Welcome to Volkswagen’s first crack at an all-electric SUV. It’s called the ID.4, and if you happen to be from Europe and the shape of this thing looks strangely familiar, it’s because the VW shares much with the recently revealed Enyaq iV from sister company Skoda.
Like the Skoda and the ID.3, the ID.4 sits on the VW Group’s MEB platform for electric cars. It seats five, and at 4,584mm long, 1,852mm wide, and 1,612mm high, it’s actually a wee bit smaller than the Enyaq. In VW terms, it’s longer than a Tiguan, about as wide and a little lower. Rear cargo space is 543 liters with the seats up or 1,575 liters with them folded—a Tiguan gives 615 liters and 1,655 liters, respectively.
Early ID.4s will all be built to the same technical spec—a single e-motor making 201hp drives the rear wheels and draws power from a 77kWh battery (that weighs almost half a ton) mounted under the floor.
Claimed range is up to 520km, 0-100kph takes 8.5sec, and the top speed is pegged at 160kph. The max charging rate is 125kW, giving around 320km in 30 minutes. We’re told a “top-of-the-range model with even more power and all-wheel drive” is coming later, as well as a cheaper entry-level car with a smaller battery and less range.
The interior closely resembles the ID.3’s. That’s to say it’s got few buttons (even the ‘buttons’ on the steering wheel are touch-sensitive), big touchscreen, and the same BMW i3-style gear selector mounted on the steering column.
The ID.4 goes on sale in Europe later this year, with Germans having to pay just shy of €50,000 (P2.83 million). Like the look of the ID.4, or do you prefer the Tesla Model Y?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
