Is the Electric SUV from Volkswagen a Good SUV?
Car and engine specs and price
So, to start with the ID4 comes with 4 power options. To start with you can have a 52 kWh battery paired with a 146 BHP motor and does 0-62 in a steady 10.9 seconds. It also has a range of 213 miles. Next up you can have the same battery pack but with a more powerful 167 BHP motor. This can do 0-62 in 9 seconds but still has 213 miles of range. Next up is a 77 kWh battery pack paired with a 201 BHP motor which can do 0-62 in 8.5 seconds. It also has an excellent range of 322 miles. Finally, the big beast in the room, the GTX model comes with a 77 kWh battery but with a 294 BHP motor and this can do 0-62 in a quick 6.2 seconds. The range of this car is actually quite good at 301 miles. The price for all this starts at £34,995.00 and goes all the way up to £55,555.00 for the top of the range GTX MAX trim level.
Exterior
So, the design at the front of the ID4 is an interesting one. It has a familiar Volkswagen face which makes it not look like an electric car which I quite like. The LED headlights can have matrix technology and the overall design of the headlights make it look like the car has eyes which again I like. We also get a nice lightbar like what other Volkswagens are getting. Lower down we have a medium sized air vent with a unique mesh pattern and along the side we have some nice air vents.
Along the side we have a very nice profile. To start with we have a strong crease above the electric door handles, more on that in a moment, and this crease does up slightly above the rear wheels. Lower down we have another crease just above the plastic cladding. Now the best part about this car is that it has electric door handles. All you do is you just press a button underneath the door handle, and it will open the door. Now if the car runs out of electric you can tug on them manually to open the door, but Volkswagen has made it hard to do so you don’t do it on purpose. Finally, one other thing I like is the silver accent above the window and C pillar. This makes the car look sporty and athletic and also makes the car look lower than it is, which I like.
At the back we have a very cool design in my opinion. It is very sleek and modern looking. So, to start with we have these cool taillights that have individual LED sections if you go for the Matrix headlights and these taillights are also connected with a light bar. Lower down we have an ID4 badge which I like. The bumper also has a nice design. It looks rugged whilst being premium. One thing I have not mentioned but I am sure you have noticed is that the badging and the Volkswagen logo are not chrome like other Volkswagens. On the ID cars they are White to show that they are electric.
Interior – Design
So, the interior design is unlike any other Volkswagen. Just like the ID3 you have a small instrument cluster in front of you with your gear selector and next to that you have your floating screen. Now this infotainment system is not the greatest. It is very buggy and sometimes does not work. Now this would not be a big problem as I can live without a radio but considering it has most of the cars features for example the safety systems and climate control on it, it becomes a big issue. For example, if you want to change the air conditioning you can’t as the screen does not work so if it was a hot day yesterday and you had cold air blowing at you and today is a cold day you can’t put the heating on. Also, the volume knob and climate control buttons are touch sensitive and are hard to use on the move. In matter of fact all of the other buttons are touch sensitive, so they are very difficult to use. Also, the climate control and volume buttons don’t light up at night which is not good. Around the cabin it does feel a bit cheap in some areas, but the seat material is very good, and I also like the pause and play pedals. It is just a shame about the infotainment and touch sensitive controls.
Practicality
Sitting in the back is actually quite good for the size of SUV. you can sit 2 6 footers in the back very well but if you want to sit 3 in the back you can do so with ease as there is not a floor hump. Creature comforts include an armrest your own climate control vents and climate control.
Boot Size
The boot size of the Volkswagen ID4 with the seats up is 543 litres and with the seats down it is 1,655 litres.
Summary
So, in summary then this is a Great first attempt at an electric SUV from Volkswagen. I can’t help thinking though that there are better ones out there for example the Audi Q4 E-Tron, BMW IX3 and for the price of the expensive GTX model the Mercedes EQA or even the Jaguar I-Pace or if you want to go into future cars that are coming out you have the Tesla Model Y and the Nissan Ariya. If Volkswagen can fix the issues, it will be a great car.
Exterior 4.5/5
Interior 3/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 11.5/15
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