you having to work too hard to achieve this.

Compared to an ICE model and driving 12,000 miles a year, the ID.4 will save you around £1,500-£2,000 a year on fuel. Even better, zero emissions means you’ll pay only 1% BIK.

Introducing... the new all-electric king of SUVs...

CC&V VERDICT

While the ID.3 impressed when we drove it, the ID.4, thanks to its larger size and, in our test car’s case, larger battery, is arguably even more impressive. Furthermore, the BIK benefits are for now immense, so if you are a company car driver who needs a large family car and can live with a 250-mile electric range, now would be a very good time to consider the ID.4.

CC&V RATING:

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