2021 Volkswagen ID4 First Look: VW’s Electric Future Is Finally in America

The all-new, all-electric-powered 2021 Volkswagen ID4 crossover SUV has a lot on its to do list, and it isn’t even on sale here yet. Among other things, Volkswagen’s first ID-branded car to hit U.S. shores has to lure potential customers away from internal-combustion-engined crossovers, do battle with the likes of the Tesla Model Y and coming […]

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The all-new, all-electric-powered 2021 Volkswagen ID4 crossover SUV has a lot on its to do list, and it isn’t even on sale here yet. Among other things, Volkswagen’s first ID-branded car to hit U.S. shores has to lure potential customers away from internal-combustion-engined crossovers, do battle with the likes of the Tesla Model Y and coming Ford Mustang Mach-E, and help VW escape the shadow of the Dieselgate scandal once and for all thanks to its zero-emissions mandate.

2021 VW ID4: The Specs and Range Ain’t Bad

The ID4 is the second car in Volkswagen’s onslaught of pure EVs. The first was the ID3, a Golf-sized electric hatchback we don’t get in the States. Like the 3, the 2021 ID4 is underpinned by Volkswagen’s new MEB electric-drive architecture and employs a steel chassis and body construction. The ID4’s strut-type front suspension is augmented by lower control arms, coil springs, telescopic dampers, and an anti-roll bar, while the rear uses a multilink setup with coil springs, telescopic dampers, and another anti-roll bar.

Power for the 2021 VW ID4 is stored in a 288-pouch-cell, 12-module, 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack sandwiched in its floorpan; it feeds its juice to a permanent-magnet synchronous motor mounted at the back of the car, driving the rear wheels. Maximum output is pegged at 201 horsepower and 228 lb-ft of torque, though VW says a more powerful all-wheel drive version, called the ID AWD Pro, with 302 horsepower is coming by late 2021.

Volkswagen says the first ID4 to hit the U.S. market starting next spring, officially called the ID4 Pro, will offer an EPA-estimated range of 250 miles to a full charge. When plugged into a DC fast-charging station with 125 kilowatt charging capability, the ID4 SUV can reportedly boost from 5 to 80 percent charge in roughly 40 minutes. When it’s hooked up to a typical home charging setup or public Level 2 charger, VW says the ID4’s 11-kW onboard charger can help deliver more than 30 miles of range in about an hour with around seven and a half hours required to fully replenish the electrons from empty.

Where to charge an EV can still be an issue, especially so if you don’t have a home setup, so Volkswagen has partnered with Electrify America for three years of free fast charging for every ID4. According to Electrify America, it has 446 active charging stations in the U.S., with 113 more on the way.

As for the ID4’s main competitors, the Tesla Model Y and the soon-to-arrive Ford Mustang Mach-E, it’s worth noting that the ID4 splits the difference between the two when it comes to range. The base Model Y is the long-range model with RWD. That car gets an EPA-estimated 316 miles to a single charge. The base Mach-E with RWD comes in slightly lower than the ID4 at a Ford-estimated 230 miles of range. Even though the ID4 can’t match the Model Y when it comes to range, its base price of $39,995 is roughly 10 grand less than the base Model Y and some $5,000 less than the Mach-E.

Volkswagen hasn’t yet quoted any performance or vehicle weight numbers yet for the 2021 ID4, but with the instantly available torque for which electric motors are so renowned, we’re going to assume a zero-to-60 run of about seven seconds or so for the rear-drive models and six seconds for the more-powerful all-wheel-drive version. Curb weights are likely to fall somewhere from 4,200 to 4,400 pounds depending on spec. VW has opted to use disc brakes up front and drums in the back to do the stopping. It says that, thanks to the ID4’s regenerative braking, the rear brakes may go long periods of time where they aren’t used at all, and disc brakes lose more effectiveness versus drums when not used regularly.

The ID4 is positioned at the smaller end of the compact SUV segment, but its electric drivetrain means it maintains respectable cargo room. The wheelbase measures 108.9 inches, while the ID.4 is 180.5 inches long overall—shorter than the Volkswagen Tiguan in both dimensions. However, despite being shorter of wheelbase, the ID4 is nearly as spacious as the Tiguan. With all the seats folded down, the ID4 offers 64.2 cubes of stowage space, just 1.5 fewer than the Tig.

New ID, Who Dis?

The ID4 isn’t just a new EV from Volkswagen, it also previews the latest generation of tech from VW. As such, there are a number of fresh features packed within. Perhaps the most interesting is ID Light, a light bar nestled in the dashboard near the windscreen that provides visual cues to the driver and passenger. For example, the light can change color when the car locks or unlocks, signal to the left or right to preview an upcoming navigation instruction or turn, and act as a charge-status indicator.

Volkswagen has also included a prominent voice-command system for the ID4—despite the fact that these systems can sometimes be finicky (e.g. the “Hey, Mercedes” commands at the center of Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX system). Saying “Hello ID” triggers the voice commands, and VW says you’ll be able to do things like turn on the heater by saying “Hello ID, I’m cold.”

Inside, the ID4 provides a minimalist setting, and almost all physical buttons have been replaced with touch controls. The instrument cluster is a fully digital, 5.3-inch display controlled by the capacitive buttons on the steering wheel. To the right of the driver’s display is a standard 10.0-inch touchscreen setup called Discover Pro (a 12.0-inch Discover Pro Max display is optional) that houses VW’s latest infotainment system.

Most of the infotainment’s functions are controlled through the screen itself, and there are no physical knobs or buttons to control it. There are dedicated touch-sensitive sliders for the volume and HVAC controls, as well as touch-sensitive buttons that bring up the ID4’s drive-mode selector, driver-assist features, climate controls, a parking assist features, and the hazard lights. That’s it. The only physical controls in the whole of the ID4 are the stalks behind the steering wheel and a large rocker switch to the right of the instrument cluster that acts as the ID4’s gear selector.

How Much Does the VW ID4 Cost?

As mentioned earlier, the rear-drive ID4 Pro model starts at $39,995, with the ID4 AWD Pro model checking in at $43,695 to start when it launches later next year. Both of those prices are before a potential federal tax credit of $7,500 is applied, however. There are just two options for the ID4 Pro at launch—a Statement Package and a Gradient Package.

The Statement Package costs $4,500 and includes a panoramic glass roof, LED projector headlights, power-folding side mirrors, an illuminated VW badge on the front of the car, and the LED light bar that connects the two headlights. The Gradient Package can only be had if the Statement package is also specified; the latter adds 20-inch wheels, a black roof, and silver roof rails. It’ll run you an extra $1,500. That said, all ID4s will come with VW’s impressive IQ Drive suite of safety nannies as standard kit.

Volkswagen will also be offering a limited run of ID.4 1st Editions that includes both the Statement and Gradient packages along with some special 1st Edition badging, black mirror caps, and gas and brake pedals with play and pause logos on them (we’ll let you figure out which one has which symbol). That version of the ID4 will cost $43,995. By 2022, once all the 1st Editions are gone, VW says it will start building ID4s at its U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and claims it will be able to lower the base price of the car to around $35,000 thanks to the implementation of a smaller battery.

VW will offer the ID4 in six colors: Glacier White Metallic, Mythos Black Metallic, Moonstone Grey, Scale Silver Metallic, Blue Dusk Metallic, and King’s Red Metallic. All of them will come with a body-color roof, 19-inch wheels, and black roof rails unless, of course, you spec the Gradient package.

There’s a lot riding on the ID4 for Volkswagen, and from what we’ve learned thus far, it’s planning to come out swinging with a feature-rich offering and then keep the pressure on when U.S. production starts to ramp up with more value-based propositions. So far, it seems like a sound strategy, although it remains to be seen how well the ID4 will be received when it hits VW showrooms next spring. If the 2021 Volkswagen ID4 piques your interest, you’re able to reserve one on VW’s site right now for a refundable $100 fee.

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