![]() Radio presets, be it for terrestrial or Sirius satellite (pictured below left), are convoluted to select and to program, and seemingly cannot be displayed at the same time as the radio info (a big deal for satellite). Something simple like changing a radio station? Good luck. We found the complicated stuff worked well enough. There's also no shortage of features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The graphics are slick and colorful, looking every bit as futuristic as is expected for an EV and in keeping with the interior's overall vibe. Then there's the central touchscreen, available in 10- or 12-inch sizes with broadly the same user interface. A regular driver likely would learn the ID.4’s quirks, but there’s really no benefit to any of this nonsense. Even formerly simple operations like operating electric windows or adjusting the side mirrors have a new layer of complication. This isn't the first car with capacitive touch-sensitive controls and it also isn't the first to make them tolerable. Unfortunately, in its effort to make the interior look futuristic, Volkswagen made it difficult for those of us still used to the way things work in 2021. Like other electric cars, there's no start or stop button. ![]() Sprouting to its right is a trapezoidal-shaped knob that’s the gear selector twist one way for Drive, the other for Reverse. ![]() Behind the steering wheel is a small digital instrument cluster that’s mounted to the steering column not the dash. The style is futuristic, with capacitive-touch switches, a dearth of physical knobs and buttons, and (on the 1st Edition) lots of gloss-white plastic - that’s replaced with more conventional-looking gloss black on the other trims. The ID.4’s interior and in-car technology are the most avant-garde aspects of the entire car - for better and worse. What are the ID.4 interior and in-car technology like? Otherwise, this crossover blends into the sea of crossovers that fill America’s parking lots. The most futuristic aspects of the ID.4’s look are its LED headlights and grille-less visage. Its rounded, blob-like styling takes an opposite tack from the straight edges and square-off shapes that characterize the rest of the VW lineup. The ID.4 is a completely new entry for 2021. Whether you're considering a compact crossover or an electric vehicle, the ID.4 should definitely be on your list. When you consider that electricity will cost less than 87 octane and that VW even throws in three years of free charging at Electrify America stations, its value compared to gas-only SUVs only increases. Starting at $41,190 for RWD and $44,870 for the AWD Pro version, it's eligible for at least the $7,500 federal tax credit that massively cuts the purchase price or monthly lease payment. Ultimately, the ID.4's price could be one of its biggest selling points. In terms of size, the ID.4 is typical for a compact crossover - although its cargo capacity falls well short of a Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and VW's own Tiguan, its back seat is gigantic. The dual-motor AWD version with 295 horsepower arrives later in 2021. The VW ID.4 currently is offered with a single powertrain configuration: a 201-horsepower rear motor driving the rear wheels and fed by an 82-kWh battery pack good for a range of 250 miles. It also means VW gave it a hyper-modern interior design people apparently expect, which is fine in theory, but there are also some truly head-scratching controls. At the same time, it's still an electric car, which means the ID.4 benefits from the interior packaging and driving dynamics inherent to battery-powered vehicles. Compact crossovers are wildly popular and the ID.4 largely satisfies what's expected of them. In some ways, it plays it safe: it's sensibly sized and shaped, with sufficient power and range. While its ID.3 hatchback was the first to make it into production in other markets, here in the USA, the model spearheading the charge is the new 2021 Volkswagen ID.4, a compact crossover. With soot still on its hands from the Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen is trying hard to wash it away by fully embracing an all-electric future.
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