Also, see here a gallery with more images of the VW ID.4
Industry.VW will stop producing models with combustion engine in 2040
Test: At the controls of the VW ID.3, the Golf in electric key
The launch of the ID3 was a milestone in VW's history as it was its first car designed from scratch as electric and laid the foundations for a wide family of battery-powered cars,
for which the brand has ambitious goals: 1.5 million will circulate. around the world in five years and 26 million (distributed in 75 models) by the end of this decade.
So the ID.4, the second installment in this range and whose prices will start from about 37,000 euros, may not be so symbolic.
But it is more important in global terms since, being
an SUV (4.58 meters), it will fully enter the largest and most transversal segment of the global market, as underlined by the new Volkswagen CEO,
during this exclusive opportunity to drive the ID4: "It will be sold and manufactured in China, the US and Europe and that is a clear sign that it is a global product," explains Ralf Brandstaetter.
Here you can see more pictures of the car.
It was scheduled to present it in April, but the delay was such that
it was 'overtaken' by the Skoda Enyaq, conceptually and structurally the same car
and that it was unveiled on September 1.
Between 360 and 520 kilometers of autonomy
The ID4 is much larger (+32 cm) and slightly taller (+4.5 cm) than the ID3, with wavy lines of universal appeal.
The slim headlamps and rear spoiler stand out,
helping to achieve a CX drag coefficient of 0.28.
In versions with the Style exterior package, the roof and mirrors are finished in black, while the entire roof frame and pillars are metallic gray.
The door handles are flush with the bodywork and at the bottom there is a black plastic base that, together with the increased ground clearance (21 cm), anticipates the ID4's off-road abilities, which in the versions of Launch impresses with 20 "(1st) and 21" (1st Max) tires.
At the beginning of 2021, versions with less equipment, less powerful engines will arrive - at the moment there is only the 204 horsepower - and more attractive prices.
These high-end versions receive a 77 kWh battery that promises a maximum autonomy of 520 kilometers and will be followed by others with a 52 kWh battery (360 km of range),
which will lead to two power levels: 148 and 170 horses, always with rear wheel drive (the electric motor is mounted in front of the rear axle).
And in spring the ID4 GTX will appear, with four-wheel drive thanks to a smaller electric motor on the front axle. It will have two power levels: 265 and 306 horses.
To charge the huge lithium-ion battery (with 8 years or 160,000 km warranty for 70% of its energy content and which in the larger version weighs 493 kg), it can be done on poles from 50 kW to 100 kW for the ID.4 with the smallest battery and up to 125 kW for the most powerful.
minimalist and very digital
The experience behind the wheel of the ID4 took place on public roads near Wolfsburg,
the VW City
, and
on the huge secret Ehra-Lessin test circuit less than 50 km away, where there is also a 4x4 test section, on this moderate case.
The height of the seats facilitates access to the interior, especially bright if we have the panoramic roof that occupies almost the entire length of the cabin.
It is very similar to the ID.3 with a small
5.3-inch instrument
panel
(a lot of information will be on the head-up display with augmented reality functions),
10 to 12-inch central touch screen, few buttons, many gaps storage and no physical connection between the center console and the underside of the dashboard.
The launch versions have two-color interiors and integrated armrests in the two front seats (between them there is a central airbag in the event of a side collision).
In the more equipped ID.4, the seats have electrical adjustments.
Spacious interior: the advantage of being electric
Having fewer components allows electric cars to be more spacious and better structured and this is confirmed here.
For example, it is 30 cm shorter than a Touareg, but only 13 short when we measure the wheelbase and the legroom in the rear is not very far.
With the added advantage that the floor is completely flat, without the annoying transmission tunnel.
Thomas Ulbrich, director of electric vehicles at VW proudly says that "
the ID.4 offers six cm more leg length inside than the Tesla Model Y, despite being 19 cm smaller."
An argument that VW's electric SUV will have to share with the "brothers" Audi Q4, Cupra Tavascan and Skoda Enyaq built on the same MEB modular electric platform.
The trunk is less impressive, because the placement of the battery in the floor of the vehicle prevents components of the electrical system from being installed between the axles, all being below the rear compartment.
It cubes 543 liters (for 520 the Tiguan and 810 the Touareg).
In addition, it has very usable shapes and the floor is almost flat
when the rear seatbacks are folded down (in 40:20:40 partitions).
Off-road capabilities
Curiously, the first kilometers are made on unpaved roads, where the combination of
forces of the instantaneous electrical torque (310 Nm in this case, or 220 in the less powerful ID4) and the higher ground clearance allows leaving behind gravel, some piles of stones and overcome some slopes, without breaking a sweat.
Also evident is the stiffness of the body, subjected to much more demanding torsional stresses than on highway asphalt or urban jungle, where it is capable of rolling over in just 10.2 meters.
This is followed by a faster route where you can see the good acceleration of this 204 hp version (8.5 s from 0 to 100 km / h) and also the good soundproofing of the cabin thanks to the double glazing (rear and side), which is part of the optional acoustic package,
although the self-imposed top speed is 160 km / h.
This, or the 180 km / h that the GTX promises may be annoying in Germany, with some freeways without limits, but in the rest of the world it will not be relevant
(and the autonomy will appreciate it).
The dynamic management system links the shock absorbers to the self-locking effect to limit the spin of the wheels in faster accelerations,
an issue always sensitive in 100% electric cars, which deliver all the torque at once,
but it will be important to verify this aspect in versions ID.4 with narrower tires than those of the test unit.
The connection between the driver's hands and the wheels manages to be even more communicative than what we are used to in other electrics,
in part because the German engineers installed a progressive steering system here as standard.
More than two tons of weight
In curves the more than two tons that it weighs are noticeable, but the suspension was tuned to
control the inclination of the body in curves (the very low center of gravity given the placement of the batteries helps),
in the same way that the rear traction limits the tendency to understeer, increasing driver confidence.
The four-wheel independent suspension (multi-link rear) helps to ensure a good level of comfort
that could be undermined by the low-profile tires and massive (21 ") wheels on the test unit.
But since it had variable electronic dampers (optional), it was enough to select Comfort mode to achieve a smoother ride.
The modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual) equally affect steering feel and engine response.
There is also the possibility of driving in Drive mode or in Battery mode,
in the first case almost without energy recovery due to deceleration / braking, in the second (where the engine works as a generator), clearly increasing it when we release the accelerator, to the point that, after a short period of habituation, it is almost unnecessary to use the left pedal.
First versions for 50,000 euros
Regarding the charges, we know, in addition to the powers already mentioned, that in direct current (DC) it
will be possible to leave the ID.4 ready for another 320 km in 30 minutes if it is charged at the maximum power of 125 kW (higher version) , but we will have to wait for other data that the manufacturer has not yet announced.
It is also known that the VW walbox will have a price starting at 400 euros and a maximum power of 11 kW.
In Germany, the launch versions heavily loaded with extras will have prices of 50,000 (1st) and 60,000 (1st Max) euros,
which could be sold out before the first quarter of 2021, since they have limited production to 27,000 units.
From there, the entry versions (less power and autonomy) will begin to be sold with prices around 37,000 euros, that is, about 7,000 euros above what the ID3 costs.
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