Displaying items by tag: Volkswagen ID4

Saturday, 27 November 2021 04:14

New Volkswagen ID.4 GTX 2021 review

VW ID.4 EV gets another electric motor and four-wheel drive in hot GTX form

It wouldn’t have been right for Volkswagen to use the illustrious GTI badge on its new range of electric performance cars. That’s not to say the ID.4 GTX isn’t fun in its own right, it just lacks the character of its petrol-powered forebears. It’s expensive, too; while a rear-wheel drive Ford Mustang Mach-E is better to drive and almost as fast. There is some work to be done on making the GTX nameplate as iconic as GTI, then – but if anyone can do it, VW can.

Volkswagen's world-famous GTI badge turned 45 this year. Celebrated since 1976 and having featured on a string of memorable performance Golfs, for many, its three letters define the hot hatchback genre.

But now VW is embarking on a new era – an era for the electric generation. All future Volkswagen EVs will feature the ID. badge; we’ve already seen the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, and there are electric saloons, superminis, and even MPVs on the way. 

Of course, in addition to the various bodystyles, Volkswagen also has a range of GTI-inspired electric performance models in the works. Not to be confused with their petrol siblings, these EVs will all use the GTX name – starting with this, the ID.4 GTX.

Building on the standard ID.4 electric SUV, the GTX gets an extra motor on the front axle, boosting total power to a not inconsequential 295bhp. The result is 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and a top speed pegged at 112mph.

That last figure is significantly down on the capabilities of the current Golf GTI. Not that it’ll matter to prospective buyers – spend much time hovering at or above the national speed limit and you’ll see the projected 301-mile range plummet. During our time with the car on a mixture of rural, motorway and urban roads, we were seeing 220-230 miles on a charge.

Yet the big question isn’t how far it’ll go before the batteries run flat – rather whether or not it captures any of the GTI magic that Volkswagen has become so famous for. 

The short answer is no. The GTX isn’t quite as agile as a Ford Mustang Mach-E, but that’s not to say it’s sloppy. The ID.4 offers adequate (if not spellbinding) performance, as well as decent-enough body control. The steering, if lacking a little in feel, appears weightier than on the standard car and is perfectly quick and direct. The brakes are up to the task of stopping this 2.2-tonne SUV, too – as you would hope.

 
Traction is also on point, allowing you to use that slug of torque to power out of tight corners with confidence. Our car was fitted with optional adaptive dampers, but we ended up leaving them in their default setting – in Comfort mode the GTX felt composed, whereas Sport gave the car an unsettled, bouncier ride. It’s still more comfortable than a Mach-E, though.

We may bemoan synthesised sound generators in diesel SUVs, but ultimately, with no soundtrack to enjoy in the ID.4, you’re left feeling somewhat detached from the driving experience. That’s ideal on the motorway, or indeed when you’re pootling from A to B without a schedule to keep or deadline to meet, but when you’re alone in the car and want to drive like the seat of your pants is on fire, the ID.4 GTX simply isn’t that engaging. 

There’s some work to be done on making the GTX badge fit in a driver’s car context, then, but the rest of the package is as complete as you’d expect. Practicality is excellent – the 543-litre boot is unchanged from the standard ID.4, and there’s space under the floor to store the charge cable. Note: a three-pin charger is a £180 option.

 
The cabin is roomy too, while quality takes a jump in the right direction thanks to new fabrics on the dashboard. The GTX-branded seats are supportive and comfortable; the only other tell-tale sign that this is the range flagship comes courtesy of the small badge and red flash at the base of the steering wheel.

Prices are high. The ID.4 GTX starts from £48,525 but for that you get 20-inch wheels, a 12-inch infotainment system with nav, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a head-up display, keyless entry and Matrix LED lights. Above this sits the GTX Max, adding a panoramic glass roof, three-zone climate control, adaptive dampers and a heat pump for around £7,000 more.

That infotainment system is still a bit laggy, and it’s not the most intuitive set-up to use. The temperature sliders are fiddly too, and Volkswagen still refuses to light them at night – making them impossible to operate after dark. The instrument cluster on the other hand is simple but effective, de-cluttered by removing surplus information; the car’s speed sits front and centre, just as it should.

Model:  Volkswagen ID.4 GTX
Engine: 77kWh battery, two electric motors
Power/torque: 295bhp/310Nm
Transmission:  Single-speed auto, four-wheel drive
0-62mph:  6.2 seconds
Top speed:  112mph
Range/Efficiency:  301 miles, 3.7mi/kWh (WLTP)
On sale:  Now
Published in Volkswagen
Wednesday, 31 March 2021 05:34

Volkswagen ID.4 review

The Volkswagen ID.4 is a fully electric SUV that is a logical extension of the excellent Golf-sized ID.3 hatchback family. It's on UK sale now, but only as the ID.4 1st Edition initially, costing a hefty £40,800 now that it is no longer eligible for the government's plug-in car grant. Expect a wider range of models, specs and trims to be made available throughout 2021.

Under the ID.4's SUV bodywork is VW's dedicated electric vehicle technology that will be shared with a number of other Audi, Cupra, SEAT and Skoda EVs, such as the Enyaq. The understructure contains all the electric drive components, such as the motor and batteries, and is purpose-built to be as efficient as possible as there are no petrol or diesel derivatives to engineer.

As a result, the ID.4 is even roomier and more practical than the ID.3, despite their close similarities under the skin.

Electric rivals are few and far between, but the smaller Peugeot e-2008 is already in showrooms, and might be worth considering if you don't want to wait for a cheaper ID.4. At the other end of the price scale, the Volvo XC40 Recharge P8 will go up against more expensive ID.4s.

What's under the skin?
Nestled under the ID.4's boot floor is an electric motor that drives the rear wheels. Buyers who need four-wheel drive will have to wait until later in 2021 for models fitted with a second motor to power the front axle. Don't expect the VW to be dazzling off-road, though, even though its ground clearance is usefully high at 21cm.

Top speed is electronically capped at 99mph so that battery reserves aren't needlessly wasted driving at extreme speeds, while the 0-62mph sprint takes just 8.5 seconds.

All ID.4 1st Editions come with a 77kWh battery pack giving a claimed range of 310 miles. Although that figure has been achieved using the latest WLTP standards designed to reflect real-world driving, we found the range meter read around 220 miles on a crisp spring morning. Hooked-up to a rapid 125kW public charger, the car's battery can be replenished to 199 miles of range in just 30 minutes.

As the line-up expands, a smaller battery size will come on stream with lower purchase prices to match.

What's the ID.4 like inside?
Thanks to the dedicated EV hardware and lack of transmission tunnel, there's plenty of space for passengers, while you get full digital displays alongside what VW describes as intuitive voice control and touch surfaces to operate most minor functions.

Inside, the interior design theme is essentially the same as that found in the ID.3, even if there's more space inside. It's a clean-looking cockpit with a twist-action gear selector attached to the drivers’ instrument pod and storage cubbies in the centre console.

An augmented-reality head-up display is on the options list, while the connected infotainment system has real-time traffic data, live updates on the state of nearby chargers and the ability to pre-condition your car via a phone app, meaning no need to get into a chilly or frosted-up car on a frozen morning.

As you would expect, the ID.4 1st Edition is packed with standard equipment, including soft-touch grey and brown fabric upholstery, 20-inch alloy wheels, full LED exterior lights, darkened rear privacy windows, adaptive cruise control, a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen and 30 (yes, thirty!) different colours for the interior ambient lighting.

What's it like to drive?
It's better than its podgy looks might lead you to believe. Thanks to excellent weight distribution and that low-down battery pack, the ID.4 grips and steers very well indeed. Even when fitted with the optional 21-inch wheels and super low-profile tyres, the ride remains compliant on most surfaces, and it doesn’t get too jarring when you switch modes from Comfort to Sport.

This 204hp version isn't as fast as you'd expect, as performance is hampered by a hefty kerbweight of more than two tonnes. It's quick enough for a car of this type and performance is well judged, but we'd warn that lower-output versions may not have enough performance if you regularly undertake long journeys or travel with multiple passengers onboard.

Volkswagen ID.4 (2021) driving, rear viewEnlarge0videoEnlarge22photo
It is quiet, however. This is a really hushed, cosseting drive, and best driven in a more relaxed manner. This will also help the battery range and brings out the best in the comfort-orientated chassis.

There's a toggle switch on the steering column that lets you select the level of regenerative braking on offer. This is a similar system to other electric cars, which allow 'one-pedal' driving, slowing down significantly by lifting off the accelerator, rather than braking conventionally.

For added convenience - and as expected by many SUV owners - a towbar can also be specified for the ID.4, allowing it to haul braked trailers of up to 1,000kg.

Should you buy a Volkswagen ID.4 SUV?
Yes, although it's not perfect. And if we're being honest, it doesn't feel quite as brilliant or refreshing as the Volkswagen ID.3 – the car it's so closely related to. But we'd say it has a more pleasing cabin, and as such the ID.4 feels like the future has suddenly arrived and we largely like what we see.

It's a little too early for a definitive verdict as right now, we just get the top-spec 1st Edition model, which weighs in in at £40,800 now that it is no longer eligible for the government plug-in car grant. Following the ID.3's logic, lower powered less well-equipped models will take the ID.4 down into the early £30,000s, which will open it up to far more buyers.

As such, we expect the cheaper, more mainstream models will be much more appealing – this is fundamentally an excellent electric SUV that will undoubtedly fit into the lifestyles of a large amount of families who are yet to buy an EV. The biggest unknown yet to answer is whether we rate the ID.4 ahead of the closely related Skoda Enyaq.

It's had a lengthy gestation, not least because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and some teething issues with the ID.3's software, but right now the ID.4 looks very promising indeed.

parkers.co.uk

Published in Volkswagen

VW's electric crossover succeeds at imitating the gas-powered competition but forgoes many of the things we like about EVs.

As electric cars begin to proliferate, we are seeing the auto industry figuring out the best way to build and sell battery-powered cars. Some take existing gasoline models, rip out their powertrains, and bolt in battery packs and electric motors. A few existing carmakers have started new EV-only brands to market purpose-built electrics. One brand is courting the attention and controversy that comes from putting a famous pony-car nameplate on an electric car. And then there are the startups whose big promises are only outdone by the cultlike devotion of their fans. Against this backdrop, VW's approach for the new ID.4 looks extremely logical and straightforward. The 2021 ID.4 is designed and engineered to be an electric crossover that matches the specifications, performance, and character of the best-selling gas vehicles in the United States: compact SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

Built on the VW Group's new MEB modular EV platform, the ID.4 has a 77.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor and a 201-hp electric motor on the rear axle. While this layout is unusual for the compact crossover-SUV segment, the ID.4's dimensions make it a lot like the rest of the class. The VW's wheelbase is longer, but its length and width are within fractions of an inch of the RAV4's. The ID.4's design hardly advertises its electricness and isn't any more eye-catching than your average crossover. It's shaped like a two-box blob with conventional-looking headlights and taillights. The only bits of flair are in the grilleless face and the optional contrasting C-pillar trim.

HIGHS: Spacious interior, comfortable ride, quiet at speed.

The ID.4's primary controls are set up to mimic the experience of a gas-powered car. Sit down, turn a knob to put it in Drive, and you won't have to make any adjustments to your driving behavior. Let your foot off the brake and it creeps forward just like a gas car with a torque-converter automatic transmission. Lift off the accelerator and it continues to coast like a gas car with an automatic.

To get more braking from the electric motors requires putting the car into its "B" setting, but even in that mode the regenerative braking effect isn't aggressive enough to reliably slow the car with a lift off the accelerator or to bring the ID.4 to a complete stop. Volkswagen promises one-pedal driving in B mode, but our regular use of the brake pedal had us questioning the brand's definition of the term.

VW also touts ID.4's 201-hp electric motor as having about the same power as the base four-cylinder engines in many compact crossovers. Maybe so, but the ID.4 weighs 4698 pounds. That's a whopping 1000 pounds more than the gas-powered competition. With only 229 pound-feet of torque, the neck-snapping shove of instant torque we like so much in electric cars is largely missing. When merging or passing at highway speeds, the ID.4 feels sluggish. The run to 60 mph takes 7.6 seconds, and the quarter mile is complete in 16.0 seconds at 86 mph, on par with the quicker gasoline models in this segment but significantly slower than similarly sized EVs such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. A more powerful dual-motor all-wheel-drive version of the ID.4 with around 300 horsepower will be available later this year and will likely bring the ID.4 closer to the snappy acceleration of other EVs.

LOWS: Unexciting to drive, anonymous styling, annoying infotainment.

If you are excited about the handling prospects of this rear-drive configuration, don't be. The ride is pleasingly firm and the steering is appropriately weighted, but there's little verve or joy to the driving dynamics. The ID.4 simply goes where it's pointed without complaining, which, to be fair, is what's expected of a small SUV. We recorded 0.85 g of grip on the skidpad and a stopping distance of 166 feet from 70 mph, average numbers for the class.

Driving the ID.4 is a largely serene experience. At 70 mph we measured a library-like 68 decibels, and the powertrain remains hushed under acceleration. The interior is airy and spacious, with a low beltline and a generous rear seat. There's no "frunk" as in many other EVs, but the cargo area behind the hatch is big, fitting eight carry-on suitcases with the rear seats up and 26 cases with the seats folded. The front seats are good for hours, and the driving position is natural, with good visibility. Storage cubbies abound, and rear-seat passengers enjoy their own USB ports and air vents.

The least conventional aspect of the ID.4 is the one you'd most hope to follow convention: the user interface. We're not fans of VW's latest infotainment software, which is overly reliant on the 12.0-inch touchscreen and doesn't provide enough physical controls for things you want quick access to such as heated seats and radio tuning. There are touch-sensitive sliders for the climate controls, sunshade, and volume adjustment, and haptic buttons for various menus. Even the few physical controls are strange. There are only two window controls on the driver's door panel, and you must press a finicky haptic switch to activate the rear windows. And the clean look of the white steering wheel isn't going to stay clean for long.

The driving experience in the ID.4 is so normal that it's easy to forget that there's nothing for you at a gas station except Flaming Hot Cheetos. The EPA claims a 250-mile range in combined driving, and we measured 190 miles in our real-world 75-mph highway range test done just above freezing temperatures. (Cold temps negatively impact battery range.) Refilling the VW's battery from empty takes about 7.5 hours on a typical 220V charger, and fast chargers can get you from 5 to 80 percent charge in a claimed 38 minutes. Thanks to Dieselgate, VW is investing heavily in charging infrastructure through its subsidiary, Electrify America. Buyers benefit from the scandal with three years of free charging from Electrify America's fast chargers.

Early adopters of new tech might be disappointed by the ID.4's lack of quirkiness. The ID.4 feels like it's trying to convince buyers that an EV can cost and provide the same experience as mainstream gas-powered vehicles. Pricing starts at $41,190, and our 1st Edition test car stickered for $45,190, which is within reach of loaded gas-powered compact crossovers, especially when you factor in thousands of dollars in federal tax credits.

Rather than an electric vehicle shaped like a compact SUV, this Volkswagen feels like a mainstream crossover that happens to have an electric motor and a battery pack. But the ID.4 lacks any distinct advantages over gas models, and it's missing the cool factor and instant-feeling acceleration of other EVs. VW is so determined to make the ID.4 normal that it seems to have forgotten that EVs can be weird, funky, and fun. The ID.4 is a quiet and comfortable transportation pod that will satisfy buyers looking for a quiet and comfortable transportation pod.

caranddriver.com

Published in Volkswagen

The first contingent of the ID.4 crossover set off on its way to its future owners in Europe, China and the United States.

The Volkswagen ID.4 is the second production model of the new generation of electric vehicles manufactured by Wolfsburg, after the ID.3 that broke the ice last year. Both cars are based on the MEB mechanical platform developed by VW specifically for electric vehicles.

According to B92, optimistic forecasts are coming from the German manufacturer that it should deliver over 100,000 copies of the ID.4 crossover to customers this year alone, although they have received only about 17,000 orders so far. The VW ID.4 is currently being produced at the Zwickau plant in Germany, as well as in China, and will soon start production in Emden (Germany) and, next year, in the Chattanooga factory (USA).

Published in Blog/News

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