This week I was invited as part of a select few motoring media to test drive Volkswagen's fully electric offering the ID.4 Pro. This isn't the first fully electric model brought by the manufacturer to the country as it previously had the e-Golf and ID.3 but again, only for testing purposes and very few media getting to experience them. With the ID.4, which the first edition being launched in Europe way back in 2020, VWSA see this as the ideal car to introduce to the local market as their first fully electric offering but there's still a catch. While it might be in the country now, there are only 10 and these will serve as test fleets for the upcoming months, for both media and other selected fleet companies. I'll explain the roll-out a little later in the article but for now, lets get into the car itself.
As stated before, the ID.4 was launched in Europe back in 2020 and did quite well in terms of sales and the feedback they got form customers was very positive. Fast forward 4 years and they released the Pro version which is an updated car from the original launch model which features a better battery, more tech on the inside and and the Pro badge that is seen on the side. This is the car which is brought down in the batch of 10 that we got to drive. The power plant is rather impressive with the electric motor producing 150kW and 310Nm of torque, having no gearbox, this gives the ID.4 Pro a smooth 0-100km/h time of just 8.5 seconds. The top speed of the ID.4 is 160km/h and it can reach that very easily on a straight stretch. Even though there is no gearbox, the car has two driving modes, one being D that allows you a much more normal driving experience, and "B" which increases the cars regeneration process where as soon as you leave the accelerator pedal, the cars automatic breaking increases pressure to allow that kinetic energy build-up to recharge the cars battery. The ID.4 has a claimed range of 531km from a single full charge and that is extremely impressive given that most EV's currently on the market struggle to break the 400km range.
So, how is it to drive? Well, lets start from the beginning, getting into the car is an experience on its own, with just by having the key in your pocket, the cars proximity sensor will recognise this and unlock the car for you, soon as you sit in the drivers seat, the car powers up, so there is no conventional start/stop button like other cars, get off the seat and it powers down as well. The gear stalk is situated behind the steering wheel which is designed to protrude from the drivers instrument cluster as a stalk and gears can be selected by simply twisting it in the direction of the gear required. The pedals have a nice sense of fun to them with the accelerator having the "Play" symbol and the brake having the "Pause" symbol. On the road, the ID.4 has probably more of a normal ICE car feel than most EV's, yes the noise of the combustion engine isn't there but with the large 235 tyres and 19-inch rims, couple with the SUV design and seating position, it just gives of a more "normal" driving experience. Switching over to the "B" gear is where you would get the more EV driving experience with the harsher braking. The car handles like a dream and with its low centre of gravity, it really has sporty handling for a big body. This is thanks to the weight distribution which is a close to the idea value of 50:50. A McPherson design is used for the front axle, while the rear is a complex five link suspension.
Design of the ID.4 although being 4 years old still looks great, the front end looks simple but classy at the same time, VW call it a "powerful front end", no pun in that I suppose, but they say it symbolises the vehicles robustness and strength. While the car is an SUV, the design says more MPV to me but its a clean flowing design that has smooth curves and eye catching highlights. The lights are an integral part of this with the front end having the sweeping IQ LED's and the back having a much more similar styling to other VW SUVs in their line-up. The interior design is just as clean as the exterior with a minimalist approach, a floating like dash with two screens, a 5.3" for the instrument cluster and a 10" for the infotainment which VW dub "Ready 2 Discover" OS which has wireless mobile app connectivity. The center console has a smartphone tray with wireless charging, twin USB C ports for charging additional devices and the cabin has ambient lighting with 30 different colours to choose from to suit your mood. The AI voice assistant is pretty efficient too, with it picking up questions when asking, with no command prompt required. There is no built-in nav system so the car relies purely on your phone for that, personally I think this is a better option since most of us have places of interest saved to our phones maps and inputting them on the cars is quite tiresome. Other assist functions include park assist, front assist, active cruise control and pedestrian monitoring.
Now, when can you buy one? There's the catch, you can't. For now, the current 10 test fleet will go into rotation with some going out to media and the others going out to select fleet companies. There after more units will be brought in for 2025 when Volkswagen SA set to introduce it on a lease option to bespoke clients for the new year. Only in 2026 will VWSA be offering it to the general public, but again on a leasing basis. Many journo's at the launch seemed confused by this approach and even questioned the leasing over buying decision. Having studying the market over the past 3 years and seeing the dramatic increase in the price of all cars during this time, leasing cars is the most logical and best financial option for many now. Many look at upgrading their cars in 3-4 years in any case, so why buy to own when you eventually want to sell? Other OEMS's have introduced this with various fancy names with reasonable success, as word gets out on how it works, may others would see that this is the better option in the long run. VW might change their stance on this going forward but for now, with the price of cars and what their research tells them, this is the best option for now. Info on leasing pricing will only be made available in time to come. Now, there will be upgrade to the ID.4 over the upcoming months and SA will not be left behind, meaning that every model brought in will be the latest model and not older ones fobbed off to us by Germany.
To end off, I think its an exciting new chapter for VWSA and with the target to reduce global emissions, it is the future of cars to come. VW has reiterated its stance on an electric future with them not opting for hydrogen in their future models and couple with their sister company Audi, it can only mean a strong future for the brand. Charging networks in SA are growing and VW are already in talks with Rubicon to provide more charging points in public spaces around the country. With the grid getting more stable, and us seeing the back of load shedding, the proper electric evolution can properly start now.
