Volkswagen has announced that series production of its first all-electric SUV, which is based on the ID Crozz concept, has begun at its Zwickau plant in Germany. Volkswagen brand boss Ralf Brandstatter was present to watch the cars emerge from the production line. While the Volkswagen ID.4 will go on sale in international markets late next month, its India launch is expected by 2021.

• Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV production begins
• VW India is expected to bring the EV to India in 2021
• To be priced higher than the current crop of EVs in India

What is the Volkswagen ID.4?

The ID.4 is the production version of the ID Crozz concept, which was on display at Auto Expo 2020. This e-SUV, which will also be built at VW factories in the USA and China, is the second model built on the VW Group’s MEB electric platform, following the ID 3 hatchback.

Slightly larger than say a Hyundai Tucson or Volkswagen’s Tiguan, the VW ID.4 is 4,592mm long, 1,852mm wide and 1,629mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,765mm – these details, along with undisguised images of the all-electric SUV were released via leaked VW filings to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Brandstätter had stated earlier that initially the ID.4 will be sold with a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive, with a more powerful twin-motor, four-wheel drive layout will be offered within the first 12 months of sales.

The Volkswagen I.D. Crozz concept that was showcased at February’s Auto Expo had an 83kWh lithium-ion battery. A 102hp/140Nm electric motor at the front and a 204hp/310Nm electric motor at the rear deliver a combined 306hp and 450Nm of torque. VW claimed a 500km range on a single charge and a top speed limited to 180kph. Expect this powertrain to power the more expensive versions of the all-electric SUV. Meanwhile, the rear-wheel-drive ID.4 is expected to just have the 204hp/310Nm electric motor.

Fast-charging will allow the battery pack to be charged to 80 percent within 30min on a 125-150kW system.

Volkswagen ID.4 for India

Just days before the Auto Expo, Juergen Stackmann, member of the board of management for sales, marketing and after-sales for Volkswagen, confirmed the German brand is actively considering bringing electric cars to our market. We had learned then that it was the ID Crozz concept-based SUV that would make it here. It was only in March 2020 that we got a first glimpse of the production-spec model and found out it would be called the ID.4.

The VW ID.4 will be a niche product considering electric cars in India are relatively costly and the charging infrastructure is yet to fully develop.

Currently, there are just four all-electric models on sale in India – the Tata Tigor EV (Rs 12.59-12.91 lakh), Nexon EV (Rs 13.99-15.99 lakh), Hyundai’s Kona Electric (Rs 23.72 lakh) and the MG ZS EV (Rs 20.88-23.58 lakh). Volkswagen’s ID.4 will be priced higher than the aforementioned models when it arrives sometime next year.

All prices, ex-showroom, pan-India