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It seems as though 2022 has been a turning point for electric cars in Australia, with a torrent of new and highly anticipated vehicle launches, both in the low-end with cars like the BYD Atto 3, mid-cost cars like the Tesla Model Y, and at the high-end with cars like the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
With so many high-profile launches now behind us, it’s time to look to 2023 and beyond for what will be Australia’s next most anticipated electric car.
And it’s fair to say the Volkswagen ID.4 will be high up there on the list for many buyers, with the brand talking a big game on its electrified range.
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In fact, Volkswagen is one of the few automakers which has become a genuine threat to Tesla over in Europe with the ID range, which in many regions has started to shake Tesla’s hold on the electrified space.
Does the ID.4 - perhaps Australia’s next most anticipated electric car - have the right ingredients to replicate the same success here? We were invited to a preview drive a full year out from its planned launch to find out.
Price and features - Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
To be clear here, we don’t have hard numbers yet on what the ID.4 will cost. It’s still a full year out from a predicted late 2023 launch window but Volkswagen has some aggressive targets which it hopes will make the switch to electric easy for its existing customers.
The brand's representatives tell us this means the ID.4 will start from roughly an equivalent price to a Tiguan R-Line, in the mid-$60,000 bracket.
This will put it in contention with cars like the popular Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 (from $65,500 and $63,900 respectively), while undercutting its more direct rival - the Tesla Model Y (which starts from $72,300).
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This already sits the ID.4 in a good place, as the mid-size SUV space is one poorly addressed by the current crop of electric vehicles in Australia, particularly in the mid-$60,000 price bracket.
We also don’t know yet what sort of grades will become available in Australia next year, but Volkswagen informs us the Pro Performance grade (one of two cars we were able to sample) is most indicative of the first examples which will arrive in Australia.
The Pro performance grade is roughly equivalent to R-Line versions of combustion cars when it comes to equipment, and the car we sampled included 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-start ignition, a 12-inch ‘Discover Pro’ multimedia touchscreen (running the latest Volkswagen software complete with always-online connectivity and built-in navigation), as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
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There's also a 5.3-inch instrument cluster (conveniently attached to the steering rack), ambient interior lighting, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with heating, microfleece and synthetic leather seat trim, the more advanced ‘progressive steering’ tune, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate, and the full active safety suite, which we’ll touch on later.
Another grade, the ‘Pure Performance’ was also available for testing, which Volkswagen said it had brought in to gauge interest from fleet operators more than private customers.
This version of the ID.4 was more European in its specification level, sporting smaller 18-inch alloys, manual-adjust seats, a smaller 10-inch multimedia screen, a manual tailgate, a cropped-down active safety offering, and a less powerful electric motor.
Interestingly, Volkswagen throws in both a standard wall-socket charging cable, as well as a public Type 2 charging cable which is often an optional extra.
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EV Specs for Volkswagen ID.4 2023
| Drivetrain | Fully electric |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 55(kWh) |
| Battery type | Lithium-ion |
| Range | 345km (WLTP) |
| Plug type | Type 2 CCS |
| DC charge rate | 110kW |
| AC charge rate | 7.2kW |
| Motor output | 125kW/310Nm |
| Efficiency | 16.7kWh/100km |
Design - Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
The ID.4 has a familiar but forward-thinking design, moving away from the squared-off lines of the current Tiguan to a more curvaceous look and feel.
This is both form and function, with the drag being more important than ever in the electric era, the ID.4 seeming as though it has been formed by water.
The design also has the interesting effect of leaving less room for now-superfluous grilles, with the ID.4’s face characterised by a black strip, the traditional VW logo nose, and eyeball-like main LED light elements which almost give the SUV an anthropomorphic face.
It has an undeniably approachable character, which is an interesting contrast from the more industrial sporty-chic of VW’s current combustion cars. Sporty elements still remain, from the large alloys on the Pro Performance grade, to little spoilers out the rear.
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It’s uncanny how the brand has managed to keep its ID range familiar to core VW design tropes, yet clearly defined by moving the brand’s design language in a curvy new direction. I admire the balance.
The interior of the ID.4, though, could be any Volkswagen until you look closer. This is partially because Volkswagen has been preparing for the move to a new pared-back design with all of its most recent combustion vehicle facelifts, so the interior is instantly and intrinsically a VW by look and feel, but also because the primary changes need to be used to be felt.
The multimedia screen, and wheel set-up feel like they’ve been dropped straight out of a current Golf, for example, but have the elevated pose more like a T-Roc or Tiguan, while the wheel and switchgear looks and feels exactly the same.
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If you sat in the ID.4 blindfolded, it would be hard to tell apart from its combustion contemporaries.
However, the new elements bring with them necessary changes. The minimalist digital dash, for example, is initially questionable with its simplistic approach, but ultimately shows everything you need to know in easy-to-understand graphics.
Similarly, the big open space and floating armrests help the cabin feel huge despite the dark interior treatment, and the big LED strip which runs the length of the windscreen is a neat element.
It’s far from the leap into the future you might experience when hopping out of a combustion vehicle and into a Tesla Model Y, for example, but more a subtle but significant change, with major functional design changes like the move away from a traditional instrument cluster.
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Practicality - How practical is the space inside? 8/10
Perhaps one of the most important selling points of the ID.4 is that it’s a relatively traditional mid-size SUV.
There’s nothing electric which offers the same bodystyle at the suggested price point right now, and while that might change in the full year it might take VW to get the ID.4 to the market, it’s still one of the segments with the highest demand in Australia.
In terms of dimensions it is only a handful of millimetres smaller than the current Tiguan, placing it slightly above the Tesla Model Y and BYD Atto 3 in terms of overall size.
The interior space is open courtesy of a flat floor, a benefit of the ID.4’s electrified MEB platform. The result is a configurable storage bay which sits between the front occupants, with removable dividers letting you choose how to use the space.
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Do you want one huge tray? A set of cupholders? A blend of both? It’s up to your imagination. In VW’s current combustion cars this area usually hosts the transmission shifter, handbrake and other controls, all of which have been shifted to the configurable driver’s steering column. The handbrake is automatic.
As a result of this low and open space, there is also no raised armrest section, necessitating the inclusion of armrests on the inside of the front seats.
The space is also very adjustable, with the added benefit of the digital instrument cluster on the steering column meaning no matter how high or low you set it, the entire screen is always visible.
The back seat is perhaps one of the ID.4’s most appealing attributes, offering massive space behind my own driving position.
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There’s leagues of room for my knees and soft trims in the doors for my elbows. The flat floor is most apparent here leaving plenty of room for loading objects or having room for three sets of feet.
The third climate zone and direction of the air flow can be adjusted via a nearly floor-mounted touch panel between the front seats.
Boot space comes in at 543-litres (VDA) which is massive for a car of this size, and while there’s no spare under the floor (just an inflator kit), there is an under floor area for your charging cables.
Unlike some electric vehicles, though, there is no storage under the ID.4’s bonnet, with the space occupied by cooling equipment for the battery pack, and in the case of the Performance Pro, the heat pump.
Driving - What's it like to drive? 7/10
The ID.4 is familiar, yet new from behind the wheel. Existing Volkswagen owners will be familiar with the steering tune, which is light but accurate in the more basic and ‘progressive’ forms we were able to test on our UK-spec preview cars.
The same can be said for the switchgear, and even the ride is similar to something like a Tiguan.
That last one is perhaps the most important, because the balanced, supple ride quality (at least what we were able to test on our limited drive) is what will set this car apart from something like Tesla’s popular Model Y.
Unlike the Model Y, the ID.4 feels as though its dampers are tuned well, while feeling as though it has more control and balance than more affordable EVs like the electric MG ZS.
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In this way, it hides the weight of its batteries well unless really pushed, and its rear-drive dynamics add to a superior feel in the corners compared to front-drive rivals.
One area where it can’t compete with the Tesla is raw performance. The electric motors in both test cars we sampled felt very modest in comparison to cars like the Tesla Model Y, and Volvo XC40 Recharge, more comparable to the motors which exist in more mainstream offerings like the Hyundai Kona electric or Kia Niro.
The end result is an SUV which is balanced but tame and predictable, certainly ready for mainstream consumption, but not the kind of EV which aims to impress with performance. What it does best is stray on the right side of ‘premium’ when it comes to the ride and steering.
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As an EV the ID4 is as smooth as its rivals when it comes to acceleration, and offers only two regenerative braking modes.
There is a mild mode, which primarily uses blended braking to mix the regen and friction brakes, or a strong mode which arrests the car as you let off the accelerator.
It’s not quite strong enough to be considered a ‘single pedal’ driving mode, but strong enough for the car to at least feel quite efficient.
As this was a short test in a controlled environment, we’re keen to bring you more detailed observations closer to the ID.4’s launch, particularly in locally-specified cars.
Drivetrain - What are the key stats for the drivetrain? 7/10
Again, we’re not exactly sure which spec of the ID.4 will arrive in Australia, but the UK-specified examples we were able to drive each had their own powertrain.
The more basic Pure Performance grade has an electric motor mounted on the rear axle producing 125kW/310Nm. This is powered by a 55kWh lithium-ion battery pack, providing a claimed 345km driving range on the WLTP cycle.
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The higher-spec Pro Performance grade, said to be most representative of the initial cars to arrive in Australia, has a more powerful rear-mounted electric motor, with outputs totalling 150kW/310Nm.
This version is backed by a larger 82kWh battery pack, with a driving range rated at 522km on the WLTP cycle.
It is important to note there are higher performance GTX versions available overseas (which the brand tells us will arrive at a later date in Australia), as well as the Pro 4Motion all-wheel drive variant which launched earlier this year.
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Energy consumption - How much does it consume? What’s the range like, and what it’s like to recharge/refuel? 8/10
The ID.4 Pure Performance, with its less powerful motor and smaller battery, also consumes less energy, rated at 16.7kWh/100km on the WLTP combined cycle.
Meanwhile, the more powerful and heavier Pro Performance consumes 17.2kWh/100km. Our test loop in both vehicles was far too short to extract a fair number, so stay tuned closer to the ID.4’s Australian launch late next year for a more accurate energy consumption test.
For reference, in my testing I have found consumption under 15kWh/100km great performance for EVs, and consumption above 18kWh/100km less than impressive, leaving the ID.4 in the upper part of that band.
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When it comes to charging, different ID.4 spec levels have different charging capabilities, it is not uniform across the range. The more basic Pure Performance charges at a rate of 110kW on a DC fast charger, allowing it to charge from a quoted 0-80 per cent in 26 minutes. It can also charge at a rate of 7.2kW on the slower AC standard, for a charge time of 6.5 hours.
The Pro Performance balances its larger battery pack with improved charging specs, able to charge on a DC fast charger at a rate of 125kW allowing an 80 per cent charge in 33 minutes, while on AC it charges at a rate of 11kW for a charge to 80 per cent in 6.5 hours.
These specs are sufficient, but it would be nice to see the 11kW AC charger standard across the range as it would significantly cut down the charge time for the Pure grade.
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Safety - What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating? 7/10
Specifications are yet to be finalised for the ID.4 but the two grades we tested had different sets of active safety gear. All cars get freeway speed auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, as well as the full adaptive safety suite, but only the Pro Performance scores adaptive lane guidance, rear auto braking, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
These items will definitely be missed if they’re not added to the Pure grade prior to its launch in Australia.
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Airbag coverage totals seven, with the standard dual front, side, and curtain, as well as the centre airbag between the front occupants usually required for a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The ID.4 is yet to be rated by ANCAP, but it achieved a maximum five star rating to the EuroNCAP standard in 2021.
Ownership - What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered? 8/10
We don’t have details locked in for the ID.4’s ownership promise, but expect the usual five year and unlimited kilometre warranty for the car itself, with a separate eight year, 160,000km warranty (which appears to be the ID range’s battery warranty internationally) for the battery pack, matching industry standards.
Over in the UK, from where our test cars came, ID vehicles only need to be serviced once every 24 months, with an unlimited kilometre interval.
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Verdict
The ID.4 is looking to hit a bit of a sweet spot in the electric car market, priced keenly compared to many of its rivals, but we can now confirm it offers not only the look but the feel of existing Volkswagen products in a tidy electrified package.
It’s not as powerful, and in the lower grades, not as well specified as some of its rivals, but as one of the first mainstream mid-size fully electric SUVs in Australia, it seems as though minor issues like this won’t stop it from being a smash-hit.
If you’re keen we’d suggest getting your order in early. Volkswagen predicts a long waiting list.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer.
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