Here's How the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Stacks Up to the Audi Q4 e-tron
The Volkswagen ID.4 is VW’s take on a modern electric crossover for the people. Featuring nearly identical proportions to its twin, the Audi Q4 e-tron is the slightly preppier and more expensive of the pairing. With our recent review of the Q4 e-tron and a brief drive in a prototype of the 58.0-kWh-equipped ID.4 fresh in our minds, now seemed as good a time as any to go over the differences in each car. Here’s how they compare.
Motor Configurations and Power Figures
Both the ID.4 and the Q4 e-tron come in two available power levels. At the base level, both are available in a rear-drive configuration, equipped with a single rear-mounted motor providing a meager 201 horsepower. Optionally, both models can also be had with dual motors, bringing the added benefit of all-wheel drive and bumping power output to 295 horsepower. In our testing of both the single-motor and dual-motor ID.4 setups, neither produced particularly exciting performance. The rear-motor ID.4 reached 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, while the dual-motor version achieved the same in 5.4 seconds. We haven’t had the chance to do a full instrumented test of the Q4 e-tron yet, but we expect similar 60-mph times.
Michael Simari|Car and Driver
Audi
Battery Size and Range
Volkswagen offers a choice of two battery sizes to Audi’s one and delivers slightly more range. For 2023, VW is adding an additional cheaper option, a 58.0-kWh battery pack good for an EPA-estimated 209 miles of range. The ID.4 has an optional, more expensive 77.0-kWh battery, which offers an EPA-estimated 275 miles in rear-drive models, and 250 miles in AWD versions. Our 75-mph test of a rear-wheel-drive 2021 ID.4 showed a real-world highway range of 190 miles.
The Audi offers only one battery which delivers slightly less range than the similarly equipped ID.4. Audi forgoes the cheaper 58.0-kWh battery and equips the 2023 Q4 etron with the same 77.0-kWh battery found in the more expensive ID.4 models. The rear-wheel-drive Q4 e-tron provides up to 265 miles of range, while the all-wheel-drive version offers an estimated 242 miles for the Sportback body style and a lower 236 miles for the squareback.
Both vehicles feature an 11.0-kW onboard charger. Interestingly, the Audi also loses out in stated maximum DC fast-charging figures. The 58.0-kWh Volkswagen can handle up to 140-kW of DC output. The 77.0-kWh battery VW can accept a higher 170 kW of DC charging, while the Q4 is only rated to accept 150 kW.
Interior and Cargo
Inside, both cars feel distinctly like the brands they hail from. The ID.4’s interior is comfortable but understated. It features a newly standard 12.0-inch center display and a redesigned center console. The center display features touch controls also found in the current generation Golf. It also features a unique gear selector mounted to the right of the digital instrument cluster. On the other hand, the Q4 follows recent interior trends from Audi. Gear selection is handled by a toggle-style shifter mounted on a peninsula jutting out from the dash. Audi is upgrading from the 10.1-inch screen in 2022 models to a larger 11.6-inch screen angled toward the driver. Optionally, there is an augmented-reality head-up display that projects moving icons for navigation onto the windshield. Volkswagen beats out Audi purely on infotainment screen size, but we prefer Audi’s MMI.
Volkswagen
Audi
In terms of cargo space, VW claims 30 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 60 with them flat. Interestingly, due to a quirk in the EPA guidelines, the Sportback Q4 provides slightly more space than the SUV version allowing for 26 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 54 with them down. The SUV provides one less cubic foot of space for both measurements.
Pricing
The ID.4 comes in significantly cheaper at the base end, with the 58.0-kW equipped version starting at $38,790. The cheapest Q4 comes equipped with the larger battery but starts at $49,995. Optional all-wheel drive is also more expensive for the Audi where it costs $5000 in contrast to the $3800 Volkswagen charges. Getting the Audi in the Sportback form adds another $3000 to the price.
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