The long-teased Volkswagen ID.4 has arrived. Volkswagen will make the battery electric vehicle (BEV) its first long-range model sold in the U.S. The model will be made in the U.S.A at VW's Chattanooga plant and go on sale in early 2021.
"The ID.4 was engineered, loaded and priced to win the hearts of SUV owners who are simply ready to go electric—and fall in love with Volkswagen again," said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "It drives like a GTI, it has the packaging of a Tiguan and the purpose of the Beetle. All the best things about VW in one package."
2021 Volkswagen ID.4: Platform and battery design
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG
With a serviceable body design, the highlights of the ID.4 reside in the details. Its battery pack consists of 288 pouch cells in 12 modules. The pack resides under the vehicle's center and doesn't intrude on passenger space. The battery pack is attached to the car via an aluminum hold and connects with an electric motor at the rear.
VW will offer the ID.4 with an 82-kilowatt-hour battery at launch. The power source is capable of achieving 201 horsepower and 228 pound-feet for torque, which are good numbers for its vehicle size, though some of that may be undercut by the heaviness of the vehicle - the weight information is still forthcoming from the company.
The ID.4 82kWh RWD 1st Edition models will have a range of 250 miles. A more powerful all-wheel-drive variant with 302 horsepower will go on sale later in 2021.
Each ID.4 that is purchased comes with three years of free charging capability via Electrify America infrastructure. The ID.4 can be charged with both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) fast-charging capability. The onboard 11-kilowatt charger allows for charging the battery 33 miles in about an hour and charges to full in around 7.5 hours on a Level 2 charger. At a DC fast-charging station, with 125 kilowatt charging, the ID.4 can go from five to 80 percent charged in about 38 minutes.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4: Exterior
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG
Volkswagen is touting the vehicle's nimble drivability. VW knows a thing or two about five-door vehicle nimbleness. They're the makers of the Golf GTI, one of the most beloved hot hatches on the planet.
As for dimensions, the ID.4 is 4.6 inches smaller and shorter than the Tiguan, and has a shorter wheelbase. Despite this, the passenger space of the model is similar to the Tiguan. It has cargo space similar in size to the Mazda CX-5.
The ID.4 will available in six exterior colors—Glacier White Metallic, Mythos Black Metallic, Moonstone Grey, Scale Silver Metallic, Blue Dusk Metallic and King's Red Metallic. All models come with a body color roof, black roof rails, and 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
The Statement package adds a panoramic fixed-glass roof, premium LED projector headlights with Volkswagen's Adaptive Front-lighting System, and power-folding side mirrors with puddle lamp signature. The Gradient package (sold on top of the Statement package) upgrades to 20-inch wheels, black roof, and silver roof rails and accents.
A 5.3-inch digital instrument display replaces the traditional instrument cluster in front of the driver. It's operated with touch-sensitive controls on the car's leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel. There is no gearshift because an electric vehicle does not require gears. Instead, the vehicle shifts to drive using a rocker switch on the dashboard.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4: Interior
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG
Piano Black material is featured on the steering wheel, steering column, door controls, and display housings. The car's standard cloth seats are finished in black cloth on entry models and Lunar Gray or Galaxy Black leatherette on models with the Statement package. Entry ID.4 models feature six-way adjustable seats with power recline, while the Statement package adds 12-way power seats, with massage lumbar and memory, as well as 30-color ambient lighting.
The roster of standard features includes rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone Climatronic climate control, and KESSY keyless access, heated steering wheel, heated side mirrors and washer nozzles, wireless mobile charging, wireless App-Connect, and Volkswagen Car-Net with in-car WiFi capability, and, on all-wheel-drive models, a heated windshield. The Statement package adds satellite radio, an adjustable trunk floor, and a power tailgate with Easy Open & Close.
Pricing for the ID.4 starts at $39,995, for the rear-wheel-drive ID.4 Pro, before a potential federal tax credit of up to $7,500 is applied. Volkswagen Credit will offer qualified customers a monthly lease payment $379 per month with $3,579 due at signing for a 36-month lease with a 10,000-miles per year limit.
Starting later in 2021, the ID.4 AWD Pro ($43,675) will be available. These models can be additionally outfitted with two packages—Statement ($4,500), and Gradient ($1,500). The ID.4 launches with a limited-run ID.4 1st Edition ($43,995).
Photo courtesy of GMC
Photo courtesy of GMC
