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| © Motor Trend Staff 2021 Volkswagen ID 4 EV Crossover SUV 1 |
From Motor Trend
Volkswagen has made do on its promise to upgrade American consumers from its ID 3 compact electric car to the larger electric ID 4 compact crossover SUV, thus ensuring the first of its first ID-branded EVs for the U.S. market is more appealing. Originally planned as part of the since-canceled 2020 Geneva motor show's round of debuts, the ID 4 has been unveiled digitally in prototype form.
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| © Motor Trend Staff 2021-Volkswagen-ID-4-EV-Crossover-SUV |
As expected, it appears to be a production-ready version of the ID Crozz concept, and carries over many of its inspirational forebear's styling details, including its swooping shoulder line, militant mug, and wide rear haunches. Noticeably missing, however, is the Crozz's coupe-like roofline. Instead, the ID 4 embraces a more traditional (and surely more practical) wagon shape that ought to improve the crossover's overall cargo room. Who knows, given Volkswagen's recent addition of the Atlas Cross Sport, a coupe-ier version of the mainstream Atlas crossover, perhaps we'll see a more coupe-like ID 4 sibling in the future.
Whereas Volkswagen won't be shipping the ID 3 to the United States, the company actually built the ID 4 with America in mind (not to mention Europe and China, as well). As such, the battery-electric Crossover marks the first vehicle built on the modular MEB platform that Volkswagen will offer in the U.S. Designed specifically to underpin Volkswagen's electric vehicles, MEB includes a dedicated space for the battery directly below the passenger compartment. Due to this, the ID 4 benefits from a low center of gravity and relatively balanced weight distribution, and therefore shouldn't be horrible to drive.
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| © Motor Trend Staff 2021-Volkswagen-ID-4-EV-Crossover-SUV |
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| © Motor Trend Staff 2021-Volkswagen-ID-4-EV-Crossover-SUV |
While Volkswagen isn't talking detailed specifications for the ID 4 yet, the brand states that it expects certain ID 4 models to clear 310 miles of range on the notoriously optimistic Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure. Expect that figure to fall to fewer than 300 miles when the EPA tests the ID 4.
When it arrives in Europe later this year, the ID 4 will at first feature just one drive motor at its rear axle. Nevertheless, a more powerful all-wheel-drive variant will join the ID 4 line not long after and is surely destined for the U.S. market. VW, of course, didn't share whether North American ID 4s will see a similar rear-drive, then all-wheel-drive roll-out, nor did it even mention a specific on-sale date for U.S.-bound models. That said, we expect the EV crossover to reach our shores by the end of the year.
Although Volkswagen eventually plans to build the ID 4 at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, the brand will initially import the model to the U.S. from Europe.
When it arrives in Europe later this year, the ID 4 will at first feature just one drive motor at its rear axle. Nevertheless, a more powerful all-wheel-drive variant will join the ID 4 line not long after and is surely destined for the U.S. market. VW, of course, didn't share whether North American ID 4s will see a similar rear-drive, then all-wheel-drive roll-out, nor did it even mention a specific on-sale date for U.S.-bound models. That said, we expect the EV crossover to reach our shores by the end of the year.
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| © Motor Trend Staff 2021-Volkswagen-ID-4-EV-Crossover-SUV |
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