Volkswagen Drops Another ID.4 Teaser Ahead of Reveal
Electric vehicles are sometimes looked upon as being unable to do what internal-combustion engine vehicles can do.
That’s mostly because until recently, ranges haven’t been on par with ICE engines.
But don’t conflate shorter ranges with lack of ability.
Take the Volkswagen ID.4, for example. Set to be revealed later this month – on September 23, to be precise – the battery-electric crossover can do some light towing.
Up to almost 5,000 lbs.
The official number is 4,900 lbs./1,900 kg. That’s a tad less than Tesla’s Model X SUV (4,960 lbs.) but more than the Jaguar I-Pace (1,653 lbs.).
Yeah, I know. Earth-shattering news! This is just part of the usual dribs and drabs of OEM-approved “leaks” ahead of a debut, meant to tease the new vehicle. We might not even spend the time on a blog post if it today wasn’t such a slow news day that we’ve been wondering if the entire industry just extended Labor Day into an entire week.
This is a big month for VW, though, as the ID.4 will be launching along with a new compact SUV meant to slot below the Tiguan in size. So stay tuned for more details – and perhaps more leaks – if the ID.4 is on your radar.
The 23rd is just 12 days away, after all.
[Image: Volkswagen via YouTube screenshot]
Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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This fellow's review of the ID.4 was pretty positive: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfdmohiNhLg&feature=emb_rel_end" The car's looks are a bit plain (like all VWs these days), but the interior seems pleasant. And it's RWD.
This will likely be my next car. Maybe. Assuming I'm still employed. This one isn't made for, or in, China. It's too big. In fact, in a couple of years they'll be built in Tennessee. I think the first year or so might be made in Germany? The ID.3, however, is the right size for the China market. I'd rather have a sedan, honestly, but this will come more quickly and has the towing capability for the odd trip to the big-box hardware store. After reading/watching all of the info on the ID.3, which is essentially the same car inside and out with minor changes, the only real downsides are the capacitive sliders for temperature and volume control. Ugh. I'm not a huge fan of the gear selector, but I can deal with that. Volkswagen's ID.x line may or may not be "Tesla killers," but that's not the point. Musk said early on that his goal was to bring electric cars to the forefront, not to rule the world. That said...Tesla better up its game. Hopefully I can get one with the range I want and still have cloth seats. Can't wait. When the time comes, I'll have a lightly used, adult-owned 2018 Accord Hybrid up for sale. It's one of the best cars I've ever owned. (tied with my 2002 F-150 and a 2014 Accord LX with a manual)