VW predicts long waiting list for its ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs as well as ID.3 hatch in 2023

Speaking to CarsGuide at a preview event for the ID.4 SUV, Volkswagen’s representatives said the brand expects an extensive waiting list for its long-awaited electric range in Australia.

The ID.4 will finally launch in Australia around Q4 of 2023, having been on sale in Europe since late 2020. The order books for the car are set to open imminently, but if you’re keen on an early example you might want to get in quick as the brand predicts long wait times.

VW Australia’s communications boss, Paul Pottinger said, "There will be a waiting list for ID.4. It’s logical that there will be”.

“We can’t say how long it will be yet, we have to confirm pricing and spec. That will come soon, and we’ll enable dealers to start taking orders. We’ll know the extent of it then,” he said.

While precise pricing is yet to be confirmed, VW has been open about the dollar amount it is targeting, saying from day one the ID.4 would be pitched at a similar price-point to its current Tiguan R-Line.

The “mid-sixty thousand dollar” bracket places it in good stead to take the fight to the currently popular Tesla Model 3 ($65,500) and Polestar 2 ($63,900) although it has the advantage of being a mid-size SUV, only slightly smaller than a Tiguan.

Initial arrivals are likely to be equivalent to the Pro Performance grade overseas, sporting a 150kW/310Nm motor and 82kWh battery pack, good for a 522km driving range on the WLTP cycle.

The order books for the ID.4 are set to open imminently.

VW also said it is working on getting the ID.3 hatch here as soon as possible, despite previously communicating that the local division might have to wait for the car’s first major facelift to secure Australian units.

“It’s a bit of a moving target,” Mr Pottinger said, “But we want to get it here as early as possible.” Confirming that things were “almost changing on a daily basis” due to demand for EVs waning in Europe over increased energy prices, and an improved regulatory environment for electric cars in Australia. 

Explaining earlier in the year, VW’s head of passenger cars in Australia, Michal Szaniecki said, “We simply had to put those cars where CO2 policies exist but now, with energy prices rising in Europe and a drop in demand, it has essentially been inverted. Now markets like Australia which were second or third priority before have been brought to the front, we can now have access to those production slots.”

VW said it is working on getting the ID.3 hatch to the Australian market as soon as possible.

The ID.4 will be closely followed by its highly-specified coupe spin-off, the ID.5, and initial examples are planned to be rear-wheel drive only. The all-wheel drive dual-motor range, which launched in Europe this year, and go-fast GTX grades, will arrive at a later time.

Meanwhile, a lesser-specified model, equivalent to the Pure Performance grade overseas, was shown to media, expected to be a play for government and corporate fleets. It is slightly less powerful, with outputs totalling 125kW/310Nm and has a smaller 55kWh battery good for a 345km driving range.

VW said this more entry-grade model had garnered “significant” industry interest.

Volkswagen will open online orders for the ID.4 soon, but reiterated its commitment to dealers despite the success of its online system.

VW has said the ID.4 would be pitched at a similar price-point to its current Tiguan R-Line.

“This is about enabling dealers” Mr Pottinger said of the online order system, which came to prominence during COVID. “They understand this is a move to enable them to make more sales. It was a convenience they needed during COVID lockdowns - and the stock search feature is a part of that - it’s extra transparency for customers”.

“You can place the order online, but your first call for delivery will be from your chosen dealer.”

Stay tuned for more accurate ID.4 pricing as well as an arrival window for the ID.3 in the near future.