2024 Volkswagen ID.4

Is the Volkswagen ID.4 4WD?

A permanent-magnet motor powers the rear wheels in all configurations, allowing rear-wheel drive. Versions with the larger 82-kwh battery pack offer AWD for $3,880 extra. Their smaller asynchronous motor at the front wheels engages in milliseconds only when needed for traction, stability, or performance. 

How fast is the Volkswagen ID.4?

As it stands, the ID.4 lineup runs the gamut from leisurely but not downright slow for single-motor Standard models (around 7.7 seconds) up to around 4.9 seconds for dual-motor AWD models and 5.9 seconds for single-motor models with the larger pack. Base versions don’t surge off the line as eagerly as some other EVs do. 

Unlike previous years of this model, the 2024 ID.4 does get much punchier performance with single-motor rear-wheel drive when you step up to the larger battery pack. That’s because VW also then subs in an upgraded motor unit driving output to 282 hp and 402 lb-ft, up from the 201 hp and 229 lb-ft of the previous version (and smaller-pack 2024 model). All-wheel-drive versions  make a combined 335 hp.

Either of the versions with the larger battery pack have an entirely different, perkier feel that allows them to take advantage of the ID.4’s precise steering feel and good body control—even if fundamentally it’s tuned more for comfort. 

Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Custom modes add slight variability to the throttle response and steering feel. The ID.4 has a single B mode to engage more regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator, plus an auto-hold feature, but there’s no one-pedal driving. To activate the new auto hold function in B mode, press firmly on the brake and the auto hold icon will appear so you can take your foot off the brake at stop lights. 

There’s quite a weight range across the lineup, with top ID.4 Pro AWD models topping 4,900 pounds—about 600 pounds more than the base version with the single motor and small pack. Those AWD models, with more heft, also carry more of a planted feel that stays true in hard acceleration and braking. Front struts and a multi-link rear suspension layout provide the comfort that most will see as a great compromise for passengers and driving enjoyment.

Front seats have long cushions that won’t betray your lower back on longer trips, with 12-way adjustment in most versions. The center console provides large cupholders, plus an angled wireless charging pad with a clip.

Those in front won’t have to haggle on legroom with those in back. Rear seats feel proportioned for adults, too, with wide door cuts and easy entry and exit, and they avoid the stiff, knees-up seating position offered in some of its compact-crossover peers. 

The ID.4’s 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space includes a two-tiered floor on all but the base Standard model, and a recessed area below it is great for roadside kits or wet gear. It’s a reasonable replacement for a frunk; iinstead VW fits the motor and HVAC system under the hood of the ID.4. Cargo room expands to 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. 

All but Standard and Pro models get a big fixed-glass panoramic sunroof with its own power electric sunshade. That gives the interior a bright, airy mood by day—assisted by material themes that depart from the usual charcoals and blacks—and for nighttime all models get ambient lighting (10-color in Standard and Pro, 30-color with a slider in Pro S model). 

Even more so than its electric crossover peers, the ID.4 is quiet, too. You’ll hear a little noise around the mirrors at highway speeds, but road noise and harshness from the tires, even with the 20-inch wheels and tires included in many of the models. 

Screen aside (we’ll address that in the Features section), there are relatively few missteps in the ID.4 in general usability and switchgear—although there are some confounding examples. For instance, instead of four buttons for each window, there is a “Rear” button that turns the front window controls into rear window controls.

An overhead surround-view camera system is added only in top S Plus versions and could be a safety asset in parking lots. A premium park assist feature that remembers specific parking spots is now also included as standard across the model line, though.

That generous standard feature set and larger touchscreen earn a bonus point each, while its overall value at a starting price around $40,000 earns another. Its 4-year/50,000-mile new car warranty, 8-year/100,000-mile battery warranty, and complimentary scheduled maintenance for two years or 20,000 miles earns the ID.4 another point to a 9 total. 

All models with the 82-kwh battery pack gain a new 12.9-inch infotainment system with improved processing speed and memory. It’s probably the biggest piece of news for the 2024 ID.4, as it largely makes good on some previous inadequacies in this model. 

The new screen makes climate control functions more prominent and includes revised hardware around it, with backlit sliders for key features plus an entirely new home-screen and menu layout—think widgets. The native navigation system now also has improved route planning, and the option to add up to 10 waypoints, with en route preconditioning to ensure the battery pack can accept the highest and quickest charge rate possible. 

ID.4 Standard models with the 62-kwh battery pack continue on with the 12.0-inch infotainment system. It has improved significantly since the ID.4’s original launch, via various software updates, but remains a bit clumsy and unintuitive in its menu structure, with some of the surrounding haptic controls lacking backlighting. 

VW offers some redundancy through steering-wheel controls that are also haptic surfaces. For most of their intended functions they’re simply a little harder to use than if they were tactile controls of any sort. 

Which VW ID.4 should I buy?

The best deal in this lineup, going by value and features, takes two paths. One of them is the base ID.4 Standard, at just $41,160. If you can do without all-wheel drive and some of the top comfort features, and with just a 206-mile range rating, it may be quite the deal for those who can claim the $7,500 EV tax credit. 

Otherwise, mid-range Pro S versions with the 82-kwh battery pack cost $51,420 with rear-wheel drive or $55,300 with all-wheel drive. They add 20-inch alloy wheels, a fixed glass roof, a power rear liftgate, a heated steering wheel, synthetic leather seats, enhanced cabin lighting, and illuminated front and rear logos that will turn you into a rolling nighttime VW ad. There’s also a more spartan S version with the larger battery pack for $50,180. 

How much is a fully loaded VW ID.4?

At the top of the lineup are the Pro S Plus models for $54,600 with RWD or $58,480 for AWD. They roll on 21-inch machined alloys and can be picked out from the crowd by its black roof and its bright roof rails and rear pillar, and they add power-folding mirrors, three-zone climate control, and heated outboard rear seats. They’re also the only way in the lineup to get a Harman Kardon premium audio system with nine speakers plus a subwoofer.

There are some key differences in charging between the two packs. Both can be DC fast-charged from 10-80% in about 30 minutes, according to VW, although the smaller one peaks at 140 kw while the larger one peaks at 175 kw. The ID.4’s 11-kw onboard charger enables 240-volt charging at home in about 6.5 hours. 

VW has dropped the former three years of 30-minute sessions at Electrify America. The new allowance is just 500 kwh of charging credit plus a complimentary three-year Pass+ membership that applies a 25% discount on charge rates.