New 2021 Volkswagen ID.4: orders open for series models
Volkswagen’s new ID.4 Life, Family and Max trim levels are on sale in the UK now, with prices starting from £41,570
Volkswagen has started sales of the regular ID.4 range. The electric SUV’s series models follow on from the launch-spec ID.4 1st Edition variant, with prices starting from £41,570 for the most affordable Life model. First deliveries are expected to arrive in May this year.
Buyers have their choice of three trim-levels: Life, Family and Max. The current entry-level model comes as standard with a 30-colour ambient lighting system, a wireless smartphone charger and a 10-inch infotainment system. Volkswagen’s Comfort Package also brings two-zone climate control, heated seats and a heated steering wheel.
Prices for the mid-range ID.4 Family start from £45,520. Upgrades over the base-model include LED headlamps, rear privacy glass, backlit door handles, a panoramic roof and a rear-view camera. Volkswagen’s Comfort Package gets a boost, too, with three-zone climate control and a luggage net for the boot.
The German brand’s current range-topping model, the ID.4 Max, is priced from £49,990 and adds adaptive dampers, an automatic tailgate and progressive steering. Inside, buyers get an augmented reality head-up display, a larger 12-inch infotainment system and 12-way electrically adjustable sports seats with memory and massage functions.
The ID.4 Max also features some extra safety equipment, including lane assist, a 360-degree camera and Volkswagen’s semi-autonomous Travel Assist driving function, which allows the SUV to assume control of its steering, brakes and accelerator on motorways for short periods of time.
Volkswagen offers a handful of optional extras, including a silver roof (£620), a tow-bar and a choice of alloy wheel designs, ranging in size between 18 and 21 inches. Buyers can also swap the standard ID.4’s steering wheel for a white replacement at no extra cost.
For now, all three variants are only available with Volkswagen’s Pro Performance electric powertrain, which comprises a 77kWh battery and a rear-mounted electric motor with 201bhp and 310Nm of torque. Life models have a maximum range of 323 miles, while Family and Max variants can manage 318 and 314 miles respectively on a full charge.
The powertrain gives the ID.4 a 0-62mph time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 99mph. The SUV’s electrical architecture also accepts 125kW DC rapid charging, meaning the battery can recover almost 200 miles of range in just 30 minutes.
Volkswagen ID.4: future powertrains and trim-levels
Eventually, Volkswagen will launch a smaller 52kWh battery pack for the ID.4, but that variant isn’t due to reach the UK until the end of this year. The smaller battery will cut the crossover’s range to 224 miles, and it will be offered with either a 146bhp or 168bhp electric motor mounted on the rear axle.
The less powerful electric motor and battery combinations (as well as a new, entry-level Pure trim-level) will drop the ID.4’s starting price to less than £32,000, meaning the EV will qualify for the government’s recently revised plug-in car grant.
Volkswagen will also offer the 77kWh battery with a less powerful 177bhp electric motor, while the brand has confirmed that a range-topping all-wheel drive version is in the pipeline. It’s likely to be called the ID.4 GTX and borrow its drivetrain from the Skoda Enyaq vRS, for a maximum output of 302bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 6.2 seconds.
Two more charging systems are also anticipated. While unconfirmed, it’s likely that the entry-level 52kWh ID.4 will default to a 50kW DC rapid charge standard, which would enable a 0-80 per cent recharge in around an hour. Volkswagen has said that 100kW charging will be offered, which would double that baseline speed, although it’s likely to be an optional extra.
New Volkswagen ID.4: design and proportions
As the second model in Volkswagen’s all-electric ID line-up, the ID.4 consolidates the design language and themes introduced by the ID.3, morphing many elements of the firm’s electric hatchback into a larger SUV package. As such, much of the exterior is recognisable.
The ID.4’s surfacing is clean like on the ID.3 hatchback – and the headlights, with their interactive IQ. Light LED units, form a full-width light bar and a blunt, grille-free front end. Its glasshouse is large with a windscreen stretching far towards the front axle, and the shoulder line is reminiscent of its smaller sibling too.
Volkswagen did fit a different tailgate and rear light bar to the crossover, along with a few SUV touches, such as wheel arch cladding and a more protruding rear window – all of which helps to give the ID.4 a more boxy SUV shape.
Against the tape measure, the ID.4 is 4,580mm long, placing it between the regular Tiguan and the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in terms of length. Boot space comes in at 543 litres with all seats in place, or 1,575 litres with the rear seats folded down.
New 2020 Volkswagen ID.4: interior and technology
A wheelbase of 2,700mm, in combination with the under-floor packaging of the battery and the rear-axle mounted electric motor, means that Volkswagen can claim the ID.4 has almost as much room inside as cars from the segment above.
The dashboard is familiar, borrowing plenty from the ID.3 hatchback. A thin centre console with cupholders and storage spaces sits low between the driver and passenger, and the dashboard is defined by angular vents and lines.
However, the most prominent features are the screens. There’s a central infotainment display measuring 10-inches across (although this is replaced by a 12-inch screen on top spec cars) and a small digital instrument panel. Both can be operated through Volkswagen’s new “Hello ID” voice control system.
The ID.4 introduces a new augmented reality head-up-display. This is capable of projecting 3D graphics onto the windshield as if they are objects on the road ahead, such as navigation prompts to show you exactly which lane you should be in at a roundabout.
Unlike the ID.3 hatchback, the ID.4 is available with adaptive dampers and dynamic chassis control. Lane keep assist and automatic emergency braking will be standard, while adaptive cruise control will be offered, as will the latest version of Volkswagen’s Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving assistant.
Click here to read our review of the new Volkswagen ID.3...
