Big Battery Models Also Get Improved Infotainment System
‘Standard’ Trims Unchanged
Volkswagen has listened to its customers and given the bulk of its 2024 ID.4 lineup a much-needed increase in horsepower and range along with a revised infotainment system that’s actually s pleasure to use.
The changes apply to 2024 models with the 82 kWh battery pack. Versions with smaller 62 kWh pack carry over from the 2023 model year with no changes in order to continue serving as an affordable entry point for the ID.4.
As VW announced earlier, all 2024 models are eligible for the full $7,500 federal clean vehicles tax credit, which now can be applied at the dealership as part of the down payment rather than being claimed on buyers’ tax returns at the end of the year.
The ID. 4 is available in five trim levels with the Standard and S remaining unchanged from 2023 with a 201-horsepower, rear-mounted motor and rear-drive system.
The rear-drive Pro, Pro S and Pro S Plus with the 82 kWh battery, however, get a new rear motor for 2024, rated at 282 horsepower – a 40% jump. All-wheel drive versions, with a second, front-mounted motor, are now rated at 335 hp, up 13.5% from 2023.
The additional power cuts 0-60 time by almost 2 seconds, to 4.9 seconds for the AWD versions. That puts them in the same range among likely competitors as the Tesla Model Y Long Range and Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium and California Route 1 trims and the all-wheel drive versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 Wind and Nissan Ariya Platinum Plus.
We recently got a few hours in one of the new, higher-powered models and found it to handle quite well for all and hefty crossover. The ID.4 is no sports car and can’t be called exciting, but for a family hauler – its intended purpose – it is very competent, with good road-holding ability as well as decent acceleration for passing and hill-climbing. there are multiple driver-selectable driving modes including a “Sport” setting that quickens accelerator response and makes the ID. 4 – big battery versions – actually fun o drive, but eats up some range.
The default regenerative braking level for the ID.4 is a mild one that is automatically engaged when the shifter is in the Drive position. There’s also a B (for Braking) position on the shifter for a more vigorous level that almost emulates the “one-pedal” systems many EVs now offer. It institutes firm regenerative action when the driver’s foot is lifted from the accelerator. It feels a lot like downshifting in a manual transmission vehicle and can bring the ID.4 to a 2-mph crawl. Maybe next year VW’s software mavens will do prospective ID.4 buyers the favor of a full-stop one-pedal choice.
New Infotainment System
2024 ID.4s with the 82 kWh battery get a new, 12.9-inch touchscreen and revamped operating software that provides crisper , on-screen icons, more memory, faster response times and a smart new layout. There’s now a lot of ability to customize and operation is intuitive when switching between the system’s onboard navigation, stereo system, and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto features. As part of the system upgrade, the haptic sliders for the climate control system and audio volume are now backlit, ending often-frustrating hunts in the dark when there’s a need to change heat or AC settings while driving at night.
ID.4 Trims and Pricing
The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 is available in five trim levels: Standard, S, Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus. The Pro, Pro S and Pro S Plus trims come in rear- and all-wheel-drive variants. All ID.4 trims are eligible for a federal income tax credit of $7,500, which can be applied directly to the down payment starting this year. The ID.4 also qualifies for state and local incentives. here they are offered. The Pro S has been the most popular model, but we recommend the Pro for most buyers. We’ll explain why.
Standard
The rear-wheel-drive ID.4 Standard starts at $41,160, including a $1,425 destination fee and before any incentives. It comes with a 62 kWh battery pack. Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, heated power-adjustable front seats with vinyl-trimmed cloth upholstery, keyless entry, wireless charging for smartphones, dual-zone automatic climate control with vents for the rear seating area, DC fast-charge capability, a 10-inch color infotainment screen, auto-dimming rearview mirror, LED headlights and taillights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a multi-level cargo floor and a full suite of driver-assist and active safety systems.
S
The S starts at $44,280 and largely is equipped like the Standard. Differences include LED projector headlights, 20-inch alloys, illuminated VW logo front and rear, heated steering wheel, 30-color interior ambient lighting, massaging 12-way adjustable front seats with position memory, a rear center armrest and cargo pass-through, a panoramic glass roof and a hands -free power rear liftgate.
Pro
The rear-wheel-drive Pro, $46,300, has the same equipment as the Standard but gets a 12.9 inch infotainment screen wth the new operating system. It comes with an 82 kWh battery for more range. The all-wheel-drive Pro, starting at $50,200, adds a second motor for the front wheels to make possible the electronic all-wheel drive system. Both versions get 175 kW DC fast-charge capability, up from 170 kW. It loses the multi-level cargo floor that’s standard with the two smaller battery trims.
We think the Pro is the best value in the ID.4 family. It has substantially more range than the Standard and S trims, and the more popular Pro S costs $5,120 more without substantially improving on power, safety, range, or handling.
Pro S
The rear-wheel-drive Pro S starts at $51,420, and all-wheel drive adds $3,880. The Pro S trim uses the 82 kWh battery and gets all of the S upgrades plus the bigger infotainment screen and operating system upgrade and standard 175 kW fast-charge capability.
Pro S Plus
Starting at $54,600 with rear-wheel drive and $58,480 with all-wheel drive, the Pro S Plus trim loses the glass roof but otherwise gets all the Pro S goodies plus special 21-inch wheels, power-folding exterior mirrors, a black roof with silver roof rails, a 9-speaker Harman/Kardon premium digital sound system, a surround-view camera system, heated outer rear seats, and a three-zone climate control system.
ID.4 Range and Charging Times
Models with the 62 kWh battery pack get an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rating of 209 miles, same as in 2023. EPA estimates for the 82 kWh battery range from up to 263 miles for all-wheel dive versions, an 8% hike, to 292 miles for rear-wheel-drive models, a nearly 6% increase.
All versions have an 11kW onboard charger for relatively quick home charging — about 7.5 hours to recharge a depleted battery on 50-amp, 240-volt, Level 2 equipment; slower on less powerful home chargers. Among likly competitors, only the Tesla Model Y has quicker 240-volt charging.
For road trips, the ID.4 has DC fast-charge capability at up to 175 kW. That’s sufficient to take a battery from 5% to 80% capacity in under 30 minutes. At the 50 kW charging rate that’s still common at many DC fast-charger stations, it takes an hour or more to get that 80% recharge.
VW provides 2024 ID.4 owners 500 kWh free, fast charging at Electrify America stations across the country – many of those stations are rated at 175 kW – plus a 3-year membership Electrify America’s discount charging program to use after the free recharging is exhausted.
Roominess and Cargo Capacity
There’s more headroom in the 2024 ID.4 than in most of its likely competitors – only the Model Y beats it. The ID.4 trails the pack, however, in rear headroom and front legroom and and beats only the Nissan Ariya in rear legroom. Despite that, it is easy to climb into and just as easy to exit. The seats are comfortable and supportive, and the Pro S and S Plus will even give front seat occupants a massage.
Making up a little for its showing in passenger space, the ID. 4’s 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space leads the small crossover EV pack. Fold down the ID. 4’s 60/40-split rear seats and cargo capacity swells to 64.2 cubes. Tesla claims a segment-leading 68 cubic feet of total cargo area for the Model Y, but that includes about 3 cubic feet in the “frunk,” Tesla’s under-hood storage area. There’s no frunk in the ID.4.
Safety and Driver Assist Systems
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 its top five-star rating for front and side crashworthiness and four stars for rollover protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety called it a Top Safety Pick+ for acing all five of its crash tests plus its roof strength, head restraint, seat protection, and vehicle-to-vehicle forward crash prevention system tests. Those ratings carry over for the 2024 model year.
Standard safety features on the 2024 ID.4 include front-collision mitigation with pedestrian and cyclist detection and automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot alert, parallel and perpendicular parking assist, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, road sign recognition, and full-range adaptive cruise control. Also included is Travel Assist — a Level 2 automated driving system that helps center the ID.4 in its lane and keeps it following the traffic, even around curves.
An emergency assist system sounds alerts when it detects hands-off driving and will even briefly apply the brakes to jar an inattentive driver. If a driver remains unresponsive, the system will activate the emergency flashers and cause the car to weave a bit to alert other drivers as it slowly brings the ID.4 to a halt in its lane.