This our third take with the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4, but compared to those first two reviews, this latest one has one big change, it’s all-wheel drive. The standard ID.4 has a single electric motor that powers the rear wheels, but the new ID.4 AWD Pro gets a second electric motor for the front wheels that both makes it more fun to drive and even more capable.
The standard ID.4’s single motor generates 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, which is ok. The standard ID.4 isn’t fast with acceleration that is adequate. We’d never call the standard ID.4 sporty, but the addition of the second motor changes things. The second motor generates 107 hp and 119 lb-ft. of torque to give the ID.4 AWD Pro a combined 295 hp and 339 lb-ft. Those specs turn the ID.4 into a zippy electric crossover.
The front motor generally only powers on the rear wheels are slipping, but if you mash the pedal to the floor from a stop, both electric motors will get you moving fast down the road. VW says that the ID.4 AWD Pro can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. It’s still not as fast as the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Tesla Model Y, but the addition of the second motor does liven things up a bit.
Everything else we like about the ID.4 is still there, even with the addition of the second motor. The ID.4 has a nice comfortable ride and its suspension does a pretty good job of keeping the ID.4 planted to the road. The suspension is geared more towards comfort than sport, since it does get a bit unsettled on windy roads. Its steering is also a bit light, but on par with other rivals. We do wish the ID.4 offered the one-pedal driving mode that other EVs offer.
The ID.4 AWD Pro has a 249 mile range, which a slight hit from the standard ID.4’s 260 mile range. The ID.4 AWD Pro S has a 240 mile range, which is just 10 miles under the rear-wheel drive ID.4 Pro S. To make charging easier, VW gives owners three years of free charging at the Electrify America DC Fast charging stations across the country. Using a Level 2 charger it will take about 7.5 hours to fully charge the ID.4, but using a DC fast charger you can charge up to 80 percent in about 38 minutes.
VW recently announced the updates to the 2022 ID.4 with the ID.4 Pro getting a 20 mile longer range for a total of 280 miles. The rear-wheel drive Pro S has 268 miles of range, while the AWD Pro has 251 miles or range and the AWD Pro S getting a 245 mile range.
The ID.4 comes standard with a 10-inch touchscreen, while the Pro S version gets a 12-inch screen. As we’ve said in the past, the infotainment system could be better. It can be a bit slow and some of the functions are hard to find. What’s more annoying are the capacitive controls for the climate control and volume, which sit just below the screen. They don’t illuminate at night, so it’s hard to find the correct place for your finger. Simple knobs would do so much better here. There’s also the fact that the driver’s door only has two switches for the windows. That means that if you want to open/ close the rear windows, you have to hit the rear capacitive button first, then push either button to operate the rear windows. It makes no sense.
The interior is spacious with plenty of room for your friends in the back seat. It’s not nearly as spacious as the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, but for most buyers there’s more than enough space. Behind the rear seat there’s 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which expands to 64.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.
The ID.4 comes standard with a long list of driver assistance technologies, like automatic emergency braking, rear-cross traffic alert, a blind-spot monitor, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
The 2021 VW ID.4 Pro starts at $44,870, including destination and the AWD Pro S version starts at $49,370.
At the end of the day, even with its quirks, the ID.4 is a great electric crossover. It’s spacious and comfortable with a decent driving range. Adding the second electric motor adds an extra level of sportiness that doesn’t go unnoticed.
