Modularity has been a mantra for Volkswagen as it ramps up toward its stated purpose of “electric cars for millions, not millionaires.” Its MEB platform is a versatile foundation for the ID.4 electric crossover you can get now, for the eagerly anticipated electric Microbus reboot, and for several much more EVs however to arrive.
The method aids preserve fees down, but one particular of the prospective downsides is that solutions start out to really feel the identical. In a current very first drive of the ID.4 in all-wheel-drive guise, I was impressed to see that VW can bring a unique driving character to the ID.4 just by adding one particular of these constructing blocks: a motor module in front.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
The ID.4 AWD holds its cards close at very first. Drive rather gently and the ID.4 has the identical good, linear tip-in from stoplights as the single-motor rear-wheel-drive versions of this EV. With a combined 295 hp and 339 pound-feet of torque from each motors—a major enhance more than the RWD models’ 201 hp and 229 lb-ft—the AWD versions can dash to 60 mph in five.four seconds, versus 7.five seconds in single-motor RWD versions. But the ID.4 does not leap off the line like other EVs it is much more of a groundswell that builds when the car’s rolling.
Coaxing out the sportier side
The front motor delivers to the “instant torque” moniker so usually applied to EVs, as lengthy as that is any time you are underway, providing the ID.4 a notably perkier really feel from city speeds up to highway-passing conditions.
The ID.4 defaults to Comfort mode, which like Eco mode appears to downplay any function of the front motor. On the other hand, Sport mode brings it all to life dynamically, absolutely altering the character of the automobile and permitting a clever, nuanced handshake of torque delivery to preserve poise in tight backroad hairpin corners.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
The distinction in character probably has to do with the motor layout. Instead of adding one more permanent-magnet motor like what’s in back to the front wheels, VW adds a present-excited asynchronous unit in front. The unique motor format in front has benefits, in that it does not use any uncommon-earth components and can “coast” with no drag when it is finest for efficiency, eliminating the need to have for particular clutches in front such as that utilized in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
At an earlier backgrounder on the platform, VW engineers told us that portion of the explanation for deciding upon the motor layout in front was that it also permitted a higher price of brake regen as required. So far it does not appear like VW has tapped into that prospective, nevertheless, as regen in the shifter’s ‘B’ mode—what you choose for much more, versus the much more relaxed ‘D’—didn’t appear considerably much more heightened versus the single-motor model.
More wheels to drive, much more power
My test 2021 ID.4 Pro S AWD has an EPA-rated 250-mile variety. It arrived with a lengthy-term trip-pc typical that hadn’t been reset in two,885 miles, displaying two.9 mi/kwh more than that distance, representing an typical 33 mph. That performs out to a 223-mile variety, thinking of its 77-kwh usable battery capacity—with no testament to how it was driven or utilized more than that period, of course.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
Based on what I saw more than about 150 miles and 3 days, that is probably a very good estimate for what several drivers will see in the actual planet, if you consist of a wide mix of designs.
Over about 52 miles of mainly highway driving on a chilly 46-degree evening, I averaged just two.five miles per kwh, according to the trip pc. Then more than a vigorous 47-mile loop at significantly less judicious speeds on the highway, and a fast blast on a backroad, with the outdoors temp at 49 degrees, I saw two.7 mi/kwh. And ultimately, more than a 57-mile stint such as much more city driving and daytime errands (with temps reaching about 55 degrees), I averaged three.three mi/kwh.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
At the finish of my 3 days with the ID.4, the trip pc believed a one hundred% charge to be 238 miles of variety. From what I’ve observed so far, rear-wheel-drive models could be in a position to do even much better than the present models’ EPA ratings of up to 260 miles, although all-wheel-drive models do come with a variety penalty that much more closely aligns with the ratings.
Over 220 mainly highway miles in a rear-wheel-drive ID.4 earlier final fall (temperature about 55 degrees), I averaged an exceptional three.three mi/kwh—suggesting a variety of much more than 250 miles—so it would appear from this very first time with the AWD that it can not provide close to that. We’ll adhere to up with a longer-term or longer-distance test when we can.
Carrying more than all the roominess and comfort
In a couple of earlier drives of the rear-wheel-drive ID.4 1st Edition, I identified it to have amazing ride excellent, precise steering, and a verve that exceeds its rather leisurely (for an EV) acceleration. The ID.4’s backseat space has good head area and leg area, and cargo space is exceptional (30.three cubic feet with the seatbacks up, 64.two cubic feet with them flipped forward).
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
In all, it is very good to see that the AWD models carry more than practically all of this potential—with a couple of minor exceptions. The practically plush ride excellent of the single-motor version translates to one thing a small busier in the dual-motor model—especially on rougher backroads or freeway expansion joints, exactly where the front finish feels firmer. Compared to the single-motor ID.4, the all-wheel-drive model rides .six inches larger, so that probably aspects in.
Propulsion aside, this drive of the ID.4 was appropriate in sync with our very first impressions from earlier final year. The ID.4’s doors shut solidly window and door trim appear super-tight and road noise is sealed out of the cabin to a luxury-brand standard—perhaps due in portion to the 19-inch Bridgestone Atenza Sport A/S tires. Wind noise, one more challenge in EVs simply because they’re so quiet, is close to-absent up to practically 75 mph, when it strikes up a tune about the side mirrors.
With the ID.4 AWD feeling sharper to drive, I pondered more than one particular carryover I’d like to see significantly less of: the laggy infotainment and virtual-button behavior we saw on earlier ID.4 models. Several versions of hardware firmware later—but nevertheless on the identical software program version—it was much better than ahead of, despite the fact that the screen usually “hangs” in the middle of a left/appropriate swipe.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
The 2021 ID.4 AWD Pro S I drove expense $49,370. It’s a somewhat confusing time as VW has revealed 2022 pricing, hiked $765 versus 2021, but all the dealer stock across the dealerships we surveyed this previous week remains 2021 models. No matter which model year, ID.4 purchasers are eligible (with the tax liability) for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
For 2022, in Pro or Pro S types, the dual-motor AWD layout fees $3,680 much more than rear-wheel drive. VW has currently mentioned that 2022 models will add a somewhat larger DC quick-charge peak price (135 kw, versus 125 kw), Plug and Charge compatibility, and a hold function for the parking brake—some of which could be delivered in an more than-the-air update. They also could get an EPA variety enhance.
Over the much more cost-effective Pro models, leading Pro S models get a bigger 12.-inch infotainment screen, a panoramic glass roof, adaptive headlights, and 30-colour ambient lighting. But the Pro models consist of a good function set, with heated mirrors, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate manage, wireless smartphone charging, and adaptive cruise control—and the AWD version of the Pro gets a heated windshield. There’s no AM radio anyplace, and the only piece of cold-climate gear the ID.4 does not consist of in the U.S. is a heat pump—something Kia, Hyundai, and other people decided to wrap in with AWD.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S AWD
VW set out to make confident that the ID.4 measures up in worth versus mass-marketplace gasoline models like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. With the addition of AWD models, the ID.4 lineup is closer to comprehensive in that mission. And I consider in Pro AWD, the ID.4 is a good deal for these who need to have all-wheel drive in an EV. For these who want to maximize worth and affordability, hold on for the subsequent modular iteration—a decrease-priced rear-wheel-drive version with a smaller sized battery pack is due to arrive later this year.
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Keyword: Volkswagen ID.4 AWD shows the way toward EV fun for millions