Over 93 jurors part of the World Car Awards voted for the Volkswagen ID.4 to be crowned the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) 2021. The win only adds to the German automaker's multiple victories for the coveted title in the past - four to be particular - dominating the awards in its previous years. However, it is for the first time that an electric vehicle from Volkswagen has won the prestigious honour. The Volkswagen ID.4 managed to take the title beating equally impressive contenders including the Toyota Yaris and the Honda e.
Also Read: Volkswagen ID.4 Electric SUV Unveiled
Commenting on winning the prestigious World Car Of The Year award, Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Marketing and Sales, Volkswagen Brand said, "World Car of The Year, of course it says it all. This is truly a world car because it's being sold in Europe, China, and the US, and it's something that's testifying that VW is really serious about the way to Zero, about carbon neutrality for our future business and about the transformation this company is planning in our strategy going forward. It's not only this award that we are proud of, it's also the order intake that we currently see in China, Europe and the US. It's great because it's exceeding our ambitions plan by a big margin."
The Volkswagen ID.4 is the brand's first-ever electric SUV
The Volkswagen ID.4 impressed the jurors with its contemporary design language, clever use of space and impressive functionality as an electric SUV. The offering is the second model to be built on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) platform and is the brand's first-ever fully electric SUV. The all-electric SUV also boasts sharp styling with a drag coefficient of just 0.28.
The Volkswagen ID.4 is also technologically rich and gets the IQ. Light LED matrix headlights, 3D LED tail light clusters with integrated dynamic turn signal, while sporting a clutter-free cabin that packs all the essentials. The long wheelbase of 2770 mm opens more room inside, with the sense of space contributed by the panoramic glass roof. There's also a centre airbag between the front seats that will deploy in case of a side collision.
The Volkswagen ID.4 remains extremely functional with a spacious cabin, which impressed the jurors
The Volkswagen ID.4 is powered by an electric motor that develops around 201 bhp and 310 Nm of peak torque. The electric SUV can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 160 kmph. The offering uses a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a range of 520 km on a single charge. The automaker promises the battery can be charged for a range of 320 km in about 30 minutes with a 125 kW DC fast charger.
Also Read: 2021 World Car Awards Finalists Announced
The World Car Awards are one of the most prestigious initiatives globally and witness journalists from different countries casting their votes to unanimously crown the winners every year. The awards first began in 2005 with the Audi A6 crowned World Car of the Year, followed by the BMW 3 Series (2006), Lexus LS460 (2007), Mazda2 (2008), Volkswagen Golf VI (2009), Volkswagen Polo (2010), Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Up! (2012), Volkswagen Golf (2013), Audi A3 (2014), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2015), Mazda MX-5 (2016), Jaguar F-Pace (2017), Volvo XC60 (2018), Jaguar I-Pace (2019) and the Kia Telluride (2020).
