The Volkswagen ID.4 is already successful. The corporate bought 37,789 items final yr, representing 11.5% of VW’s complete U.S. gross sales and an 84% enchancment year-over-year enchancment for the ID.4. Regardless of some preliminary, high-profile high quality issues and frequent complaints about usability, with development like that you might argue that VW didn’t want to alter a lot for the 2024 refresh. So VW largely didn’t.
The up to date ID.4 will get a couple of tweaks focused at a number of of the above considerations, together with some upgraded tech and software program options, up to date commonplace gear for big-battery fashions and extra energy and vary than ever earlier than.
Is it sufficient to get somebody into an ID.4 in the event that they weren’t contemplating it earlier than? That will depend on how a lot they’re right down to spend.
(Full Disclosure: Volkswagen invited me to Pasadena, California to drive the up to date ID.4. I drove myself up and again on the identical day, however I did eat a tasty lunch on VW’s dime.)
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2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Specs And Pricing
For 2024, the U.S.-spec ID.4 continues on with two battery sizes—62 kWh and 82 kWh—and as earlier than, might be had in rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. There are eight trim ranges in complete, unfold throughout three variants: Entry, S and S Plus, with varied battery sizes and AWD and RWD configurations between them.
It will probably get a bit complicated, however the desk beneath ought to assist:
*Costs don’t embrace the $1,425 vacation spot cost or the $7,500 tax credit score. Each are relevant to all ID.4 fashions, whether or not bought or leased.
The upgrades to the ID.4 embrace a brand new 12.9-inch infotainment show, commonplace heated and ventilated seats on the Professional S 82 kWh and better trims, backlit sliders for temperature and quantity on the brand new infotainment system, extra highly effective processors for a quicker and higher infotainment system, out there Harman Kardon audio and a brand new drive motor for the big-battery vehicles.
However virtually all of those options, in truth, are unique to the dearer ID.4s with the 82-kWh pack. Volkswagen opted to maintain the bottom value of the 62-kWh rear-wheel-drive model low, at $41,160 with vacation spot. Because the ID.4 is at the moment the one foreign-brand EV to qualify for the complete $7,500 federal tax credit score for bought autos, which means you may take residence a brand new ID.4 for $33,660.
Simply observe that your $33,660 2024 ID.4 can have the laggy infotainment from the pre-refresh vehicles, no backlit sliders, rear-wheel drive, the identical motor as final yr, and a 206-mile vary. That doesn’t sound like a very attractive proposition, however not less than you received’t be paying for fuel
RWD vehicles with the larger battery and all AWD ID.4s get a brand new rear drive unit, the APP 550 everlasting magnet motor. Complete output for the RWD ID.4 (with the 82-kWh battery) rises to 282 hp from 201 hp, a large enchancment. Torque grows much more, from 229 lb-ft to 401 lb-ft. The 0-60 dash now takes 5.9 seconds, down from 7.7 seconds, the distinction between middling and sprightly.
AWD ID.4s acquire 40 hp, with a peak output of 335 hp. The rear motor makes 401 lb-ft, and the entrance motor makes 99 lb-ft, however observe which you can’t merely mix these to get an total output. Regardless, the duo are good for a 4.9-second 0-60 dash, down from 5.7 seconds. Which means the brand new ID.4 is faster than a GTI.
How Does It Drive?
On California’s winding canyon roads, the all-wheel-drive ID.4 Professional S (as-tested: $55,955) I sampled had loads of energy and wonderful physique management. It provides direct and light-weight steering, with predictable lean and stable grip. There’s no avoiding that electrical crossovers weigh greater than their standard counterparts, however few handle their heft in addition to the ID.4.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 really feel equally composed, however most different EV crossovers really feel overburdened. There’s no noticeable detriment in trip high quality, both, because the ID.4 was loads nice on Los Angeles floor streets. I didn’t encounter any significantly bumpy pavement, however I’m assured that the ID.4’s suspension and seats are snug sufficient for many drivers.
I’d be nice spending 291 miles within the ID.4, which is so far as the RWD one can go earlier than it wants a cost. The all-wheel-drive mannequin can cowl 263 miles on the EPA cycle. Each variations with the massive battery can deal with 175 kW from a DC quick charger. In the event you get the smaller battery, it’s capped at 140 kW. A ten-to-80% cost on a big-battery ID.4 ought to take about half-hour, per VW. (We’ll know extra about effectivity calculations after we get some longer seat time with the ID.4.)
Additionally, there’s Plug-and-Cost assist in any respect Electrify America stations, which implies you may plug within the ID.4 and it’ll robotically begin charging and debit your account.
The ID.4 additionally has a stable quantity of area. It will probably swallow 30.3 cubic ft of cargo with the seats up, or 64.2 cubes with them down. That’s a bit greater than an Ioniq 5 and much more than an EV6. Thank the ID.4’s extra standard roofline. VW’s EV feels extra standard in some ways in comparison with vehicles just like the Ioniq 5, and I believe that familiarity is a part of its mainstream attraction.
However the inside is definitely a departure from a typical Volkswagen, and I’m sorry to report that it stays the ID.4’s largest weak point. The primary situation is shared amongst most EV SUVs. Constructing an electrical automotive is at the moment dearer than constructing an inner combustion automotive, and producers attempt to decrease the MSRP distinction by chopping as a lot out of the inside as attainable. Volvo and the Hyundai Motor Group are among the many most profitable at chopping prices whereas making the cabin nonetheless really feel good inside; Volkswagen hasn’t fairly gotten the dangle of it.
Management Challenges
The ID.4 has first rate contact factors, however many of the different plastics are harsh, scratchy, and low-cost to the touch. That’s not damning, however the window switches are. Relatively than giving the motive force 4 window switches to regulate all 4 home windows—like each different automotive—VW provides the motive force a left and proper window swap, with a toggle labeled “rear” to allow rear-window management.
And since the corporate was chopping prices, that button is an imprecise haptic contact button that performs a not-convincing clicking suggestions sound out of the central speaker a few half second after you truly click on it. That feels half-assed, and unbecoming of a $55,695 absolutely loaded automotive. Plus, there are not any arduous buttons for the local weather temperature or quantity, both, simply capacitive sliders that largely work okay. Within the final mannequin (and the present 62-kWh mannequin) they had been invisible at midnight, however now not less than they’re backlit.
Pushing the entire controls into the touchscreen isn’t my favourite technique regardless, however you can also make it work. The software program simply must be implausible, and the {hardware} backing it up has to make it really feel seamless. See: Tesla. Regardless of enhancements over the earlier mannequin, VW nonetheless doesn’t fairly pull this off. There’s nonetheless no residence button, there’s nonetheless a complicated mixture of places for features to take a seat in, there’s nonetheless noticeable lag transferring the map round, and there’s nonetheless loads of settings that require you to navigate a perplexing and not-particularly-quick-rotating 3D mannequin of the automotive.
If you wish to set a pace restrict, as an example, you need to faucet the automotive menu, pull up the 3D show, and click on on “Tires.” I get why it’s there, however to navigate it your mind has to work like a Volkswagen engineer. I’m a author, so mine completely doesn’t, and I wager yours doesn’t both. No less than the local weather controls at the moment are completely pinned to the underside of the display screen for one-tap entry.
There are different benefits to VW’s new infotainment setup. The display screen is crisp and appears nice, with a noticeable pace increase over the earlier unit. There’s nonetheless some lag on features like pinching to zoom and panning on a map, however clicking on a menu yields a near-instant response. Not like some EV producers, Volkswagen contains route-planning and computerized battery pre-conditioning into the navigation software program, with vary estimates that consider issues like elevation and pace.
It’s additionally price noting that VW’s fast-charging perks have modified. The outdated ID.4 bought three years of free 30-minute DC quick charging periods (or 60-minute Degree 2 periods) at Electrify America. The brand new ID.4 will get 500kWh of free quick charging and a three-year subscription to Electrify America Cross Plus.
Cross Plus will get you about 25% off, relying on a couple of components. It’s not nothing, however it’s a notable downgrade from the earlier plan, particularly when you think about {that a} 10-to-80% cost might be utterly free on the earlier plan. Then once more, we’ve been saying for some time that it’s most likely time for these free fast-charging offers to finish; they’ve had a number of unintended penalties like big traces at DC quick chargers.
Early Verdict
The 2024 ID.4 has gotten higher in areas the place it was already good and incrementally improved in areas that wanted large enhancements however continues to be has a irritating consumer expertise.
It’s at all times been a superb possibility for these looking for a conservatively styled, spacious, snug household runabout with above-average dynamics. Now, it’s bought a wholesome dose of additional energy, a much bigger, higher infotainment system and much better route planning. These updates might not be apparent from the surface, however they’re welcome ones—as long as you are not anticipating all that on the bargain-basement model.
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