Volkswagen ID.4 Review

Practicality and space

It may not look it on the outside, but the ID.4 is one of the most spacious pure-electric SUVs you can buy. As it was designed to be an electric car from the outset (rather than using the underpinnings from a petrol car like the Mercedes EQA or EQC), it means interior space has been prioritised. 

There's plenty of room up front and it all feels very airy thanks to there being no centre console. There's also tons of rear leg- and headroom – more than you'll find in the Ford Mustang Mach-E – and thanks to a flat floor, you can carry three back-seat passengers in reasonable comfort. The boot is roomy enough for a double buggy or a couple of big dogs, but it's a shame there's no height adjustable floor to raise the boot floor up so that it's flush with the 60/40 split rear seats, when they're folded down. Having said that though, there is a small storage area under the floor for storing the car's charging cables. No 'frunk', though. Ultimately, the ID.4 is really roomy and will be a great family car, and if it's not quite spacious enough then check out the Skoda Enyaq or Tesla Model Y.

Interior and design

The ID.4 range had its options and variety of interior trims slimmed down when many manufacturers were having issues with parts supplies during- and after the Covid-19 pandemic, and with only the Match trim available (other than the GTX model) you don't really have much choice of interior finishes. There aren't any pale- or colourful interior themes, and the default option is a muted combination of greys and silvers; nothing unpleasant, and nothing striking either. The materials across the dash and around most of the key touch-points feel good, and it's generally a very smart, modern-looking interior. Visibility is good, too, and the seats are comfortable, and they'll be even more comfortable if you add the £1400 Interior Style Plus pack, which brings electric seat adjustment for both front seats, with memory and massage functions, various style tweaks, heated steering wheel and upgraded ambient lighting.

Dashboard

It's been a point of frustration with all Volkswagen ID models that they major on touch-sensitive 'slider' controls for the air-con temperature and volume control. Placed along the bottom of the touchscreen, it's for too easy to touch them by accident when you're messing about with the screen, and then it's too difficult to make small adjustments with them when you want to. They are quite annoying, but you do get used to working around them, and you've got voice control for changing the climate control, and steering wheel buttons for the volume as well - so you can avoid them, most of the time. 

The small screen behind the wheel gives a clear speed readout, and we rather like that it's simple and just shows you the information you need - a big improvement over the Model Y, which doesn't get a driver's readout at all. 

Technology

There are only two trims available on the ID.4; Match trim is what you get on any 'standard' ID.4, or there's the GTX, which is its own trim level as well as the sporty option in the range.

Match is the one that really matters, and it gets heated seats, keyless entry, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera and a big, central touchscreen with nav and charger search function, as well as Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. That screen has had a number of over-the-air updates since the car was launched, and has improved in terms of screen response and reliability, so while the systems in the Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6 and BMW iX1 are still a little easier to use, the ID.4's infotainment now does the job pretty well. 

Stepping up to the Pro 77kWh battery does also bring with some additional features, including a powered bootlid and bigger alloy wheels, and it also has more options to choose from including the £2,750 Infotainment Package Plus that brings a head-up display and a Harman Kardon sound system. You also have to go for one of the Pro 77kWh models to be able to add a panoramic glass roof, which is another reason why most buyers will go for this longer range ID.4. 

After that, the only higher-spec trim is the GTX, which of course comes with a load more power and a bit of a sporting edge, but also gets everything that VW can throw at it, including head-up display, matrix LED headlights, panoramic roof, laminated windows for better refinement, and more. 

Safety

Ah, yes, as hinted at above there's rather a lot of safety thrown in as standard. Adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, a speed limiter, high beam assist and a driver fatigue monitor are all included on every ID.4. Then there's the catchily-named 'Assistance Package Plus with IQ.Drive', which will set you back £2,215 but brings a semi-autonomous drive mode that responds to speeds limits and upcoming corners or junctions, will aid with a lane-change, tell you when there's a cyclist coming if you're about to open the door, and it also brings a birds-eye view parking camera and semi-autonomous parking system that learns how you like to park. For instance, it'll learn where your home is, and whether you like to reverse onto the drive or go in forwards, and will park the car for you, if that might help you out. This is one of very few cost options on the top-spec ID.4 GTX, too. 

All of that has helped the ID.4 achieve a five-star safety rating from independent crash testers, EuroNCAP. It received a 93% rating for adult occupant safety, 89% for child occupant safety, 76% for vulnerable road users and an 85% score for its safety assist systems.