VW ID.4 and ID.5 delayed for Australia, as brand chases 'sustainable' price

Australian buyers waiting on Volkswagen’s rival to the Tesla Model Y will have to hold on a bit longer.

The ID.4 and ID.5 won’t arrive until the fourth quarter of 2024, rather than in the second (current) quarter of the year as planned.

Orders for the pair will open in June or July – at which point pricing will be locked in, the brand confirmed today.

Ralph Beckmann, general manager of marketing at product for Volkswagen passenger vehicles in Australia, told media the focus is on getting pricing right to avoid big price cuts after launch.

“The key point is here to land for these cars on a sustainable, strong price point that we can keep in market,” Mr Beckmann said.

“The last thing we want to do is launch a price point, and then two months down the track have to react and discount it significantly like we’ve seen in the industry in some cases.

“It’s really paramount for us to protect our customers that are buying this product, and their residual value for the future to make sure it’s not destroyed in price point variations.”

Volkswagen confirmed it has more than 7000 registrations of interest for the ID.4 SUV, which takes on the dominant Tesla Model Y in Australia.

A number of electric cars have seen their prices slashed in Australia in the last month, no doubt factoring into Volkswagen’s calculations.

Peugeot kicked off the carnage by cutting $25,000 from the price of its E-2008 SUV, but was followed in short order by big cuts to the Polestar 2 and Nissan Leaf.

The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y were today subjected to yet another price reduction, taking their starting stickers to new lows.

What to expect from the Volkswagen ID.4

Volkswagen has locked in local specs for the ID.4, which will be sold in rear-drive Pro and all-wheel drive GTX grades.

Volkswagen earlier this year said the ID.4 – and its ID.5 coupe sibling – will fall between $60,000 and $90,000.

Both the Volkswagen ID.4 grades feature an 82kWh battery pack (77kWh usable) with DC charging capability ranging from 135kW for the Pro, to 175kW for the GTX.

The ID.4 Pro features a rear-mounted electric motor producing 210kW and 545Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds.

The ID.4 GTX gains a second motor driving the front axle, increasing its outputs to 250kW and 679Nm – good for a 5.4-second 100km/h sprint time.

Volkswagen claims driving ranges of 540km for the ID.4 Pro and 510km in the ID.4 GTX, both against European WLTP testing standards.

As standard, the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro is equipped with:

• 19-inch ‘Hamar’ black alloy wheels
• Dynamic Chassis Control
• Matrix LED headlights (with Dynamic Light Assist, which can disable segments of the main beam when oncoming traffic is detected)
• ‘3D effect’ tail lights
• Art Velour upholstery
• Power-adjustable and heated front seats with memory
• 12.9-inch infotainment screen
• Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay
• Three-zone climate control
• Panoramic glass roof with sunblind
• Ambient lighting (30 colours available)
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging cables
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-departure alert and prevention
• Surround-view camera
• Proactive occupant protection (which closes the sunroof and windows, and pre-tensions seatbelts if a crash is imminent)

In addition to these features, the ID.4 GTX adds:

• 20-inch ‘Ystad’ alloy wheels
• Sports seats with integrated headrests
• Harman Kardon sound system

A heat pump will be available as an optional extra across both variants, while metallic and premium paint is also expected to be offered as a cost option.

MORE: Everything Volkswagen ID.4 MORE: Volkswagen ID.4 review MORE: How Volkswagen will make it easier to buy and own an electric car