Volkswagen ID.4 2021: first image, plus battery range, release and price

Less than two months on from the release of its ID.3 hatchback, Volkswagen has previewed a second mass-production electric car that looks set to rival the Tesla Model Y.

The new model, dubbed the ID.4, takes the form of an SUV and adopts several elements from the company’s all-electric hatchback and the ID Crozz concept that first appeared at the 2017 Shanghai motor show.

Previewed at a company presentation in Guangzhou, China, where it’ll be built alongside the ID.3 hatch, the ID.4 is tipped to form “a big part” of VW’s electric push in the US and across parts of Europe, says Autocar.

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These two markets are particularly fond of SUV-style vehicles, though Europe has yet to fully embrace the EV trend.

We’ll see the ID.4 in production form next year, before it goes on sale in 2021. For now, here’s what we know about the electric crossover:

Release and price

CarBuyer expects the ID.4 to hit UK showrooms in the summer of 2021.

VW is keeping quiet about the ID.4’s price tag at the moment. It’s widely believed to be a direct rival to the upcoming Tesla Model Y, so expect a figure between £35,000 and £40,000.

Design

The ID.4 prototype shown in China may be thinly veiled in a “psychedelic wrap”, but it “strongly” previews the SUV’s final design, says Auto Express.

The prototype has some “clear nods to the ID.3 hatchback”, the magazine says, as VW aims to establish a “coherent design language for its upcoming line-up of ID. badged electric cars.”

The LED headlights, flat front end and coupe-esque roofline have all been adopted from the ID.3, as have the light beams that run along the bottom of the bonnet and the raked windscreen. Its narrow rear window and tail-light design are similar to the ID.3’s, too.

However, the front bumper takes on a sportier, more aggressive look, with angular intakes that presumably channel cool air to the brakes. It appears to be notably larger than the Golf-sized ID.3, despite being based on the same MEB electric production platform.

Battery range and performance

There’s no word on specs just yet, but the MEB architecture that underpins the ID.4 is capable of housing battery capacities ranging from 45kWh to 77kWh, according to CarBuyer. That roughly translates to 200 and 300 miles of range respectively.

The ID Crozz concept featured two electric motors, one on each axle, developing 302bhp for a top speed of 112mph, the reviews site notes, so a similar set-up could make its way on to the ID.4.