Volkswagen ID.4 2021: first image, plus battery range, release and price
German car giant’s second mass-production EV set to take on Tesla Model Y
Less than two months on from the release of its ID.3 hatchback, Volkswagen has previewed a second mass-production electric car that looks set to rival the Tesla Model Y.
The new model, dubbed the ID.4, takes the form of an SUV and adopts several elements from the company’s all-electric hatchback and the ID Crozz concept that first appeared at the 2017 Shanghai motor show.
Previewed at a company presentation in Guangzhou, China, where it’ll be built alongside the ID.3 hatch, the ID.4 is tipped to form “a big part” of VW’s electric push in the US and across parts of Europe, says Autocar.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
These two markets are particularly fond of SUV-style vehicles, though Europe has yet to fully embrace the EV trend.
We’ll see the ID.4 in production form next year, before it goes on sale in 2021. For now, here’s what we know about the electric crossover:
Release and price
CarBuyer expects the ID.4 to hit UK showrooms in the summer of 2021.
VW is keeping quiet about the ID.4’s price tag at the moment. It’s widely believed to be a direct rival to the upcoming Tesla Model Y, so expect a figure between £35,000 and £40,000.
Design
The ID.4 prototype shown in China may be thinly veiled in a “psychedelic wrap”, but it “strongly” previews the SUV’s final design, says Auto Express.
The prototype has some “clear nods to the ID.3 hatchback”, the magazine says, as VW aims to establish a “coherent design language for its upcoming line-up of ID. badged electric cars.”
The LED headlights, flat front end and coupe-esque roofline have all been adopted from the ID.3, as have the light beams that run along the bottom of the bonnet and the raked windscreen. Its narrow rear window and tail-light design are similar to the ID.3’s, too.
However, the front bumper takes on a sportier, more aggressive look, with angular intakes that presumably channel cool air to the brakes. It appears to be notably larger than the Golf-sized ID.3, despite being based on the same MEB electric production platform.
Battery range and performance
There’s no word on specs just yet, but the MEB architecture that underpins the ID.4 is capable of housing battery capacities ranging from 45kWh to 77kWh, according to CarBuyer. That roughly translates to 200 and 300 miles of range respectively.
The ID Crozz concept featured two electric motors, one on each axle, developing 302bhp for a top speed of 112mph, the reviews site notes, so a similar set-up could make its way on to the ID.4.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 14, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - Columbus Day, the death of satire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Lonely Planet and the surge of age-gap romances
In The Spotlight Laura Dern is the latest Hollywood actor to star opposite a much younger love interest
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Is the UK worth investing in?
Today's big question Labour looks to woo business and reverse years of underinvestment in search for holy grail of growth
By The Week UK Published
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptation
The Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
By The Week UK Published
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'
The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
By The Week UK Published
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'
The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
By The Week UK Published
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff Goldblum
The Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
By The Week UK Published
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thriller
The Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
By The Week UK Published
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'
The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
By The Week UK Published
-
How to do F1: British Grand Prix 2025
The Week Recommends One of the biggest events of the motorsports calendar is back and better than ever
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Twisters review: 'warm-blooded' film explores dangerous weather
The Week Recommends The film, focusing on 'tornado wranglers', stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell
By The Week UK Published