Can Volkswagen’s most popular electric car still stand out against its advancing rivals?
While Volkswagen’s ID sub-brand kicked off with the Volkswagen ID 3 hatchback in 2019, it’s the Volkswagen ID 4 that has risen to become its most important electric car. A crossover with a pebble-like curvature, the ID 4 isn’t just the best-selling EV of the Volkswagen brand but also the entire Volkswagen Group. Some 182,000 examples of it and its ID 5 coupé-SUV twin were sold in 2024. With dimensions just inside those of the Volvo XC60 in every direction, it taps richly into the crossover zeitgeist. So much so, in fact, that it’s a more popular option than its ID 3, Cupra Born, Audi Q4 E-tron and Skoda Enyaq relations.Much has changed since the ID 4 launched in 2021. Rivals are stronger and more diverse than ever and launching from all directions – Kia and Hyundai in Asia, Peugeot and Vauxhall in Europe and Tesla in the US – with increasingly competitive products. But Volkswagen has also bolstered the ID 4’s model range, adding larger batteries and several motor options to broaden the SUV’s appeal.So: can the ID 4 still stand out against its rivals? Read on as we dive deeper with a full and comprehensive review.Volkswagen ID 4 range at a glanceThe ID 4 offers a choice of two batteries in the UK: an entry-level 52kWh unit and a long-range 77kWh one. Volkswagen claims a range of 221 miles for those equipped with the smaller battery, while the 77kWh unit should offer between 319 and 339 miles, depending on the chosen specification. Two motors are on offer, too. Cars with the smaller battery are driven by a 167bhp rear-mounted electric motor but 77kWh variants get a much more punchy 286bhp. Four-wheel drive is available on 4Motion versions and the range-topping Volkswagen ID 4 GTX sports SUV, which we’ve written about in its own separate review. VersionpowerID 4 Pure167bhpID 4 Pro286bhpID 4 Pro 4Motion286bhp
Source: Autocar
