Volkswagen ID.4 2021 Review

It’s likely to be nearly three years before the Volkswagen ID.4 goes on sale in Australia, so pricing is guesswork at this stage.

We’d hope it starts at close to $60,000 plus on-road costs, which would put it into contention against the (albeit smaller) Hyundai Kona Electric. A lot can happen in three years, though. Maybe the government will decide to incentivise EVs by then…

The ‘1st Edition’ vehicle we tested in Europe is a high-specification car that will be produced for a limited period only, in standard 1st and 1st Max guise.

We drove the latter, which includes high-end extras such as 21-inch wheels, panoramic glass roof, adaptive chassis control, three-zone climate control, augmented reality head-up display and the largest of the two touch-screen systems available.

In Germany, the ID.4 will be offered in Pure, Pro, City and Life specifications to start with, with three different power outputs (109kW, 125kW or 150kW) and two different battery capacities – 52kWh or 77kWh.

There’s also a high-performance model in the works, with all-wheel drive thanks to an extra motor up front.

It is reasonable to expect Australian-market cars to be well-equipped from the bottom of the range, as even the most basic models in Europe get a wealth of safety equipment, touch-screen navigation, loads of connectivity functions, electric windows all-round and LED lighting.

It’s fair to say that the Volkswagen ID.4 is a technology leader for the German company.

Obviously, it’s at the forefront of the European auto giant’s electrification strategy, and will only ever be offered with purely electric power, but the ID brand is also mooted to spearhead Volkswagen’s autonomous tech.

To that end, there’s a lot of active safety and driver assistance equipment expected to be included as standard – and more available as option packs – under the banner of ‘IQ. Drive’.

Depending on what’s fitted, the ID.4 uses a front radar, front camera, four area view cameras, two rear radars and eight ultrasound sensors.

At a minimum, the ID.4 should come with lane assist, front assist, park distance control and a speed limiter, along with Car2X, theoretically allowing it to warn other drivers in the vicinity of hazards ahead.

The next step up the ladder is the Assist package, which includes an alarm, keyless access/start and a pre-emptive protection system that can close the windows and tighten the seat belts just before an imminent crash.

Above this sits the Assist Plus package, bundling active cruise control with travel assist, side assist and emergency assist.

To fill its remit as a family car, the Volkswagen ID.4 must first and foremost be comfortable and quiet.

First impressions suggest that it nails the brief, though our conclusion comes with a few caveats, so we will reserve final judgement until we get the car on Australian soil.

Our Euro-spec test vehicle featured adjustable damping, which is unlikely to be standard across the range. It offers a surprisingly wide range of damping force, though even in its softest setting the ID.4 never wallowed about.

Saying that, neither does it feel quite as comfortable as, say, a Volkswagen Arteon. And it’s worth noting that, instead of the 21-inch wheels that would usually be paired with that adaptive damping, our car featured 20-inch rims, which should have helped its cause.

Now, the reason for the smaller wheels was the fitment of winter tyres and, though these are usually noisier, we found them to be remarkably quiet. In fact, the Volkswagen ID.4’s refinement is a serious high point.

The lack of powertrain noise and vibration is a given, but that often exaggerates other sounds in an electric car. Not here.

Thanks in no small part to an acoustic windscreen and double-glazed side glass, this car glides along serenely, even at highway speeds. And that’s despite the presence of the glass roof.

Speaking of highway, we didn’t have time to test the battery range to the full under such conditions, though what we did see would suggest that most drivers should get well over 300km from a full charge.

Officially this car will do 500km on a full battery, but we suspect that will only be achievable in ideal conditions with an exceptionally light right foot. Obviously, it’ll be less again if you fill the car up with people and luggage, or if you take advantage of its 1200kg towing capacity.

Those who enjoy driving will find much to like about the ID.4’s chassis. Its body control is exceptional, with flat cornering, and this is backed up by direct and friction-free steering, good absorption of large bumps at speed and a general feel that the car’s suspension has been honed for hours at the hands of people that really know what they’re doing.

It manages to be a lot of fun. That’s partly down to the instantaneous torque output of the rear-mounted electric motor at low speeds, which gives the performance a wonderful elasticity. It has been well calibrated, too, feeling fluid and natural.

No, the ID.4 never kicks like a Tesla can, but it feels far more mature and smoother with it.

The fact that it’s rear-wheel drive will be all but irrelevant to most buyers, but those that do push on will discover that it allows balancing of the car on the throttle, through and out of a corner, in a way that’s alien to most of the current crop of front-wheel drive crossovers.

It’s genuinely good to drive.

Helping the cause of the Volkswagen ID.4 is the high-set seating and the visibility this offers. There’s loads of adjustment in the driving position, too.

Meanwhile, those in the back are perched up higher again, giving even the smallest passengers a decent view of the road ahead. That rear seat is wide for this size of car, though it stops short of providing three individual chairs, as in people-movers.

Nonetheless, with a completely flat floor and generous distance to the front seats, there’s lots of space to utilise.

Three tall teenagers won’t complain too much about sitting back there, while it should be possible to accommodate three smaller children of varying sizes, too, depending on how wide their car seats are.

Volkswagen clearly sacrificed a little cargo volume to create the impressive rear passenger space, as, with the back seats in use, there’s an average 543 litres to play with, beating the regular Tiguan but way down on the Allspace in five-seat guise.

Nevertheless, it comes with a moveable floor and the back seats split and fold down.

Assuming the Volkswagen ID.4 isn’t eclipsed by newer rivals by the time it arrives in Australia, this could be the company’s next big thing.

It ticks all the family SUV boxes with its practicality, image and technology, while bringing all that bang up to date, ready for the future proliferation of electric cars.

If it’s comfortable to drive in standard specification, and the pricing is competitive, we can see it convincing more than a few town-based buyers to make the switch.

How much does the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 1st Max cost?
Price: $60,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: Late 2023
Powertrain: Permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor
Output: 150kW/310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 77kWh lithium-ion
Range: 487km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 18.5kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested

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