2023 ID.4 Interior
VW hasn't tried to squeeze in a third row of seats, so most will be happy with the spacious and airy two-row cabin. The overall feel is undeniably sleek, modern, and devoid of buttons. This reliance on either touch or voice controls will require you to get familiar with the digital interfaces, which include a 5.3-inch digital driver's display known as the ID.Cockpit. We think Volkswagen tried a bit too hard to reinvent the wheel with some of the controls, and the ID.4 might have been more approachable with conventional buttons. There's also no normal gear shift lever as this has been replaced by a swivel switch situated close to the digital gauge cluster. Drivers need not hit a Start button when they enter the vehicle; just hop in, press the brake, and twist the Drive button. The base version comes with features like dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, keyless access, and pedestrian/cyclist detection. Fully power-adjustable seats and a panoramic fixed glass roof are available.
2023 ID.4 Interior Photos
Seating and Interior Space
When equipped with the optional glass panoramic roof, the ID.4's cabin feels extremely spacious and airy. The lack of an engine or transmission tunnel left the designers to create a roomy interior that feels quite near to ergonomic perfection. We found the front seats to provide plenty of comfort with slight bolstering that feels reminiscent of an R-Line model, but not as grippy as a GTI or R variant.
The ID.4 seats five adults, with rear passengers receiving 37.6 inches of legroom. This is a bit less than what's found in a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, but the ID.4's lack of a transmission tunnel means middle seat occupants will feel more comfortable. The headroom is generally spacious in both rows, and is unaffected by the optional glass roof.
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Interior Dimensions:
Volkswagen ID.4 Trims | Standard | Pro | S | Pro S | Pro S Plus |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seating | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Headroom Front Seat | 40.6 in. | 40.6 in. | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. |
Headroom Back Seat | 37.9 in. | 37.9 in. | 38.4 in. | 38.4 in. | 38.4 in. |
Legroom Front Seat | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. | 41.1 in. |
Legroom Back Seat | 37.6 in. | 37.6 in. | 37.6 in. | 37.6 in. | 37.6 in. |
Shoulder Room Front | 57.5 in. | 57.5 in. | 57.5 in. | 57.5 in. | 57.5 in. |
Shoulder Room Rear | 55.9 in. | 55.9 in. | 55.9 in. | 55.9 in. | 55.9 in. |
Hip Room, Front | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. | 54.4 in. |
Hip Room, Rear | 46.7 in. | 46.7 in. | 46.7 in. | 46.7 in. | 46.7 in. |
Interior Colors and Materials
We pointed out the entry-level Pro's limited exterior color palette earlier in our review, and there's less variety in the cabin. As standard, the interior features a leather-trimmed steering wheel and a Nutmeg interior - a brown stitched dashboard and gray cloth seats with brown leatherette bolsters. Alternatively, Stone is available - gray stitched dashboard and gray cloth seats with black leatherette bolstering. The S comes either in Galaxy - black leatherette seats with a gray stitched dashboard - or Cosmic - gray and blue leatherette seats with a blue stitched dashboard. Take note that the choice of exterior paint may affect these choices; for example, the Tourmaline Blue paint can only be had with the Cosmic interior, not with Galaxy. Despite some welcome upgrades this year, the ID.4 still has too many hard plastics and cheap finishes inside, once you look past the glitzy facade.
2023 ID.4 Trunk and Cargo Space
Behind the rear seats, the new ID.4 offers 30.3 cubic feet of space. This is much better than in any electric sedan, but some conventionally-powered crossovers like the Honda CR-V offer more space; the Honda's trunk measures 39.2 cubes. A closer competitor to the ID.4, the Honda CR-V Hybrid, manages slightly more cargo room at 33.2 cubes. With the 60/40-split second row folded, the ID.4's cargo area grows to 64.2 cubes. Tesla does not provide a specific figure for the Model Y's trunk, but says that its crossover offers 68 cubic feet of total enclosed cargo space, narrowly beating the VW. The ID.4 does not offer a 'frunk' as in some other EVs like the Model Y.
In the cabin, the ID.4 offers numerous clever storage solutions for small items. Between the seats, there is a massive storage space and a cupholder tray that can be removed or left in place. The center storage area also offers a space for your phone while it is being wirelessly charged. There are also well-sized door pockets front and rear, a usual glovebox, and rear phone pouches on the seatbacks.
2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Trunk and Cargo Space Photos
2023 ID.4 Infotainment and Features
Features
The Volkswagen ID.4's specification level starts off at a fairly high level. The entry-level Standard comes with six-way manually adjustable front seats. These seats are also heated and, along with the dual-zone climate control and ten-color ambient interior lighting, even this base model is decently equipped. VW's ID.Light function uses a strip of ambient light to indicate, for instance, whether the drive system is active or not by way of changing colors. This feature is also linked to some driver-assist functions, navigation, and charging status. Other features include wireless device charging, a 5.3-inch digital driver's display, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, keyless access, front/rear parking sensors, heated side mirrors, and adaptive cruise control. The S has all of these features along with 12-way fully power-adjustable front seats with a massaging function, a panoramic fixed glass roof, leatherette upholstery, and a heated steering wheel. The Pro S Plus gains three-zone climate control and power-folding side mirrors with puddle lights.
Infotainment
The ID.4 debuted a brand-new infotainment system for Volkswagen. The base infotainment lives on a newly standard 12-inch Discover Pro Max touchscreen, up from last year's ten-inch Discover Pro system. Both screens function like a smartphone does, and can be customized with different colors and design schemes. Should the interface not be to the driver's liking, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included with wireless capability, as well as Car-Net services, on-board Wi-Fi, and a seven-speaker audio system. Data such as speed and driver-assist information is shown on an ID.Cockpit display in front of the steering wheel.
Drivers who hate touch-sensitive controls can also talk to the car using the "Hello ID" voice prompt, but we found the responses to be slower than what we could do ourselves on the screen. Overall, we felt the lack of physical controls to be a hindrance rather than a positive feature. This is one area where Volkswagen may have been better off not copying Tesla, and it's why the German automaker has announced that physical buttons will in future return on the steering wheel and for HVAC control, for example.