Volkswagen ID.4 review
Volkswagen's first electric family SUV is practical, spacious, good value and great to drive
Pros
- Comfortable
- Practical and spacious
- Good range and rapid charging tech
Cons
- Initial trim range limited
- Confusing infotainment
- Not as quick as numbers suggest
| Drivetrain | Battery size | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure / Pure Performance | 52kWh | 211-213 miles | 8hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 29mins (10-80%, 100kW) |
| Pro / Pro Performance | 77kWh | 314-323 miles | 12hrs 15mins (0-100% 7.4kW) | 34mins (10-80%, 125kW) |
The Volkswagen ID.4 is the German brand’s first pure-electric family-sized SUV, which makes it an important model. This market is set for an explosion in sales, as each mainstream manufacturer prepares its own offerings and buyers warm up to the idea of an electric car as their main form of family transport.
The ID.4 falls somewhere between the Volkswagen Tiguan and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace in size. It was the second model to arrive in the ID range, following the Golf-equivalent ID.3 hatchback; a coupe-SUV version of the ID.4, known as the ID.5, joined in 2022. ID.4 rivals range from the smaller Kia e-Niro SUV to the Citroen e-C4 hatchback and the Ford Mustang Mach-E. We’ve tested the more performance-focused ID.4 GTX in a separate review.
Life and Style cars come with a 52kWh battery as standard; a larger and more expensive 77kWh battery can be specified on the Life for extended range. The ID.4 Life with the 52kWh battery (known as ‘Pure’) starts at just under £35,000, while opting for the 77kWh battery (Pro) pushes the base price above £41,000. This means that since the cutoff for the government grant was reduced to £32,000, no ID.4 is eligible.
The 52kWh ‘Pure’ and 77kWh ‘Pro’ specifications also come as ‘Pure Performance’ and ‘Pro Performance’ options, which pair the respective batteries with a more powerful motor for enhanced performance. Pure Performance starts from just under £37,000 and Pro Performance from just under £43,000, both in entry-level Life trim.
The Style model comes with more equipment than Life as standard, but it’s only available with the 52kWh battery, while the Family, Max and performance-orientated GTX and GTX Max models (which we’ve reviewed separately) are offered solely with the larger 77kWh battery, so their prices range from around £45,000 to just over £56,000.
The standard equipment on entry-level Life cars includes sat nav, 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats and a reversing camera. When you consider the 77kWh version's 310-mile range, that's reasonable value for money, especially considering you won’t be paying for petrol or diesel. Charging takes over 12 hours from a 7.4kW home wallbox charger, or just over half an hour to go from 10-80% from a public rapid charger at 125kW.
On the outside, first impressions of the Volkswagen SUV are good, with a modern look that shares much with the smaller ID.3. Look hard enough and you can see similarities between the ID.4 and the closely related Skoda Enyaq iV – although the Volkswagen does without that car's sloping rear window. The interior is roomy and three people can fit in the back without too much of a squeeze, plus there’s good head and legroom in there. The 543-litre boot is good too, so it’s a practical family car.
Overall the ID.4 is similar to the smaller ID.3, in that it has well implemented electric technology, good range and plenty of equipment, as well as being quiet and relaxing to drive. Yet the ID.4 is also larger and more practical than the ID.3, so will hold more appeal for family buyers wanting more space. For a more detailed look at the Volkswagen ID.4, read on for the rest of our in-depth review...
