2025 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro review

It would be an understatement to say Volkswagen is a bit late to the electric-vehicle market in Australia. The ID.4 – launched in Europe in early 2021 – has taken four years to reach local showrooms, amid a series of delays for myriad reasons.

But rather than turn up to the party empty-handed, it’s shown up better dressed than its friends – holding a dessert only it knows how to make.

That’s a roundabout way of saying the long wait has seen Australia receive the best version of the ID.4 yet, with many of the complaints and criticisms identified in Europe already resolved, including more power and easier-to-use technology.

And it’s all for a sub-$60,000 price capable of competing with Tesla and the Chinese, without stripping out too many creature comforts – and while retaining the blend of handling and comfort the German car giant is known for.

Does the ID.4 do enough to stand out – for more than just existing Volkswagen owners – in what has become one of the most competitive segments of the new-car market?

Volkswagen offers its mid-size electric SUV family in four variants – Pro rear-wheel drive and GTX all-wheel drive, across ID.4 ‘wagon’ and ID.5 coupe-styled bodies.

On test here is the cheapest in the line-up, the ID.4 Pro, priced from $59,990 plus on-road costs.

This test vehicle carries a no-cost brown/black interior and $1000 Costa Azul Metallic two-tone paint, which requires the fitment of the $900 Exterior Style Package (black roof and silver highlights), for a drive-away price in NSW of $67,430, according to the Volkswagen website.

Thanks to intense negotiation between Volkswagen Australia and its head office in Germany, that’s significantly cheaper than it could’ve been.

In early 2024, when the ID.4 was due in mid-2024, the vehicle you see here was earmarked to start from about $76,000 plus on-roads – at a time when a Tesla Model Y Long Range was $78,400 plus on-road costs, and rivals from BYD, XPeng, Geely and more didn’t exist.

It’s an advantage of being able to sit on the sidelines and watch the market before diving in.

The ID.4’s price sees it fall within about $1000 of the Model Y in its cheaper, rear-wheel-drive form, at $58,900 plus on-roads – a Long Range variant is $68,900 – while a BYD Sealion 7 Premium RWD starts from $54,990 plus on-roads, and the XPeng G6 Long Range RWD starts from $59,800.

Within the VW Group, it undercuts the slightly larger Skoda Enyaq ($69,990 drive-away) and Cupra Tavascan ($60,990 plus on-road costs) but not a Skoda Elroq ($59,990 drive-away). Its Tiguan equivalent (on price) is the $60,690 plus on-roads 150TSI Elegance.

There’s also the Kia EV5 ($68,990 drive-away for the Earth AWD in NSW), new Zeekr 7X (from $57,900 plus on-roads), and cheaper (but, spoiler alert, not as good) Geely EX5 ($40,990 to $44,990 plus on-roads).

Standard features in the ID.4 Pro include 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, 3D-effect LED tail-lights, adaptive suspension, a 12.9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 5.3-inch instrument display, power-adjustable heated front seats, microfleece and leather-look upholstery, tri-zone climate control, and a wireless phone charger.

It also offers a panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade, a power tailgate with kick sensor, a heated steering wheel, a seven-speaker sound system, and a suite of advanced safety features, including a 360-degree camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Model Year 2025.5 (MY25.5) variants are fitted with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (rather than wired-only), and programmable front seat massaging, for no extra cost over MY25 versions. Customers who choose an older build will get an Ampol 7kW home charger supplied and installed for free, usually valued at $1899, while stocks last.

ID.4s can now be found in dealer stock around the country, so there are cars on the ground ready for negotiation. Find new and used Volkswagen ID.4s for sale at Drive Marketplace.

Find your nearest Volkswagen dealer here to check out the ID.4 in person, while for more details related to pricing, specifications, and latest offers on the Volkswagen ID.4 range, click here.     

The Volkswagen ID.4’s cabin has fewer buttons and switches than many other cars on the market, but it still feels more conventional than the ultra-minimalist cabin of a Model Y or XPeng G6.

A 12.9-inch touchscreen takes centre place on the dashboard, with updated software compared to the original ID.4 launched in Europe a few years ago, surrounded by plenty of open space, rather than a big centre console and dash that hem you in.

The basics of a car interior are done well. The driving position is high enough to give a good view of the road, but low enough to appeal to sportier drivers, while there’s plenty of all-around visibility from large windows and the ID.4’s modest size.

The ‘comfort’ front seats offer plenty of adjustment – electrically in eight ways via the buttons on the side, as well as a manually extendable under-thigh cushion – plus heating, lumbar control, and memory functions.

They are firmly bolstered, but generally supportive and comfortable on longer drives, and while the microfleece centres are not fully leather – there is only a leather-like trim on the bolsters and headrest – they’re soft and breathe well.

The heated steering wheel offers excellent tilt and reach adjustment for drivers of varying heights, and it’s wrapped in a supple leather. However, it remains covered in touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons – technology VW has publicly vowed to delete from its models – which are hard to press accurately yet easy to mistakenly activate in corners.

The same applies to the touch-sensitive slider controls for volume and air temperature below the touchscreen which, while illuminated, are also fiddly to use on bumpy roads.

Soft-touch materials are used on the dashboard and armrests, but there are scratchier materials lower down on the dashboard, and there is no shortage of fingerprint-prone gloss black plastic – including, for some reason, on the doors’ grab handles.

This test vehicle is optioned with a two-tone interior – adding Florence Brown colouring to the seat bolsters, dashboard and door panels – for no extra cost. I like the contrast it brings to the cabin, though it won’t be to all tastes.

The low and open centre console includes two cupholders, space for small items, and the wireless phone charger, joined by a modestly sized glovebox and door pockets. Storage, therefore, is ample among its peers rather than class-leading.

The ID.4 isn’t quite as well equipped as rivals from China. No ventilated seats, no satellite navigation, no over-the-air updates, no premium audio (only a mediocre seven-speaker unbranded stereo), and no heated rear seats.

But the amenities it offers – power-adjustable heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera, tri-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient lighting, and a panoramic roof with electric sunshade – mean buyers hardly feel short-changed for the price.

Smaller exterior dimensions than key rivals mean space in the rear of the ID.4 is acceptable, but not standout. Knee room is still sufficient for a 186cm-tall occupant to sit behind a similarly tall driver – though it is not a generous amount of room – and while there is plenty of head room, toe room is tight.

Rear-seat comfort is otherwise good, with ample under-thigh support and a near-flat floor, but there are no recline or slide capabilities, nor heating. Amenities include two USB-C ports, map pockets and phone holders on the front seatbacks, and outboard ISOFIX and three top-tether anchors.

The ID.4 is fitted with a rear climate-control panel to adjust the third air-conditioning zone, but it’s placed low, and can be hard to reach with your seatbelt on.

Boot space is quoted at 543 litres behind the rear seats – not a leader in in the class, but practicality is aided by a net on the floor, lights, a 12-volt socket, small pockets on the side, and a ski port for thin but long items in the 60:40 split-folding rear backrest.

There is no under-bonnet storage, but a tyre repair kit, and two home charging cables are included in the purchase price.

Standard in the ID.4 is a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen running Volkswagen’s latest software, and equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FM and digital DAB radio, Bluetooth, and a ‘Hello IDA’ voice assistant.

It’s smaller and not as quick to respond as the screen in a Model Y, but it’s not a laggard in either respect, and there is a customisable row of shortcuts along the top of the display – as well as climate controls pinned along the bottom.

Early ID.4s like this test vehicle are fitted with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which are upgraded to wireless versions in MY25.5 builds.

There’s no in-built satellite navigation, which means no route planning around charging stations and the car’s driving range, but drivers can manually precondition the battery en route to a charging station to unlock the quickest top-ups.

The 5.3-inch display ahead of the driver is small, but shows vital information in large, clear fonts – while we found the twist-stalk gear selector easy to use.

Volkswagen offers connected service technology through the GoConnect app. It offers remote vehicle tracking and status updates, including battery charge level and the odometer, plus the ability to book a service.

However, it trails the phone apps offered by rivals including Tesla, with no cabin preconditioning, no charge scheduling, and no remote control of locks and lights. It is free for the first five years, with a paid subscription charged thereafter.

The Volkswagen ID.4 is covered by a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted by sister organisation Euro NCAP in 2021, shortly after the vehicle’s European launch.

It means it was tested to less stringent criteria than its BYD and XPeng rivals – which were assessed under the most recent 2023–25 standards – and the score is due to expire at the end of 2028, so more than half of its six-year validity period has already passed.

The ID.4 earned category scores of 93 per cent for adult occupant protection, 89 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians and cyclists), and 76 per cent for safety assist technology.

The Volkswagen ID.4’s list of driver-assistance features does not include every last bell and whistle offered by rivals.

There is no speed sign recognition, no direct tyre pressure read-outs (only a warning that sounds when a tyre has suddenly lost pressure), no front cross-traffic alert, no automatic parking, and no assisted lane changes on motorways.

But it offers the vast majority – including basics such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping and centring assistants, and surround-view cameras – and, unlike some of the Chinese cars in this class, they are intuitively tuned.

Lane-keep assist doesn’t intrude on your driving, the lane-centring assist system holds the middle of the lane smoothly without bouncing between the white lines, and the adaptive cruise control keeps a reasonable distance to the car ahead.

There are no excess beeps and bongs from an overzealous driver attention monitoring camera. A driver drowsiness alert is fitted, but it operates by monitoring your steering wheel and touchscreen inputs for signs of inattention, rather than pointing a camera at your face.

One complaint is the poor resolution of the parking cameras, which would give CCTV cameras a run for their money.

The ID.4 is covered by Volkswagen’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, alongside eight years or 160,000km of coverage, whichever comes first, on the high-voltage battery pack.

Service intervals are set every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first, and capped-price maintenance is offered for the first decade/150,000km of ownership.

Each of the first five services costs $595, equating to a $1190 four-year cost that competes favourably with a BYD Sealion 7 Premium ($1592 over four years/80,000km), XPeng G6 Long Range ($1826 over four years/80,000km) and Kia EV5 Earth ($1535 over five years/75,000km when prepaid).

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with a leading provider is quoted at $2057, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Volkswagen claims the ID.4 Pro’s battery pack – 77kWh of its 82kWh gross capacity is said to be usable – is capable of 544km of driving range in European WLTP testing.

Energy consumption in mixed, lab-tested conditions is quoted at 16.7kWh per 100 kilometres, which we neared with an indicated 17kWh/100km over our time with the car.

That equates to about 450km of real-world driving range – much lower than the 544km claim, despite the energy consumption being close to its official figure, as the lab tests for calculating single-charge range and energy use are not identical. Expect to get closer to 500km in exclusively suburban driving.

In identical conditions to rivals, we saw 16.4kWh/100km from the ID.4, against 14.8kWh/100km for a Model Y RWD, 20.3kWh/100km from a Sealion 7 Performance AWD, and 15.1kWh/100km from an XPeng G6 Standard Range.

On a 110km/h highway range-test loop, we observed consumption of 17.8kWh/100km for a circa-430km real-world range.

The ID.4 uses a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, which requires more care in how you use it, ideally keeping it between 20 and 80 per cent in regular driving – and extending to 100 per cent when the full battery is needed – to minimise degradation of the battery cells.

This is an issue not faced as severely by Chinese rivals with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs.

DC fast charging at up to 170kW is claimed for a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in a quoted 28 minutes.

On a 350kW Evie DC plug – with a preconditioned battery – we timed the ID.4 from 10 to 80 per cent in 29 minutes and 50 seconds, peaking at 172kW in the car – slower than a Model Y RWD (29min 50sec) but quicker than a Sealion 7 (35min 35sec).

AC charging at up to 11kW is offered.

There is no heat pump to maximise range in cold temperatures, nor vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology allowing the car’s battery to power external electrical devices, or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality to send power back to the grid with compatible equipment at home.

Volkswagen has built dynamic-feeling cars for a long time, and that’s clear in the ID.4’s refined, well-balanced character on the road.

One of the reasons why it took so long for the ID.4 to reach Australia is to fit a 210kW/545Nm rear electric motor, which is substantially more powerful than the 150kW unit in early ID.4s sold in Europe.

Zero to 100km/h takes a claimed 6.7 seconds, and there’s more than enough grunt for overtaking. It’s suitably responsive around town, rolling on the power unless you floor the accelerator pedal – compared to the immediacy of a Tesla Model Y.

Among the tricks in the ID.4’s arsenal is adaptive suspension, which allows drivers to adjust the shock absorbers to be softer or firmer through the various drive modes – or 15 settings in an Individual profile.

It allows for a soft and supple response to potholes, expansion joints, speed humps, and other bumps on city streets, yet on a country road it retains the control and composure it needs over undulations and crests to avoid feeling like a boat in rough seas, even in Comfort mode.

There is a lot of wheel travel available for the suspension to work with in dealing with poorly surfaced country roads, helped by chubby tyre sidewalls that act as extra cushions over bumps.

The steering is similarly natural – direct and precise, but not excessively heavy – and it helps the ID.4 excel on a winding road without too much body roll. The suspension shrugs off mid-corner bumps well, and although it feels heavy, its small footprint lends it a sense of agility.

Tyre roar and wind noise are relatively well suppressed, though it’s not quite as hushed as the Tesla. Visibility is good as well, and it’s easy to park thanks to its small size and Golf hatchback-like 10.3-metre turning circle.

The Hankook tyres leave much to be desired in terms of wet-weather grip on a country road, however. While they’re fine in the dry, on a damp road the electronic systems are working overtime to mitigate as much wheelspin as they can, and keep the car in shape out of tight corners.

Where the ID.4 leaves the most room for improvement is in the brakes, which are discs at the front but old-school drums at the rear. Volkswagen says an electric car’s regenerative braking abilities reduce the need for rear discs, but it’s still unusual nonetheless.

The brake pedal is far too soft, and requires a lot of flex in your foot before the car begins to pull up in a hurry. You will need to use the brake pedal often, as both regenerative braking modes – D and B – aren’t the strongest, and there’s no one-pedal option.

The ID.4 Pro is rated to tow up to 1200kg braked, or 750kg unbraked – par, if slightly on the low side, for the category.

Payload – the maximum mass of passengers, cargo and accessories the car is legally rated to carry – is rated at 520kg, which is sufficient for five 100kg occupants and some luggage.

Most electric mid-size SUVs ask buyers to pick two of these three attributes: an attainable price, a generous list of equipment, and a user experience – both inside and on the road – that doesn’t annoy or disappoint you.

The Volkswagen ID.4 is one of the few that seems to tick all three.

It offers the equipment level, thoughtful interior, compliant ride and composed handling of a European car, for the price of a Chinese car that would normally ask buyers to accept an unresolved driving experience, annoying safety technology, and a frustrating cabin interface.

That said, it is still not perfect. The cabin is not as spacious as key rivals, the technology also falls short of its peers, and it’s not as generously equipped as buyers might expect at this price. A Tesla Model Y remains the class leader, in our opinion.

But if you’re in the market for an electric SUV around the $60,000 mark, take the ID.4 for a test drive before signing on the dotted line for an unknown brand, because you may be pleasantly surprised.