2023 Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV rides well, turns even better
Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Starting with model year 2023, production of Volkswagen’s first electric SUV, the ID.4, takes place at the brand’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, assembly plant where all units sold in North America will be built.
Parking Assist Plus and a 12-inch infotainment display are now standard on all models.
This year also sees the arrival of a new base model, the ID.4 Standard, equipped with a smaller 58-kWh battery pack but making the SUV’s entry price more affordable. Driving range of the ID.4 Standard is an estimated 209 miles.
The ID.4 Pro trim level is still on board with an 82-kWh battery and a single motor powering the rear wheels, providing 201 horsepower and an estimated range of 275 miles.
All-wheel-drive ID.4 Pro models add a motor to the front axle, boosting horsepower to 295 and delivering an estimated 255-mile range.
Standard S, Pro S, and Pro S Plus trim levels complete the 2023 lineup. Base pricing ranges from $40,290 for the Standard model to $52,740 for the Pro S Plus. These figures include a $1,295 destination charge.
The Volkswagen ID.4’s value is enriched by a generous provision of standard comfort, convenience, and tech features along with safety and driver assist functions.
I drove an ID.4 Pro S model with rear-wheel drive. Its single-motor MPGe rating of 115 city, 98 highway, and 107 combined was appreciated vigorously when I didn’t have to stand outside at a charging station in the rainy cold. The test week included the coldest April 20 in Seattle in 130 years of record-keeping. I hate to be a big baby, but those public chargers need to be covered, just like gas station pumps.
The ID.4 interior is devoid of control knobs and buttons in favor of touchscreen operation for almost everything. The look is clean and uncluttered, which is nice, but sinister “too complicated” energy is lurking behind the scenes.
The ID.4 Pro S rides smoothly and the cabin stays nearly soundless at the same time. There’s not much sporty feel to the driving, but maneuverability is outstanding. Talk about a tight turning radius! The ID.4 doesn’t turn, it spins.
2023 VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 PRO S
Base price, including destination charge: $48,790
Price as driven: $48,790
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
