By Khulekani Dumisa

Volkswagen has revealed its first ever all-electric SUV, the ID.4. This takes the tally of the VW branded electric vehicles to two* with the ID.3 having already gone on sale. The ID.4 is also likely to be the first VW electric car that comes to South Africa according to the local arm of the brand.

Looks

Built on the company’s MEB platform, the new Volkswagen ID.4 has a simple yet elegant and modern design. Top of the range models get advanced and interactive IQ.Light LED matrix headlights. These lights welcome drivers with swivelling lens modules and generate an intelligently controlled main beam. At the rear, there are new 3D LED tail light clusters which are connected by an LED strip from side to side. They actually seem borrowed from Porsche which is not a bad thing at all considering how well they look on those cars.

The ID.4 is offered with up to 21 inch wheel sizes for a more sporty appeal.

Inside, the ID.4 spots a clean and restrained design much like the exterior. The instrument cluster measures 5.3 inches and is digital. This is complemented by a touchscreen infotainment measuring 10.0 inches in base models and 12.0 inches in higher models.

Performance and charging

The battery stores up to 77 kWh of energy (net) and enables ranges of up to 520 km (WLTP). It is installed below the passenger compartment which guarantees a low centre of gravity. The electric drive motor, positioned at the rear axle, generates 150 kW – enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and deliver a top speed of 160 km/h.

The ID.4 can be recharged with direct current to cover the next 320 km (as per WLTP, at 125 kW) at a DC quick-charging station in around 30 minutes.

*Note: the e-Golf was not built from the ground up as an all-electric vehicle.