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Will Volkswagen's ID.4 electric SUV crack the mainstream at this price? VW alludes to what its Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 rival might set you back when it arrives in 2023

Volkswagen aims to crack mainstream success with its ID.3 and ID.4 pair, alluding to keen starting prices in Australia.

Volkswagen Australia has set a target price for its incoming ID.4 electric SUV, which is due to arrive in 2023, and it might be more affordable than you think.

“With ID.4 we’re looking at around the same price as [Tiguan] R-Line” explained brand communication boss, Paul Pottinger.

For reference, the R Line has just launched at either $53,790 (MSRP) for the petrol 162TSI, or $55,290 (MSRP) for the diesel 147TDI.

At that price, the ID.4 could reasonably undercut its key incoming Ioniq 5 rival, which looks to start in the low- or mid-sixty thousand region when it launches later in 2021. Kia has yet to confirm its version, the EV6, for our market altogether, but it looks to start above Hyundai’s first dedicated EV effort internationally anyway. This is not to mention smaller EVs already on the market from both automakers like the Hyundai Kona Electric (from $62,000), Kia Niro EV (from $62,590) or the popular Tesla Model 3, which starts from $62,900.

Mr Pottinger clarified that that mid-to-late fifties starting price would be for the most entry-level version, which sports a 45kWh battery pack and 110kW motor good for a 330km driving range under WLTP measurements. Interestingly the ID.4, which launched in Germany earlier this year, starts from the equivalent of A$58,296 in its home country.

VW wants its ID.4 electric SUV to be a mainstream offering instead of just a token EV. VW wants its ID.4 electric SUV to be a mainstream offering instead of just a token EV.

While there are also 58kWh and 77kWh versions sporting 150kW motors internationally with much greater ranges, this mid-fifty-grand starting range would make VW’s ID.4 a keenly placed EV in Australia’s marketplace. A similar range is currently offered by Nissan’s updated Leaf e+ ($60,490, 385km range) and Hyundai’s Ioniq ($53,010, 311km range), although the Volkswagen is a much more desirable shape and size, slotting just below the petrol-powered Tiguan mid-sizer.

The brand has also said the SUV's ID.3 Golf-sized hatch sibling could cost as low as $45,000 back when it was initially revealed in 2019 with cost being quoted as one of its key competitive advantages.

Charging-wise the ID.4 and ID.3 utilise the popular Type 2 CCS port and can charge at up to 11kW on AC power or 125kW on DC power depending on variant.

Real competition for the ID.4 could come in the form of the RAV4-sized Toyota Bz4X, although Toyota Australia said that its electric SUV will be “expensive” when it comes to Australia, some time in late 2022 or 2023, with the brand placing its mid-term goals more in the hybrid camp.

While VW is keen to finally introduce its plug-in hybrid range in Australia due to potential fuel quality improvements, Mr Pottinger was confident in the brand’s apparently price-led EV rollout plans.

“When ID.4 launched internationally, the messaging was that this is a mainstream vehicle. We’re not going to have ‘an EV’ we’re going to have an entire range,” he said.

The ID.4 appears to promise healthy range and fast charging at a modest price. The ID.4 appears to promise healthy range and fast charging at a modest price.

The brand plans to launch its electric range in 2023 with not only the ID.4 small-to-mid-size SUV, but also the ID.3 hatch. A larger, more Tiguan-Allspace-sized ID.6 was also recently revealed in China, but it is a joint-venture derivative, likely to be similar in shape and design to any international model which Australia is destined to receive.

Stay tuned as we inch closer to the VW’s EV rollout plans, currently slated for 2023.