Among all the VW Group electric family, projected to shift millions of units, the ID.4 will be the worldwide pinnacle seller. By mid 2022 it'll be flowing off the lines in two German factories, two in China and one in the US.

WHAT'S Volkswagen ID.4 BASED ON?
To absolutely no-one's surprise, the ID.4 is the crossover sibling of the ID.3 hatch. What that means is a designed-for-electric platform. Mostly then, it's rear wheel drive. But now you can spec a dual-motor performance version called ID.4 GTX. A GTI for the electric age? We'll see about that.

Mind you the fact of rear-drive for the masses doesn't mean it's aiming at avid drivers. We trust you'll allow us to puncture the suspense: this is a family crossover and feels like it.

WHAT'S THE RANGE LIKE?
We've tested an early 1st Edition version and a mainstream ID.4 Pro Performance. The latter sounds racey, but it's merely code for a big battery and a 201bhp rear e-motor. the cells comprise a battery of 77kWh (net, i.e. the useable portion). This gets you a 310-mile WLTP range. To demonstrate the draggy effects of its added bigness, that's 30 miles less than an ID.3 with the same pack and motor.

If you can make do with the 52kWh ID.4, then the range is claimed at 215 miles WLTP.

HOW BIG IS IT?
To give you an idea of size, think Tiguan outside but bigger inside. The wheelbase is actually the same as an ID.3, but sitting more upright means a sense of more legroom. Overall it's about 30cm longer than the ID.3, so the boot's a lot bigger. The cabin cleaves to the minimalist aesthetic of many EVs.

It adopts the all-touch interface of the ID.3. That feels a bit under-baked to us, but VW promises over-the-air software updates every two months. That said, the ID.4 has now been out long enough that the software really ought to be perfect by now, but it's not even close. Meanwhile, the touchy-slidey steering wheel buttons and main dash controls aren't getting any less infuriating...

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
“Crossovers are family transit pods. And judged through that lens, the ID.4 is right on target”
It's a matter of context. We found ourselves a bit disappointed by the ID.3. It was hyped as a reinvention of Golf for the new age. But it doesn't quite satisfy its driver as a well-honed hatch should.

Whereas the ID.4 plays against crossovers, and none buys a crossover for the driving. Do they? Crossovers are family transit pods. And judged through that lens, the ID.4 is right on target.

It has a roomy cabin, loads of clever storage spaces, a good electric range for the price, and a smooth, silent driving experience that demands nothing of you.

But the interior is fiendishly unintuitive to operate, and that alone would be enough to have us considering the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and the VW's enemies within, in the shape of the Audi Q4 e-Tron and Skoda Enyaq, which run exactly the same platform underneath
For many years, Tesla has had the EV market all for itself more or less, but those days are gone now.

All Tesla models currently have rivals coming from legacy automakers, and one of the most promising appears to be the VW ID.4. In AWD's guise, its direct competitor from the Tesla range is the Model Y, so a comparison between these two models makes a lot of sense for many buyers.

The Tesla Model Y is superior when it comes to most specs, offering a range of 326 miles versus the ID.4’s 250 miles, better efficiency, quicker 0-60 acceleration, two more seats, more cargo space (in five-seat configuration), and the list continues.

While their real-world testing confirmed there’s a big gap between the Model Y and the ID.4, one should not forget the former test car is AWD and the latter is RWD. On a side note, we would have preferred a back-to-back comparison, but it appears that the reviewers didn’t have both cars simultaneously for review—at least that's what the video editing seems to suggest.

Now, there’s no contest when it comes to charging either as the Model Y supports 250 kW fast charging while the ID.4 can only take 125 kW. Tesla also has more tech and gimmicks, superior user experience, and is roomier.

The review continues in about the same manner until the topic of pricing comes up. The ID.4 is significantly more affordable and it also qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit, as opposed to the Tesla. The price difference is about $17,000, tax credit included for the VW.

In conclusion, if the price is your top priority, the ID.4 is a good choice, but if you want more than just a decent EV, the Model Y is definitely the one to get.

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