With a shady track record of distorting the truth, it’s quite easy to understand why anyone would be wise to have a pinch of salt just about every time Volkswagen claims a premiere. After all, they’re the authors of both Dieselgate and just recently, of the huge “Voltswagen” debacle.
But here it goes. Apparently, the Volkswagen ID.4 has just become “the most affordable all-wheel-drive electric vehicle on sale in the U.S.,” with the ID.4 AWD Pro in possession of a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $43,675. According to the German automaker, that’s lower than any other battery electric vehicle on sale right now.
Well... it’s time to check the claim. Seriously, we’re not going to take their word for it. So, we took a peek over at Tesla to the Model Y online configurator tool and the dual motor all-wheel-drive Long Range version has a purchase price of $52,490. So, at least for now, it pans out. But here’s the catch: you have to give up something in exchange for the lower MSRP.
That would be, first and foremost, range. The aforementioned Model Y has an EPA rating of 326 miles (525 km), while the VW ID.4 AWD Pro comes with EPA estimates of 249 miles (401 km) of range for the AWD Pro model and 240 miles (386 km) of range on the AWD Pro S version ($48,175). The rest of the specifications aren’t too shabby, though.
The dual-motor ID.4 has a maximum power rating of 295 horsepower and will do 60 mph (97 kph) in 5.7 seconds. But that still falls short of the Model Y, which can reach the same threshold in 4.8 seconds and will top out at 135 mph (217 kph).
On the other hand, the Volkswagen will try and attract customers also with its Vehicle Dynamics Manager that should intelligently handle all-wheel traction and efficiency, as well as an increased towing capacity of 2,700 lbs. / 1,225 kg (+20%, braked trailer) compared to the ID.4 RWD 1st Edition.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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