The ID.4 offers a lot of range for the money

id.4 77kwh
Volkswagen ID.4 204HK 77kwh in front of the "Klodene" at the Equinor building

Of all electric car features, range is the alpha and omega for the vast majority of us. Range first, then everything else. We have driven the Volkswagen ID.4 with a 77 Kwh battery and a long range.

 

Suitable family size

The electric car market seems to have long been dominated by small, compact cars and mega-sized SUVs. But now the cars come in between - those in the family class. The ID.4 primarily competes with its stablemate Skoda Enyak and Volvo XC40, but we can also highlight the brand new Mercedes-Benz EQA and the outsider Xpeng G3? As a family car, the ID.4 is just the right size. The boot holds 543 litres, the seats give alright space for 5 and you can hook up a villa trailer. Fit large also means that it is not for big. It gets a decent amount of space in the parking garages. By comparison, the Audi e-tron can be experienced as a bit too big.

A good class above ID.3

We continue the comparison. The ID.4 is not only experienced as a size class above the ID.3, but also a comfort class above. Inside the ID.3, we were bothered by poor acoustics – like in small box cars with hard, unpadded surfaces. The ID.3 also let in far too much sound from the outside. The sound image inside the ID.4 feels better than both the ID.3 and its big brother Audi e-tron. Extremely low noise level and nice acoustics despite the fact that the car was on 20 inch rims.


id.4 weight
Looks like it's lying heavily on the road. The net weight is 2049 kg.

 


On the road

204 horses and a torque of 310 Nm are absolutely on par – also when compared to fossil-fuel cars. But the electric car horses seemed very potent and gave the feeling of having "enough" power under the bonnet at all times. In addition, electric cars provide maximum torque right from the start.
 
The ID.4 has four different driving modes, - "Eco", "Comfort", "Sport" and a mode you can set up yourself. In most models I've driven, I prefer "Comfort" over "Sport" because I find "Comfort" sporty enough and because "Sport" often gets fussy. But in ID.4 I liked "Sport" the best. It provides better throttle response, slightly more steering resistance, and slightly stronger regenerative braking, but no effect on the suspension. The suspension was otherwise nothing to complain about. Here you get good road feel at the same time as good comfort. It is also worth mentioning the good weight distribution, even though the engine and drive train are located under the rear luggage compartment.
 
Cars with rear-wheel drive have a short turning radius. It also has ID.4. Very efficient to be able to turn in the road without reversing or cornering the rim.

Regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is like the bicycle dynamos of old that you flipped onto the tyre. It gave power to the lantern but slowed the wheel down a bit. Many electric cars today have smart regenerative braking that follows the movements of the gas pedal and the car. When driving in "Comfort", the ID.4 initially provides weak regenerative braking when you let off the gas, but increasingly when you continue to keep your foot off the gas, for example towards a roundabout. In "Sport", the braking is more powerful, and in practice it is experienced in the same way as the e-pedal solutions from BMW, Nissan and Tesla. The gear lever has a "B" step that provides extra regenerative braking when, for example, rolling down the Lierbakkene. Here you can adjust the speed with gas and still supply the batteries with extra power.


id.4 gear selector
Two screens and gear selector to the right of the driver's screen

 


A little pick-me-up

Considering all the functions found in modern cars, a good and intuitive user interface is needed. The ID.4 has a mixture of buttons and a touch screen where you can swipe between the images. It takes time to get to know the system. Once on the road, I found no radio and had to turn off at Ramstad. It would take me 10 minutes before I could drive on with the radio tuned to the desired channel. In my - and the car's - defense, it can be mentioned that no one had previously selected any radio channel on this car. Speaking of user interfaces, I guess I can also mention that I don't like the magnetic response in the buttons on the steering wheel. It does not add to the premium feeling, although they are certainly expensive to produce. Nor does the flimsy, hard plastic in the console between the seats, where you can put things down, contribute to the premium feeling.

Range

When I picked up the car, it was charged up to 100%, but since this was a brand new car, the trip computer lacked real driving data. Measured according to WLTP, the range is 495 km with 20 inch wheels. Based on the percentage loss of battery energy in relation to the number of km driven at a leisurely highway pace, my theoretical range ended up at 560-580 km. Here you can count on being able to drive over 30 miles between each charge in the summer. Then the ID.4 is in the company of the best.


place
The back seat. The driver's seat is set according to the undersigned (188 cm) and the passenger's seat set all the way back

 


Security

The ID.4 has recently been tested by Euro NCAP. It scored 5/5 stars and 93% for adult protection and 89% for child protection. The figures for the new Golf 8 are respectively 95% for adults and 89% for children. In comparison, ID.3 got 87% for adults and 89% for children.
 
The ID.4 has a central airbag between the front seats to prevent those inside the car from hitting each other's heads in side collisions. It worked fine in the test. So did the headrests. Top score for whiplash.
 
Like other new cars – especially electric cars – the ID.4 has good driver assistance systems for active safety – albeit as expensive extras. Lane Assist automatically engages to steer away from hazards if the driver is not following. Up towards Sollihøgda, there was road work with narrowed width on our side. In one case, the car suddenly took over the steering wheel and tried to steer us into the road right in front of an oncoming train. The heart in the throat. Good thing Volkswagen hasn't made self-driving cars yet.
 
A "specialty" of the ID.4 is that it has rear drum brakes. They are made for a long life and should not be as susceptible to rust as washers can be. Several electric car manufacturers will probably choose the same solution.

Conclusion

What should be prioritized? 77 kwh battery with four-wheel drive or long range? With Volkswagen's brand new ID.4 GTX, you can now get the ID.4 with four-wheel drive on the same battery pack. It costs 50 extra and it steals a few miles of the range. "Our" car had a simple engine placed in the back. With the battery pack located down between the axles, the weight distribution is still good, which contributes to safe driving characteristics and good accessibility in winter. Anyway, I would choose the ID.000 with the biggest battery pack – 4 kwh. In a family car like this, you need proper range.

 

In addition to a long range, you get a suitably large family car at an affordable price. Good for the family too.

 


volkswagen id.4
Volkswagen ID.4

 


Fact ID.4

Weights and Measures
Length, width, height: 458 / 185 / 164 cm
Wheelbase: 277 cm
Net weight: 2049 kg (without driver)
Number of seats: 5
Max trailer weight w/brakes: 1000 kg
- without brakes: 750 kg
Luggage compartment: 543 litres
Roof load: 75 g

Drivetrain
Battery pack: LC Chem 77 Kwh with thermal management
Motor: Electric, located in the rear axle
Power: 204 HP
Torque: 310 Nm
Gearbox: Stepless.
Rear wheel drive.

Performances
Top speed: 160 km/h
0-100: 8,5 seconds

Range
WLTP: 495 km
Own measurement: 76 km, the battery drained only 13% - theoretically calculated range is then between 560-580 km at an outside temperature of 22 degrees - mainly quiet road driving. As this was the maiden voyage, calculated data must be taken with a grain of salt.

Tires
Size: 235/50R20 100T (front), 255/45R20 101T (rear)
Type: Summer
Brand: Bridgestone Turanza

Price
Pro 77 kWh 204 HP: 407
Varnish supplement: 6
Additional packages "our" car: approx. 70
Winter tire package: 27

About the car
Place of manufacture: Zwickau, Germany
Owner: Hire
Rented via the Hyre app
Model: 2021
Mileage: New
Km driven: –
Source: vw.no, vw.de

 

ID.4 photos

vw id.4
Volkswagen ID.4

id.4 test
Driver screen, center screen and buttons on the steering wheel
id 4
Large wheels suit ID.4. Standard with 21-inch. Here 20-inch.
leather alcantara
The leather/alcantara seats are beautiful and alright to sit in
vw infotainment
The screen goes into red tones when you drive in "Sport"
id 4
Center console seems to come straight from Biltema

 

See

ID.4 GTX when winter comes
skoda enyaq
id 3
ID.3 Politically correct

 

Terje Bjørnstad. Blog administrator, hobby photographer and car enthusiast.

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