September 06, 2023 01:30 PM
Volkswagen will use an improved rear-drive unit to upgrade the ID4 compact crossover BEV for the 2024 model year that promises to add horsepower and boost range with improved efficiency, part of a mid-cycle refresh to the brand’s U.S.-built BEV.
The new drive unit is expected to boost upper trims of the ID4 above the 275-mile EPA-estimated range on 2023 models equipped with the vehicle’s optional larger 82-kilowatt-hour battery, VW said, though the new range estimate hasn’t been released. The base model Standard trim, equipped with a 62-kWh battery, will continue with the current drive unit, which has an EPA-estimated 209-mile range.
The VW ID4 was the sixth-best selling BEV in the U.S. in the first half of the year, and the second-highest BEV light truck, behind the Tesla Model Y, with sales up 273 percent to 16,448.
VW said models equipped with the new drive unit will boost the ID4’s power output to 282 hp in rear-wheel-drive models from 201 hp, and to 330 hp in models equipped with all-wheel drive from the current 295 hp. A VW spokesperson said the brand could not provide further details on the new performance rear-drive electric motor until closer to launch next year, when it would also have updated range estimates available.
The 2024 ID4 will also get upgrades inside the cabin, the brand said, a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen with backlit sliders and upgraded infotainment with more intuitive climate controls on the upper-trim versions. Designers moved the shifter to a stalk attached to the steering column from its previous location adjacent to the instrument cluster. The steering wheel layout was also redesigned, VW said, though it will retain the capacitive controls that brand CEO Thomas Schäfer said “did a lot of damage” to recent vehicles’ customer experiences.
Pricing of the 2024 ID4 was not announced, but the 2023 models are eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, given their assembly in Chattanooga and battery sourcing from a plant in nearby Georgia.
