Volkswagen ID.4 Review
Written by Justin Delaney, an Independent Reviewer, Journalist, and Motor expert.
We recently got to spend a little time with the delightful new Volkswagen ID.4 on Irish roads and you can view our YouTube video right here. Now that dealerships are taking delivery of stock it’s about time we looked a little more at this fully electric SUV, which will no doubt be much sought-after for 2021. The ID.4 First Editions, the ID.4 First and the ID.4 First Max are now being delivered to the lucky customers who pre-ordered the vehicle prior to its Irish arrival.
Even if you were not fortunate enough to get your name down for one of these early ‘First’ cars the order books are now open for ID.4 regular series models with prices kicking off from €34,436.
Features
So what are the regular ID.4 models if you missed the allocation for the First Edition cars and what spec do you get? Well the range is comprehensive but the easiest way to break it down is by name and battery size. Buyers can choose between the ID.4 City, Style, Life, Business, Family, Tech and Max with the 52 kWh battery fitted to the City and Style and the 77kWh battery on all other models. Volkswagen are very keen to make sure they have an ID.4 to suit everyone’s requirements and budgets so the entry-level ID.4 City from €34,436 comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, Navigation, Wireless Charging and Art Velours Interior.
Stepping up to the ID.4 Style from €38,548 you get Matrix LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, a rearview camera, 3-Zone Climatronic and Keyless Advanced Access. The ID.4 Life comes in at €44,001 with the same spec as the City only you get 19-inch alloy wheels and the bigger 77 kWh battery. The ID.4 Business priced at €48,887 takes the ID.4 City, adds a 77 kWh battery and Matrix LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, anti-theft alarm, tinted rear windows, 30 colour interior ambient lighting, rearview camera and keyless access advanced.
If none of these models fit the bill you can consider moving up to ID.4 Family priced at €50,365, which adds from the Business a Panoramic Roof, thermal insulation and acoustic glass 3-Zone Climatronic and a Luggage Net. The ID.4 Tech includes Head-Up Display (HUD), 12-inch infotainment system, panoramic sunroof, power seats with massage, 3-Zone Climatronic, Travel & Side Assist and Area View and an Easy Open Tailgate priced at €53,995. Finally the king option is the ID.4 Max priced at €57,810 and this gives you the full suite of equipment, adding to the Tech model a Heat Pump, Top Sports Seats and Dynamic Chassis Control. There are a number of individual options such as paint colours or a fold out tow bar that you can spec separately.
Power, charging & battery
Like the ID.3, buyers of the ID.4 wont be left looking for power. The 52kWh battery can punch the ID.4 to 100km/h in just 10.9 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 160 km/h. Charging is via 7.2 kW AC or up to 100 kW DC charging. Like most AC charging from 0-100% taking it will take around 7 hours 30 minutes but with DC charging you can get the battery to 80% in just 38 minutes.
The big 77 kWh battery naturally packs more punch and can accelerate the ID.4 to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds and on to again, a limited 160 km/h top speed. Charging is via 11 kW AC or up to 125 kW DC, with charging times pretty similar to that of the 52 kWh battery.
Safety
As standard, it has an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system that is capable of averting collisions in a range of situations, including when the ID.4 is approaching other cars or turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. It also helps drivers to avoid pedestrians and cyclists, both to the front and side of the vehicle. It has yet to be tested by NCAP but with a plethora of safety systems it will be no surprise to see it claim five stars just like the ID.3.
Volkswagen ID.4 Prices
We have detailed the pricing above in our model lineup but PCP Finance rates from as low as 2.9% APR €349 per month will be available from Volkswagen Financial Services for the new ID.4. Like other vehicle distributors Volkswagen Retailers can offer remote consultation and ordering under the current government guidelines.
Summary
So if you haven’t had a chance to see our YouTube video lets try put it into perspective size wise because when you see one up close, its very impressive. At 4.58 metre-long the ID.4 sits on a shared platform with the ID.3, but offers much greater space. The interior leg and headroom is similar to Volkswagen’s Tiguan Allspace SUV, yet the overall dimensions are closer to that of the VW Tiguan. Luggage for that staycation is an impressive 543 to 1,575 litres, depending on the rear seat configuration. One of the questions we were asked after our YouTube video was, is this a true SUV? Well we didn’t get to try it off road yet but VW have an all wheel drive variant and carefully positioned the battery under the passenger compartment to not only ensure a low centre of gravity but also give 16cm of ground clearance. This is not crazy by any means but it will allow the ID.4 to cope with light off-road terrain.
Overall we loved our first drive in the ID.4 because like the ID.3 it feels and handles like a well made, well thought out car. The smoothness of an electric vehicle now with decent range is hard to beat particularly if you commute in and out of the City. To really test the range we are looking forward to spending a full week with the vehicle, which should allow us to further evaluate VW’s latest electric offering! The ID.3 was quick to establish itself as Ireland’s best-selling electric vehicle so lets see what the ID.4 can do.
Volkswagen ID.4 Pros
Technology
Build quality
Ample Space
Drive
Volkswagen ID.4 Cons
Model line-up a little confusing!
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