Volkswagen ID.4

The verdict: While VW’s updates to the 2024 ID.4 don’t address every complaint, they bring meaningful improvements in critical areas, including power, infotainment and climate controls. Just make sure you spec yours with the bigger 82-kilowatt-hour battery to get these updates; models with the standard 62-kWh battery are mostly unchanged.

Versus the competition: The electric SUV segment is one of the hottest markets, especially when a base Tesla Model Y starts around a semi-affordable $47,000. Even amid so much competition, the 2024 ID.4 should attract both fresh and returning clientele with its ergonomic updates.

Hey, look at that: A mid-cycle refresh that directly addresses customer feedback. How refreshing! The not-insignificant updates levied upon the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 are hard to spot just by looking at it, but a week spent with V-Dub’s compact electric SUV reveals the German automaker has washed the ID.4 with a bucket of notable upgrades, both mechanical and digital.

Control Freak

First and foremost, VW tweaked the ID.4’s infotainment and cockpit controls in an attempt to squash ongoing owner frustrations with glitches and general operation. The capacitive-touch sliders for the ID.4’s temperature and volume functions, unfortunately, have made an unhappy return as some of the more frustrating controls I’ve used in quite some time; at least they’re backlit at night (making it easier to annoy myself in the dark) in models with the new, larger 12.9-inch screen, which goes in models with the larger battery. The 12-inch touchscreen that goes in models with the base battery are not backlit, so you’ll have to use the overhead lights.

Happily, redundant climate controls now persist at the bottom of the 12.9-inch touchscreen interface no matter what menu is selected, so you no longer have to hunt for basic climate functions when in motion. The touchscreen compensates for this permanent fixture with a 0.9-inch growth spurt, and it also features boosted processing speeds, optimized system memory and expanded layout options. It’s still not the most intuitive user interface on the market, but I believe you can now classify it as “fine” rather than “infuriating.”

Other than a few small tweaks, the rest of the interior is as it was in the prior model. It doesn’t channel the same chicness as VW’s old upmarket, Audi-aping cabins, but componentry and trim feel reasonably premium for its class. I am particularly a fan of the new column-mounted gear selector, a bidirectional toggle that operates similar to the drive selector in the Kia EV9.

Bigger Battery, Bigger Changes 

Returning customers will find the most significant changes in the powertrain, where 2024 ID.4s with the larger 82-kWh battery have a new rear performance drive unit that packs an upgraded stator with more windings, a new cooling system and — you know what? All you need to know is that these rather technical changes result in more power and more range. Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive models with this battery now shred rubber with 282 horsepower and a juicy 402 pounds-feet of torque; VW says it can spring from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. These models can cruise an EPA-estimated 291 miles on a charge — some 16 miles better than the prior car.

Predictably, it’s the ID.4’s top-spec, dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup that delivers the most gumption. The technical updates push the preceding dual-motor ID.4’s 295 hp to a delish 335 hp and completes a 0-60 skedaddle in 4.9 seconds, according to VW. Volkswagen is a bit dodgy on a total torque figure for the new dual-motor ID.4, but reports indicate it’s somewhere near 500 pounds-feet. Estimated range for this version has increased 8 miles, to 263 miles. 

Driving Details 

The end result of all this fettling is satisfying. My AWD Pro S test car felt like a proper range topper, with deep draughts of the accelerator pedal delivering that trademark EV insta-torque rush; it’s fun, if rather incongruous for the ID.4’s size and shape. I primarily used this car as an inter-city bullet train, weaving through traffic that clogged the route between Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Calif. Passing power is excellent, though constant aggression on the pedal will significantly drain the battery; each 130-mile leg of my trip cut a good 180 miles of estimated range. 

If that sounds like egregious consumption, it certainly was — but it was entirely user error. A standard commute on surface streets consistently revealed range estimates to be accurate and ride quality to be quite good thanks especially to the ID.4’s low center of gravity. Successive bumps and crags can make the ride a bit choppy, but it feels moderately upscale and generally comfortable during regular driving.

Mostly smooth, quiet and comfortable, the only real complaint I had with the driving experience was a lack of configurable regenerative-braking modes. Like the previous ID.4, drivers can only increase off-pedal resistance by switching into B mode on the gear selector. This doesn’t, however, allow for full one-pedal driving, nor does it match the most aggressive non-one-pedal modes of competing EVs. Pedal blending between the regenerative and physical brakes was touchier than I prefer, and I often found myself either over- or under-braking. 

Serious Single Motor 

While I only drove a top-level AWD trim, Managing Editor Joe Bruzek spent some time in a single-motor 82-kWh ID.4 a short while after my loan. “I was pleasantly surprised by the newfound power under the hood (er, hatch?) of the rear-wheel-drive ID.4,” he said. “It’s actually quite decent as far as acceleration.”

Bruzek also enjoyed the infotainment rework, especially the accessible customization options: “The new user interface for the center touchscreen is also much improved versus the old one, but I still cringe at the thought of having climate controls within the touchscreen. The customization with the top favorites or quick access is a nice touch, and there are more controls fixed to the screen than before, like heated and ventilated seats.”

Big Battery Is Best 

Unfortunately, none of this applies to ID.4s fitted with the base 62-kWh battery. Those soldier on with the same, non-updated 12-inch infotainment screen, unlit A/C slider controls and a 201-hp single-motor setup. But that version is also the cheapest configuration, with a starting price of $41,160, including destination. I imagine most customers will fall somewhere in the middle of the range, where the 82-kWh battery shines. If I’m pickin’, I’ll stick with whatever big-battery ID.4 I can afford, with a preference for the 335-hp AWD Pro S in spite of its $55,300 buy-in.

More From Cars.com: 

• 2024 Volkswagen ID.4: More Power, $41,160 Base Price
• Plus Pending: 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Named IIHS Top Safety Pick
• Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
• What to Know Before Purchasing an Electric Vehicle: A Buying Guide
• Shop for a 2024 Volkswagen ID.4

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