Volkswagen launches electric ID.4 crossover

Volkswagen has revealed the new ID.4, which joins the ID.3 in the firm’s burgeoning all-electric ID line-up. 

Prices are expected to start in the region of £45,000 when the ID.4 reaches showrooms in late-2020, but the electric crossover will qualify for the UK government’s £3000 grant for low-emissions cars, which may lower the price to £42,000. 

Despite its SUV-like looks, the ID.4 is rear-wheel drive (a four-wheel-drive model is planned for 2021) with an electric motor producing 204PS and a 77kWh battery – a combination that translates into 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and a range of up to 323 miles. 

You can charge the car from empty in 30 minutes using a 125kW fast charger, alternatively, Volkswagen will install a home charger for around £350, which takes four hours for a full charge.

Volkswagen is claiming the ID.4 will be sporty to drive – thanks to its balanced weight distribution and low centre of gravity. However, you can also expect it to be a very easy car to drive in town. It has a tight 10.2-metre turning circle, a raised body that’ll have plenty of clearance over speed humps and regenerative braking that slow the car when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, so you rarely need the brakes.

A suite of driving aids means it can drive itself on the motorway so long as you keep your hands on the steering wheel. 

Styling follows the ID.3 mould. There’s no need for a conventional radiator so you don’t get one, the bonnet is low, sharp creases run nose-to-tail and there's a broad C pillar. Both the front and rear lights can perform a sequential dance when you unlock the car, whereon – in true Tesla fashion – the flush door handles pop out so you can get in.   

The modern theme continues on the inside, where you get a digital instrument binnacle and a large centre screen that’s up to 12 inches in size. There are very few conventional buttons, so the car has a clean, fuss-free design.

As you’d expect, the infotainment features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – so you can use your phone’s apps on the car's big screen – and it will also understand colloquial voice commands. Well, that’s the theory.  

The ID.4 goes a step further than all cars – bar the ID.3 – with augmented reality sat-nav that can superimpose directions onto the road by projecting them on the car’s windscreen. It looks cool but is also highly intuitive. 

Meanwhile, the ID.Light is supposed to inject a Herbie-like character into the car by using a strip of colour LEDs in the dashboard to communicate with you. It can do things like flash red if you need to make an emergency stop or turn cool shades of blue to signal icy road conditions. It's similar to the light-up bezel you get in the MINI 3-door.

Along with the clever gadgets, you can expect the ID.4 to be strong on practicality. It's slightly bigger and has a longer wheelbase than a Volkswagen Tiguan. Boot capacity sits at 543 litres with the seats up (the Tiguan has 520 litres) and 1575 litres with them down. The ID.4’s 1000kg maximum towing weight is significantly down on what you’d expect from a conventional SUV though. 

The ID.4 will initially go on sale in Germany where it will be offered as two models – the ID.4 1st and the ID.4 1st Max. The former comes with kit including 20-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats and steering wheel, ambient lighting with 30 colour options, two-zone climate control, a rear-view camera and Discovery Pro sat-nav with a 10-inch centre screen. 

As the name suggests, the ID.4 Max model has all the options ticked. It adds LED matrix headlights, 3D led tail lights, 21-inch alloy wheels, illuminated door handles, adaptive dampers and progressive steering that has fewer turns lock to lock. 

You also get a glass roof, acoustic glass, electrically adjustable seats, three-zone climate control and an electrically operated boot lid.  Upgraded infotainment constitutes a 12-inch centre display with the aforementioned augmented reality sat-nav. 

Both “limited-edition” cars are restricted to a total of 27,000 units. Once they have sold out, they will be followed by pre-configured models which bundle the options that are most popular on the market into packages – there's no word on exactly what specification they'll have.