2023 VW ID.4 U.S. production start price drops to $38,790

Volkswagen promised a lower starting price for its ID.4 electric crossover once production begins in the U.S., and the company delivered, albeit with a smaller battery pack.

VW announced Thursday a starting price of $38,790 for the 2023 ID.4, which will hit dealerships in the fall. This is down from a starting price of $41,955 for the current German-sourced 2022 ID.4. Both prices include destination.

The starting price for the 2023 model is for a new base grade called the ID.4 Standard, which has a smaller 62 kwh battery, whereas the 2022 base grade ID.4 Pro has an 82 kwh battery.

With a single 201 kwh motor in the rear, the ID.4 Standard has an estimated range of 208 miles. The ID.4 Pro with the same motor has an EPA-estimated range of 275 miles. The ID.4 Pro can also be configured with dual-motor all-wheel drive, which increases peak power to 295 hp but reduces the range to 255 miles.

Note that the starting price of the ID.4 Pro has increased for the 2023 model year. They start at $43,790 for the single-motor version and $52,590 for the dual-motor version.

Though a base grade, the ID.4 Standard comes with 19-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry, and voice activation. The digital meter cluster is 5.3 inches.

All 2023 ID.4 grades will receive subtle styling updates, including gloss black accents on the front mask, new available wheel patterns, and illuminated VW logos on select grades. In addition, a 12.0-inch infotainment screen is standard on all models (previously standard was 10.0 inches), and new interior trim materials are available on all models.

VW's IQ.DRIVE suite of electronic driver assistance features will also be standard on all grades, and useful items such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and, new for 2023, park assist with memory parking and cyclist detection will be added.

All grades of the ID.4 will continue to include the Plug and Charge feature, which allows the charging hardware and network to quickly recognize the vehicle and pass on billing information without having to go through additional cards, fobs, or app authorization. vw will also offer three-year Electrify America, which includes a 30-minute DC fast-charging session.

Production of the ID.4 began in July at the VW plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. This brings production of the small electric crossover to three continents, excluding Europe (Germany) and Asia (China).The ID.4 is the most popular EV of all Volkswagen Group brands, with more than 190,000 units sold worldwide since its launch in late 2020.