4/22/2024 0 Comments Freedom planet teaser torque![]() ![]() Propulsion aside, this drive of the ID.4 was right in sync with our first impressions from earlier last year. Compared to the single-motor ID.4, the all-wheel-drive model rides 0.6 inches higher, so that likely factors in. The almost plush ride quality of the single-motor version translates to something a little busier in the dual-motor model-especially on rougher backroads or freeway expansion joints, where the front end feels firmer. In all, it’s good to see that the AWD models carry over nearly all of this potential-with a few minor exceptions. The ID.4’s backseat space has great head room and leg room, and cargo space is excellent (30.3 cubic feet with the seatbacks up, 64.2 cubic feet with them flipped forward). In a couple of earlier drives of the rear-wheel-drive ID.4 1st Edition, I found it to have fantastic ride quality, precise steering, and a verve that exceeds its rather leisurely (for an EV) acceleration. We’ll follow up with a longer-term or longer-distance test when we can.Ĭarrying over all the roominess and comfort Over 220 mostly highway miles in a rear-wheel-drive ID.4 earlier last fall (temperature about 55 degrees), I averaged an excellent 3.3 mi/kwh-suggesting a range of more than 250 miles-so it would seem from this first time with the AWD that it can’t deliver close to that. From what I’ve seen so far, rear-wheel-drive models might be able to do even better than the current models’ EPA ratings of up to 260 miles, while all-wheel-drive models do come with a range penalty that more closely aligns with the ratings. That works out to a 223-mile range, considering its 77-kwh usable battery capacity-with no testament to how it was driven or used over that period, of course.Īt the end of my three days with the ID.4, the trip computer believed a 100% charge to be 238 miles of range. It arrived with a long-term trip-computer average that hadn’t been reset in 2,885 miles, showing 2.9 mi/kwh over that distance, representing an average 33 mph. My test 2021 ID.4 Pro S AWD has an EPA-rated 250-mile range. Brake-pedal feel was good, so we can probably call the grabby traits we noticed in an earlier pre-production car as a fluke. So far it doesn’t seem like VW has tapped into that potential, however, as regen in the shifter’s ‘B’ mode-what you select for more, versus the more relaxed ‘D’-didn’t seem much more heightened versus the single-motor model. The different motor format in front has advantages, in that it doesn’t use any rare-earth elements and can “coast” with no drag when it’s best for efficiency, eliminating the need for special clutches in front such as that used in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.Īt an earlier backgrounder on the platform, VW engineers told us that part of the reason for choosing the motor layout in front was that it also allowed a high rate of brake regen as needed. Instead of adding another permanent-magnet motor like what’s in back to the front wheels, VW adds a current-excited asynchronous unit in front. The difference in personality likely has to do with the motor layout. On the other hand, Sport mode brings it all to life dynamically, completely changing the character of the car and allowing a clever, nuanced handshake of torque delivery to maintain poise in tight backroad hairpin corners. The ID.4 defaults to Comfort mode, which like Eco mode seems to downplay any role of the front motor. The front motor delivers to the “instant torque” moniker so often applied to EVs, as long as that’s any time you’re underway, giving the ID.4 a notably perkier feel from city speeds up to highway-passing situations. ![]() ![]() But the ID.4 doesn’t leap off the line like other EVs it’s more of a groundswell that builds once the car’s rolling. With a combined 295 hp and 339 pound-feet of torque from both motors-a big boost over the RWD models’ 201 hp and 229 lb-ft-the AWD versions can dash to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, versus 7.5 seconds in single-motor RWD versions. Drive rather gently and the ID.4 has the same nice, linear tip-in from stoplights as the single-motor rear-wheel-drive versions of this EV. The ID.4 AWD holds its cards close at first. ![]()
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