Volkswagen ID.4 - Interior, design and technology
The Volkswagen ID.4 has plenty of kit, but cabin quality isn’t the best, and the touch-sensitive controls are frustrating
Volkswagen’s MEB architecture has been developed solely for its all-electric vehicles, underpinning the ID.4 and many other VW Group cars, such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz, plus the Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq. From the outside, the ID.4 looks smart enough, with its sleek, stylish lines helping to create a premium air.
It’s a shame that this quality feel isn’t carried over into the ID.4’s cabin. The typically minimalist style that has become prevalent in so many EVs is all present and correct in the ID.4 (if a little dull), but it doesn’t feel particularly refined. Look even closer, and you’ll notice that the material quality is average at best, while the interior lacks the fizz and flair needed to set it apart from rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6. One irritation we had with the ID.4's cabin is the touch-sensitive, piano-black steering wheel-mounted controls, which are awkward to use and feel like they belong in a much cheaper car.
Buyers won’t be left wanting for standard kit, however. Leaving aside its steel wheels, the entry-level Match Pure model features LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and sat-nav, while luxury additions include heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charging function, dual-zone climate control and a heated front screen to help combat those frosty morning starts.
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Mid-range Match Pro adds Matrix LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, and an electric tailgate. The range-topping GTX has a panoramic roof, augmented reality head-up display, heated front seats, triple-zone climate control and larger 20-inch wheels.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
The large 12.9-inch central touchscreen now standard on all ID.4 models, controls virtually everything in the cabin. This also includes the climate settings, which is a frustrating design decision in our opinion.
Combined with its fiddly layout, you often find yourself making erroneous adjustments on the move. This is made worse because the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel are both far to easy to hit by accident while turning the wheel, and awkward to use when you do need to interact with them. Everything from adjusting the volume of the radio to resetting the trip computer is more of a faff than it needs to be. The facelifted ID.3 and Volkswagen Golf have reinstated physical buttons to the steering wheel, so we hope VW will take the same actions with the ID.4.
The infotainment system's loading times are quick, though—particularly with route mapping. We also like the small 5.3-inch digital dial display, which is fitted to the steering column and adjusts with the steering wheel so it’s always visible. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are convenient and useful features that work better than the built-in software.
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