It’s not an off-roader – few SUVs are – but VW says rear-drive and 21cm of ground clearance mean thew ID.4 can cope with “gentle off-road terrain”. The ID.4 is far more likely to be at home in the city and on the school run when what VW claims is a cabin as roomy as SUVs from a class up will come into its own. The room is thanks to a long wheelbase and all the batteries stowed away under the floor.
The 4.58m long five-door, five-seater’s practicality is boosted by a 543 litre boot – with standard electric tailgate – which can be boosted in normal SUV style by folding down the back seats, taking capacity to 1,575 litres. It comes with roof rails and a towing bracket: the ID.4 can tow up to a tonne.
With its plain surfacing, sculpted look and slender full-width light bars fore and aft the ID.4 comes across as pleasingly unfussy to look at. It is also a wind-cheating shape with a CD of 0.28, a key factor in maximising the range. Charging up your ID.4 for 30 minutes at a DC fast-charge public point gives enough juice for around 200 miles. A full recharge takes longer, and overnight if you plug it in to a domestic socket at home.