The VW ID.4 has finally landed in South Africa after many moons of anticipation.
VW has brought in 10 units of the ID.4 Pro derivative for a pilot project which it will use to determine the viability of expanding its electric vehicle (EV) portfolio in the country.
The automaker gave local media their first taste of its battery-electric offerings this week, and the wait was certainly worth it.
The trailblazing VW
The ID.4 Pro is equipped with a rear-mounted electric motor capable of generating 150kW and 310Nm, receiving power from a 77kWh battery pack.
It’s no slouch, sprinting from 0-100km/h in around 8.5 seconds which is on par with something like the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel Tiguan.
Steering in the SUV isn’t the sharpest so you must be more proactive with your inputs, but when it comes to comfort, you can’t fault it.
It remains level around corners and bends with the low centre of gravity, and the suspension soaks up bumps and troughs despite the large 19-inch alloys.
Due to there being no engine noise, the cabin is as quiet as can be with only the hum of the tyres keeping you company if the infotainment system is switched off.
This also means you absolutely must keep an eye on the speedometer. The serenity of the cabin makes you forget how fast you are going and sooner rather than later you find yourself teasing the 160km/h top speed whilst leisurely cruising on the freeway.
A maximum driving range of approximately 500km is on the cards in the ID.4 Pro, according to VW.
The unit we drove, granted it’s still brand new and must be broken in a bit, stood at 88% when we got into it in the morning, and when we returned a few hours and about 103km later, it was at 57%.
During this time, the available range dropped by 153km – from 408km to 255km – and the average consumption came in at around 18kWh/100km, not too bad considering VW claims an average of 16.4kWh/100km.
Also worth noting, it’s virtually impossible to run out of battery with the ID.4 Pro. VW said it programmed the module so that it can never drop below 5% charge.
The automaker didn’t say what happens at 5%, like whether it will refuse to move but still be capable of providing airconditioning and music if you’re stuck on the side of the road, but it made a point of it to say that you will “never” run out of charge.
The design of the ID.4 is hit or miss. It’s certainly different from the VWs we’re used to, and you may like it, or you may not.
It has a steeply raked windscreen and bulging propositions to improve aerodynamics and thus, range, which has the added effect of creating a sportscar-like seating position when you’re in the driver’s chair.
Inside it’s quintessential VW. Everything is well put together and there is a good balance of soft and durable materials where you frequently interact with the car, and attractive finishes in areas where you don’t.
Except for the occasional misclick, I found the touch-sensitive control in the centre console easy to operate and the 10-inch infotainment system intuitive.
The seats were a highlight of the entire experience. They are wrapped in stylish suede/leather upholstery and are among the most comfortable seats I’ve sat in regardless of price.
The cabin is spacious and there is a massive 500-litre boot for all your wares, and even a through-loading hatch between the rear seats.
The driver’s instrument cluster is somewhat small at 5.3 inches, but it offers plenty of configurability so you don’t feel it lacks information.
Selecting the gears is done with a rotary controller affixed to the side of the driver’s display, a positioning we haven’t encountered before but which didn’t feel particularly peculiar, and there is an ambient lighting bar installed right below the windscreen that notifies you when the car is put into drive and when it’s switched back into park via a variety of lighting animations.
The advanced driver assistance systems in the VW are, thankfully, not as intrusive as in most other EVs.
The suite includes adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, and 360-degree cameras.
You rarely feel them fighting your driving style or making overly cautious warning sounds, which can often add to your stress levels rather than detract from them.
Additionally, the well-considered placement of the wireless charging pad – in a cubby between the front seats – keeps your phone from flailing about and disconnecting when you’re driving a bit more enthusiastically than usual.
There are also clever Smart Climate settings that can, for example, do things such as warm your feet or rapid-cool the cabin with the push of one button.
Verdict
In a word, the ID.4 Pro is a superb product. It’s as polished, if not more so, than any EV I’ve spent time with before, whether it was from China, Germany, or Sweden.
I was a bit surprised at the fact that the VW does not offer electric seats or an electric tailgate. I’ve driven EVs at half the price which had both, but this can hardly be called a dealbreaker.
Unfortunately, however, it will only be reserved for the media, dealers, and select VW clients for now.
The electric SUV will only start retailing to the general public come 2025, but on the bright side, there’s solid reasoning behind this, much of which will benefit the consumer.
VW didn’t want to rush into the EV scene in South Africa just because it could. It wanted to take a calculated approach to ensure that it provides customers with a comprehensive value proposition at a cost that is reflective of their budgets.
It also said that a new ID.4 is in the pipeline for Europe in 2025, and it would rather bring that one to South Africa instead of launching the current model which is already nearing four years of age.
VW ID.4 Pro
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