Autobayng News Team
When Volkswagen began selling the ID.4 in the U.S. in 2021, it was supposed to mark the start of something big. The electric crossover was meant to be similar in stature to the iconic Beetle and the Golf—and a direct competitor to the likes of the Toyota RAV4—but for the electric era.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, the VW ID.4 quickly earned a reputation for buggy software and poor ergonomics that left early adopters irritated. Granted, the car evolved quite a bit over the years, and its most recent versions are the most dialed in it’s ever been.
But after spending a week with a 2025 Volkswagen ID.4, it was clear to me that VW still has some work to do.
Even if the ID.4 didn’t dethrone Tesla or Toyota in America, it’s hard to overstate its importance. It’s still a groundbreaking EV from Volkswagen; a showcase of the promise of more mainstream electric cars; and a rolling lesson in what needs to go right for the German automaker’s next-generation EVs.
(Full Disclosure: Volkswagen loaned me an ID.4 for a week-long test in New York City.) Gallery: 2025 Volkswagen ID.4
Volkswagen ID.4 Specifications
As-Tested Price $56,000, before destination
Base Price $45,000
Battery 82 kilowatt-hours (77 kWh usable)
EV Range 263-291 miles
Charge Type CCS, NACS with adapter
Charge Time 10-80% in 30 minutes at 175 kW
Drive Type RWD/AWD
Output 282-335 horsepower
Maximum torque 402 lb-ft
Efficiency 2.8-3.3 miles per kilowatt-hour, observed
2025 Volkswagen ID.4: Specs, Range And Charging
The Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform has certainly done its job over the years. While it isn’t a truly software-defined platform by today’s standards, it has aged well, underpinning not just Volkswagen Group EVs but also Ford’s Explorer and Capri EVs in Europe. Not bad for a platform that dates back to 2019 on the ID.3 in Europe.
The latest U.S.-spec ID.4 gets an 82-kilowatt-hour battery (77 kWh usable), delivering 291 miles of range on the base rear-wheel-drive models and 263 miles of the Pro S all-wheel drive that I drove. While sufficient, that range now feels modest against newer EVs that are topping 300 miles—or even 400 in the luxury space.
In everyday driving, I saw efficiency hover between 2.8 and 3.3 miles per kilowatt-hour—although that was when the temperature was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but well before Arctic air blanketed the Northeast. Photo by: Suvrat Kothari
It also arrives with a compelling charging package, with two years of complimentary charging at Electrify America stations. However, it can’t take full advantage of the 350-kilowatt chargers, since its peak charging rate tops out at 170 kW. But plug-and-charge support is convenient and frictionless.
Volkswagen claims a 10-80% charging time of about 30 minutes, which is adequate but nothing to brag about. It charges faster than modern General Motors EVs like the Chevrolet Blazer and the Cadillac Optiq, but falls behind the class-leading Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 that can hit the same mark in under 20 minutes.
The ID.4 doesn’t ship with a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) port yet. But it has access to over 25,000 Tesla Superchargers with a NACS-to-CCS adapter. Adapters aren’t elegant, but a vastly bigger charging network makes it much more road-trip friendly than before.
2025 Volkswagen ID.4: On The Road
Speaking of road trips, the ID.4 remains surprisingly fun to drive. The Pro S’s dual motor AWD set-up is good for 335 horsepower and more than 400 pound-feet of torque. That means stomping the pedal results in a brutal wave of torque that doesn’t taper off until you’re at illegal highway speeds.
Photo by: Suvrat Kothari
The ID.4 also has that firm and controlled ride common on German cars. You get that buttoned-down feel at highway speeds, excellent body control through corners despite the heft of the battery and damping that keeps the car mostly settled over rough patches. Sharper bumps indeed filter into the cabin, but the ID.4 never feels sloppy or uncontrolled.
2025 Volkswagen ID.4: Interior And Technology
In an attempt to make it feel modern and cut costs, Volkswagen ended up taking many risks with the cabin design and software.
Early model year ID.4s shipped with extremely buggy software. Owners lamented the long loading times for the infotainment system, unreliable smartphone mirroring and screens that would randomly go dark. Even the range calculations, the single-most critical aspect of driving EVs, were inaccurate. The automaker had simply not figured out how to make its software experience seamless at the time.
The problems ran so deep that Volkswagen’s Cariad software division underwent massive shake-ups over the years. The fallout led to billions of dollars in losses and delays for models like the Porsche Macan Electric and the Audi Q6 E-Tron. That turmoil led Volkswagen to partner with Rivian for its software expertise (and with Xpeng for its tech efforts in China). Photo by: Suvrat Kothari
Rivian’s software and electrical systems will underpin the upcoming ID.Polo as well as Scout EVs and unnamed Audi models. Amid all this, the software currently shipping on Volkswagen EVs has indeed improved. It’s not class-leading, but certainly better than what it used to be.
On the ID.4 I tested, the 12.9-inch display was snappy and responsive. The crisp, high-quality screen is canted toward the driver and within easy reach. Wireless Android Auto also connected seamlessly every time I hopped in.
But that’s where the fun ends. The user interface feels dated and the capacitive volume and temperature sliders are probably some of the worst designs the industry has ever seen. The steering wheel controls are capacitive, too, which means it’s easy to accidentally trigger a function while turning the wheel.
Photo by: Suvrat Kothari
My biggest gremlin, however, is the power window setup. The driver’s door has only two window switches. To operate the rear windows, you have to tap a separate button labeled “rear” first. It’s a cost-cutting measure, but it feels like an unnecessary one, given that powered windows are a solved problem that doesn’t need more innovation.
Thankfully, Volkswagen was acutely aware of these problems, which seem to be fixed on its future EVs. The upcoming ID.Polo will bring back the regular four-switch window layout. It also has normal steering controls and physical climate controls under the central screen. Then there are some neat, nostalgic touches like a “tape deck” music display within the screen, which is an ode to VWs of the past.
2025 Volkswagen ID.4: Verdict
The ID.4 is about to get its most comprehensive refresh this year. Volkswagen will rename it ID.Tiguan, aligning it more closely with its gas-powered sibling. The Tiguan was Volkswagen’s best-seller in the U.S. last year, with over 78,000 units sold.
And despite its rocky start, the ID.4 hasn’t exactly flopped either. Volkswagen sold more than 22,000 units last year, a 31% year-over-year increase. However, its sales cratered after the tax credit ended in Q3, something pretty much the whole EV industry suffered from. Photo by: Suvrat Kothari
If you’re a Volkswagen loyalist seeking an electric crossover, I’d wait for the refresh. Because at a starting price of $45,000 before destination, the current ID.4 is uncompetitive. The Pro S trim I drove, with its sporty $700 Black Package that darkens the wheels, mirrors and door handles, had a sticker price of $56,265.
At that price, you can treat yourself to a much more luxurious and better-equipped Cadillac Optiq. Or you get a faster-charging Ioniq 5 or longer-range Tesla Model Y for thousands of dollars less.
That doesn’t make the ID.4 a bad car; it just makes it a poor value in 2026. It’s roomy, fun-to-drive, and more road-trip friendly than ever before with complementary charging at the Electrify America network and access to Tesla Superchargers. And the software is finally acceptable, too. But it’s showing its age, and pathways are opening up to better, more modern and more user-friendly EVs right now.
Ultimately, it previews where the EV field needs to go next: more user-friendly, more mainstream, better range, better charging, fewer bugs—more cars for everyone and fewer science experiments.
But more than anything, the ID.4 shows that Volkswagen is willing to learn and improve. If the company gets its next EVs right, the ID.4 will be remembered for what it got wrong and for what it taught the automaker to fix.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
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