The Volkswagen ID4 carries high expectations, but what’s on and on for the base price? Techzle investigates it in ‘Back to Basics’. In any case, you don’t have to suffer from cold in the winter months in the entry-level version of the ID4.
Volkswagen ID4 Life
€ 47,290
Volkswagen makes it easy in terms of available powertrains in any case: the ID4 is initially only available with a 204 hp electric motor and a battery capacity of 77 kWh. For the time being, there is no weaker or faster variant in the price list, for example, with group colleague Skoda Enyaq iV this is the case. That drivetrain does not provide very sporty performance in the ID4, but you do not have to be ashamed of it. The sprint to 100 km / h is completed in 8.5 seconds. More importantly, the maximum range is 520 kilometers. For people who regularly have to pull heavier material, there is a slight disappointment: you can only hang a maximum of 1,000 kilos behind the ID4.
When compiling the ID4 you can choose from five regular versions: Life, Business, Family, Tech and Max. Because the ID4 has only just been on the market, Volkswagen is temporarily supplying it as 1st and 1st Max. The Life and 1st differ in price at € 50 in favor of the Life, but for those five bucks, the 1st rolls on 20-inch instead of 19-inch alloy, it has silver-colored accents on the exterior (part of the regular versions). of the Exterior Style Package at € 630) and privacy glass is available. For the rest, the equipment is the same. Since, as stated, this is a temporary implementation, we will take the simpler Life for this section as a starting point.
Multiple variations
At Volkswagen, ‘colorful’ may not be the first word that comes to mind. This is certainly true for the standard color of the ID4, because ‘Moonstone Gray’ is anything but striking. For an additional cost of € 795, some variation is possible in the form of a black roof. However, for this you also have to tick the aforementioned Exterior Style Package, which brings the total additional cost of the contrasting roof to € 1,425. In addition to ‘Moonstone Gray’, you can choose from five metallic paint colors, each with an additional cost of € 795. ‘Blue Dusk’ and ‘Honey Yellow’ are colorful choices. With the metallic paints, the black roof is included in the Exterior Style Package, which reduces the price difference for that option.
The ID4 Life rolls on 19-inch light alloy as standard. If desired, Volkswagen can screw on 20- or 21-inch wheels. With this you can, in principle, dress the ID4 Life in the same way as the more expensive variants, but there is still an important difference: the entry-level version has to do without adaptive LED viewers with a continuous light bar at the front and rear lights with 3D effect. These items are also not available as separate options. The Life is therefore always tied to the less extensive LED lighting. You don’t have to switch it on manually, because the ID4 has a light and rain sensor on board as standard. Furthermore, parking sensors at the front and rear are always present and the exterior mirrors are electrically foldable.
Warm up
Where you can still choose from a number of variations for the exterior, you have no choice for the interior of the ID4 Life. You will have to settle for the seat cover in the fabric ‘Matrix’ and a combination of gray and black for the cover. You cannot choose other materials for the moldings either: what you see, is what you get. To make it a bit cozy in the interior, the mood lighting has ten different colors. The operation of the ID4 is mainly done via the central touchscreen. As a ‘Discover Pro’, it has a standard size of 10-inch, in the more expensive ‘Tech’ and ‘Max’ the screen is 2 inches larger. The instruments are digital as standard. In terms of functionality, you no longer have to pay extra on the Life for things like navigation, DAB + and Apple CarPlay. The smartphone can also be charged wirelessly.
In these cold months, it is also nice to know that both the front seats and the steering wheel are heated as standard. You can also heat the ID4 Life before your ride, so you never have to get into a cold car. Separate climate control with two zones is also available. You have to adjust the seats manually, because they are only electrically adjustable from the Tech equipment level. Incidentally, only the driver’s seat is height-adjustable on the Life. Manual work is also required to operate the tailgate. The ID4 can be started without the key, but to unlock the car you still have to take the key.
Clear
In terms of safety systems, there is not much left to be desired on the Life. Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Assist are standard. For more extensive autonomous functions such as Traffic Jam Assist, you have to turn to the ‘Tech’. Volkswagen also supplies a blind spot assistant from that equipment level. Regarding charging, you will receive a Mode 3 charging cable as standard for the wallbox or public charging. A heat pump is available as an option for € 1,258 on the Life. That is also one of the few loose options, because Volkswagen does not really do with the ID4. The only other option you can still get is an electrically retractable towbar at € 868. For a richer equipped ID4 you should therefore opt for one of the more expensive versions.