2024 Volkswagen ID.4: More Power, $41,160 Base Price

Just slightly smaller (on the outside) than Volkswagen’s gas-powered Tiguan, the ID.4 sits right in the middle of the white-hot compact electric SUV class. It was among the first mainstream arrivals in the class, and after adding a new entry-level model last year, VW continues to refine the ID.4 with some welcome upgrades for 2024.

Related: Volkswagen to Roll Out Plug&Charge for 2023 ID.4

What’s New

ID.4s with the larger 82-kilowatt-hour battery pack get a more powerful rear electric motor for 2024. With 282 horsepower and 402 pounds-feet of torque, the motor bests the 2023 model by 81 horses and 173 pounds-feet. With an additional motor on the front axle, all-wheel-drive models now make 335 hp.

Models with the larger battery also get a smaller upgrade that may be more meaningful: a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen. The size increase over the 12-inch unit still found in base ID.4s is not so significant as the updated menu structure and climate controls, which were our biggest complaints in our last review of the ID.4. Additionally, the shifter on all ID.4s changes from being a clunky knob attached to the instrument panel to a stalk on the steering column, and Pro trims get standard 20-inch wheels (up an inch from 2023). The Pro S adds standard ventilated front seats, and the S Plus gets a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and 21-inch wheels.

Range and Charging

Volkswagen’s naming and pricing hierarchies make the ID.4 lineup appear more complicated than it is. Pro simply means the all-electric SUV has the larger battery pack; the Standard and S trims have a 62-kilowatt battery pack that is only available with a single motor on the rear axle good for 201 hp and 229 pounds-feet of torque. Volkswagen says the estimated range for these ID.4s is 206 miles (an official EPA figure for 2024 is not yet available). A 140-kW onboard charger is said to be able to charge the smaller battery pack from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes with a DC fast charger.

With rear-drive, the 82-kWh Pro and Pro S are good for an EPA-estimated 291 miles. AWD drops range to 263 miles. The larger battery pack also includes a 175-kW charger that is said to be able to charge from 10% to 80% in about the same half-hour. On a Level 2 charger, which is what most owners install at home, the 62-kWh pack will fully recharge in approximately six hours and 15 minutes, while the 82-kWh pack takes about eight hours.

Pricing and Availability

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 will go on sale soon. Full line pricing without the tax credit but including $1,425 for delivery is as follows. AWD adds $3,880 to the Pro, Pro S and Pro S Plus trims.

• Standard: $41,160
• S: $46,280
• Pro: $46,300
• Pro S: $51,420
• Pro S Plus: $54,600

New requirements went into effect Jan. 1 of this year that disqualified many previously eligible EVs from the federal tax credit, but Volkswagen says the 2024 ID.4 is still eligible for the maximum $7,500 — at least at first. The requirements deal with the sourcing and processing of critical battery minerals, and VW says it’s optimistic its supply chain will maintain the ID.4’s eligibility.

Trim Levels and Safety Equipment

The smaller battery pack is only available with rear-wheel drive and only in the Standard and base S trims. Above that, all Pro trims have the 82-kWh pack, either with RWD or AWD. The real equipment differences are between the Standard, S and S Plus trim levels. Standard equipment across the ID.4 line includes LED exterior lighting, keyless entry, heated cloth seats in front, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a 12-inch touchscreen, seven speakers, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and wireless phone charging.

Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive safety suite is also standard on all ID.4s It includes forward collision warning with pedestrian and bicyclist detection and automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind spot intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and automated lane changes. Other standard safety systems not bundled under the IQ.Drive umbrella include automated parking, front and rear parking sensors, automatic high beams and traffic-sign recognition.

The S trim adds dynamic headlights that turn with the steering wheel, illuminated VW logos front and rear, a fixed panoramic glass roof, a heated steering wheel, synthetic leather seats and massaging front seats. The Pro (big battery) ID.4 S also gets ventilated front seats.

Only available with the 82-kWh battery, the S Plus trim includes a black roof with silver rails, silver roof and C-pillar trim, 21-inch wheels, a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, a 360-degree parking camera and three-zone automatic climate control with rear-seat controls.

More From Cars.com:

• 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Review: Still Getting There
• Home EV Chargers and How to Choose One
• BMW i4, Mini Cooper SE Hardtop Top 2024 J.D. Power EV Owner Satisfaction Survey
• Research the Volkswagen ID.4
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