Volkswagen Confirms Cheaper ID 4 Coming for 2023 – CNET [CNET]

The new entry-level ID 4 will have a smaller 62-kWh battery.

Volkswagen will soon launch a cheaper version of the ID 4 electric crossover, the automaker confirmed Monday. Exact timing and official specs are still TBD, but this new entry-level model will help the ID 4 remain competitive against a growing crop of electric crossovers.

The less-expensive ID 4 will be powered by a 62-kilowatt-hour battery — a substantial drop compared to the current EV’s 82-kWh pack. Expect this ID 4 to use a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive arrangement, with less power and range than the existing ID 4 Pro and Pro S models. Currently, the base ID 4 Pro with its 82-kWh battery has an EPA-estimated range of 275 miles.

The 62-kWh battery option should reduce the ID 4’s starting price significantly, bringing it well below $40,000. A base MSRP in the mid-$30,000 range sounds about right, and this new version of the ID 4 will be built locally, with final assembly taking place at VW’s plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“More details regarding the locally produced MY23 ID 4 EV will be announced soon,” Volkswagen said in a statement.

Other changes to VW’s 2023 model year lineup are minor. Volkswagen will introduce a 40th Anniversary Edition Golf GTI and a 20th Anniversary Edition Golf R, and the company is making its Digital Cockpit gauge cluster standard on every single vehicle. The Passat midsize sedan also dies for 2023, making space for the new ID 4 — and future EVs — to be built in Chattanooga.