Volkswagen ID.4 Pros and Cons

Pros:

very rigid body
sufficiently large and regular luggage compartment (585 l, 1711 l when folded down)
comfortable chassis despite large 21-inch wheels
high levels of safety (5 Euro NCAP stars)
excellent turning circle (tracking diameter of only 10 metres)
charging up to 125 kW, i.e. in 35 minutes it is possible to recharge 200 km of motorway range or 300 km of city range
city consumption 16-18 kWh, i.e. a range of 420-480 km
sufficient power of 150 kW and 310 Nm for agile driving
solid official acceleration to 100 km/h in 8.5 s (measured 8.2 s)
very quiet electric drive
good soundproofing of the interior from external noise
excellent interior build quality, nothing creaked on uneven surfaces
regular OTA (over-the-air) software updates, without the need for a service visit
natural seating position in the rear - the seats support the thighs well
comfortable front "ergonomic" seats with good lateral guidance and massage
pockets in the doors can also hold large 1.5 bottles (also in the rear door)
large space under the luggage compartment floor - for cables
good brakes - measured 100-0 km/h - 36 m
good crew space in front and rear
rear-wheel drive (much better solution than front-wheel drive)
powerful regen - saves conventional friction brakes
handy mobile phone pocket on the back of the backrest for rear passengers
highway consumption of 23-24 kWh, i.e. a highway range of over 300 km
solid infotainment speed
clearly arranged, colour head-up display
2 large, sturdy bag hooks in the luggage compartment

Cons:

only two remote controls for the 4 windows in the driver's door (to operate the rear windows you have to light up the "rear" icon by touching it, impractical solution)
"piano" glossy plastic on door handles - extremely impractical, soon scratched
incomplete planning of long routes with recharging
navigation does not know about charging stations that have been around for a long time
voice assistant does not understand some basic commands
does not show battery percentage on the instrument cluster display (only below 10%)
no front trunk - at least a small trunk for cables would be useful (if the rear luggage compartment is completely full it is more practical)
only touch buttons on the steering wheel - conventional buttons are better
top speed only 160 km/h (electronically limited)
kerb weight 2200 kg

Test Drive

Volkswagen ID.4 - ideal for the family?

Dimensions: 4584 x 1852 x 1636 mm, wheelbase 2765 mm

The MEB platform, on which the ID.3, ID.4 and Enyaq run, offers several well-designed particulars. I must mention the choice of rear-wheel drive, which has excellent traction in both dry and wet conditions. The track turning circle, which is only 10 meters, is also excellent. Another advantage of the MEB platform is that despite the "crazy" 21-inch wheels, the suspension was relatively comfortable.

Power of 150 kW and torque of 310 Nm sound rather good, but we must realize that the weight of the ID.4 is 2,200 kg, which means that the ride is still quite fun, but don’t look here for the agility of the smaller and lighter ID.3.

I managed to easily overcome the stated acceleration of 0 to 100 km/hr in 8.5 s and that time of 8.2 s is sufficient for a family SUV.

Consumption

Surprisingly, the consumption was not higher than in the previously tested ID.3. Moving along the motorway can be handled with a consumption of 23-24 kWh/100 km. This means a "highway" range of slightly over 300 km, whereas urban and suburban driving means consumption below 20 kWh. I know an ID.4 owner who has been driving for quite a while even at an excellent 16.5 kWh per 100 km. Here we drive with a range of 420-480 km.

Fast charging

Fast charging is possible at speeds of up to 125 kW, so it is possible to recharge another 200 km of motorway driving or 300 km of city driving in 30-35 minutes.

Interior

Unfortunately, the interior is partly a copy of the "cheap" ID.3. This translates to certain cost-saving solutions that are striking in contrast to the higher price. One example is the special control of the windows on the driver's door with just two buttons. To operate the rear windows, it is necessary to "light up" by touching the Rear button, which does not always work the first time. Likewise, the touch buttons on the steering wheel are harder to operate.

Infotainment seems to be still in development. Some features are already fine, but route planning, including charging stations, for example, is still not well developed. It might behove VW's software department to finally rent a Tesla so that programmers can see how things can be resolved much more elegantly.

The "PRDN" transmission control is conveniently located directly next to the steering wheel, so it is quite easy and fast to change direction forward and reverse, e.g. when parking.

The interior is remarkable. There is plenty of room in the front seats, and I must praise these amazingly comfortable, "ergonomic" seats. They provide exemplary comfort, but also plenty of lateral support. The rear seats provide space up to a passenger's height of around 185 cm (both head room and leg room), which is fine.

The luggage compartment is indeed spacious (basic volume 543 l). There are also two massive hooks for shopping bags.

The Volkswagen ID.4 is in many ways a successful electric car suitable for both family and business use (unless you often drive long distances in one day - say over 800 km).

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