Volkswagen ID.4 review - Interior & comfort

Like the ID.3, Volkswagen's all-electric SUV has a minimalist interior, with very few physical buttons or knobs. Yet, the ID.4 is clearly also meant to be a touch more upmarket, so there are some more premium materials in the mix. Being high in the range, the GTX also benefits from luxuries like a panoramic sunroof that floods the interior with light, attractive seats with integrated headrests and an augmented reality head-up display that provides useful navigation instructions.

Volkswagen ID.4 dashboard

There are some cheap plastics that hint at efforts to cut cost and possibly weight, and the interior falls short of the Toyota bZ4X and Hyundai Ioniq 5. What is unfortunately still an issue, is the confusing software for the infotainment display, which measures either 10- or 12-inches in size. Even some simple tasks are now buried deep in confusing menus, and it's hard to feel it is anything but a step backwards for a manufacturer that's previously led the field in logically designed dashboards. 

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Equipment

Volkswagen has heavily cut down its range of trim levels, and at the time of writing there’s just the Match specification left, aside from the standalone top-spec GTX. Despite this it’s worth noting that choosing a different powertrain gets you a few different things as standard. While 52kWh Pure cars get 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, tinted windows and a rear-view camera as standard, 77kWh Match Pro and Pro 4Motion models also get an electric tailgate and matrix LED headlights.

The GTX version gets all the bells and whistles, 20-inch alloys, a slightly racier look, 360-degree parking camera, panoramic glass roof, three-zone climate control, folding door mirrors, a premium Harman Kardon sound system and lots of extra driver convenience and safety features such as lane-keep assist and departure warning, parking assist pro and a head-up display.

Options

If you pick a mid-spec car, it's possible to bolster its equipment level by adding packs of extras. This includes the Assistance Pack Plus, adding a 360-degree camera view, powered tailgate, illuminated door handles, keyless entry and safety features for just over £2,000. The Infotainment Pack Plus includes an augmented reality head-up display, Discover Navigation Pro and a 12-inch infotainment display for £2,200. Additional packs can also alter the car's design and even how it feels to drive.