Volkswagen is starting the second offspring of the MEB family with the ID.4. The compact SUV should appeal primarily to families – and become a bestseller like the Tiguan.
Compact SUVs have been booming for years and around the world. It is the largest market segment in the automotive industry. Volkswagen has the Tiguan on offer here, and even produces it more frequently than the Golf every year. Now the Wolfsburg-based company is coming onto the market with its first electric SUV, the ID.4.
The first cars should be at dealerships by the end of the year. The prices for the so-called “edition models” start at 49,950 euros and 59,950 euros respectively. A basic version will follow next year for around 37,000 euros.
After the ID.3, the ID.4 is VW’s second electric car based on the completely redesigned modular electric drive kit (MEB). In contrast to the ID.3, the ID.4 was designed as a world car, built first in Germany, then in China and later in the USA. Volkswagen intends to produce a total of two million units of the ID.4 – calculated over the life cycle of seven years. Internally, the electric SUV represents something like the “strategic milestone” of the Group’s e-offensive.
The ID.4 measures 4.58 meters in length, but thanks to the electrical architecture, in which the axes can be further apart, it offers significantly more space in the interior than is usually the case in this class. Anyone who takes a seat on the back seat can feel this immediately. In connection with the huge panoramic glass roof (surcharge) the good sense of space is even particularly pronounced.
The ID.4 can also score points when it comes to packages. Because the battery sits deep in the base plate, the trunk remains unaffected. He swallows 543 liters. With the rear seat backs folded down, it is up to 1,575 liters. As is now standard in this segment, the tailgate can be opened electrically or with a swiveling foot. There is also a luggage net, a net partition and a variable loading floor.
The ID.4 can even handle a trailer hitch – which is rare in electric cars. Up to one ton can be pulled. The hook on the rear is also very practical for transporting bicycles. The crux of an electric car is of course the range, all the more important if, like the ID.4, it is a car designed for families, which is usually the first vehicle in the household.
Since Volkswagen’s MEB architecture has a modular structure, customers have the choice of choosing batteries of different sizes, depending on their personal driving profile – and budget. The largest battery has a capacity of 77 kWh. This enables a travel distance of up to 520 kilometers. Entry currently starts at 52 kWh, which should enable 360 kilometers.
However, the best range is of little use if there is a problem with reloading. The VW engineers have taken appropriate precautions and installed a maximum DC charging power of 125 kW. In other words, if this high current can flow on a Quick-Charger under optimal conditions, a range of over 300 kilometers would be recharged in half an hour.
With the purchase of the ID.4, the customer also receives a charging card with which he can “fill up” at more than 150,000 public charging points across Europe. An 11 kW wallbox is definitely recommended for home use, so that the ID.4 can be conveniently and fully charged overnight in three phases. A normal household socket would also work, but with the large 77 kWh battery it takes around 40 hours. Out of the question in everyday life.
Volkswagen gives a guarantee of eight years or 160,000 kilometers on the energy storage system. The battery must not have lost more than 30 percent of its original capacity. Otherwise there is a new one.
As with the ID.3, the basic drive is also at the rear of the ID.4. In both edition models, the electric motors produce 150 kW / 204 PS each. The torque is 310 Newton meters. As is customary with e-machines, they can be called up from the stand. A quick sprint is always guaranteed. VW promises 8.5 seconds from zero to 100 km / h. To save the battery, the top speed has been limited to 160 km / h.
In the course of next year, Volkswagen plans to offer the ID.4 in additional performance levels. Depending on the battery size, 109, 125 or 129 kW (148, 170 and 175 PS) are possible as rear-wheel drive. With all-wheel drive, there is also an electric motor (75 kW / 102 PS) on the front axle.
VW designed the interior of the ID.4 in a very modern way. Physical switches and buttons are a thing of the past. The cockpit appears clear, tidy and puristic, dominated by the large touch display in the middle of the dashboard. A head-up display with augmented reality is also possible. For example, turning arrows of the navigation system can be reflected in the windshield as if they were visually directly on the road.
And so that the ID.4 always remains up to date with the latest digitization, its software architecture was designed so that it can be updated via the cellular network – just like a smartphone.
