Volkswagen unveiled an electric SUV Wednesday that it calls “the most important launch for VW since the Beetle,” and the head of its U.S. arm recalled test driving the ID.4 up Signal Mountain.
“Last week I blasted up Signal Mountain. The driving dynamics of the car are astounding,” said Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, about the new battery-powered SUV that will be stamped “Made in Chattanooga, Tennessee” by 2022.
The compact SUV, assembled initially in Germany until an $800 million Chattanooga plant expansion is ready, is targeting buyers of Honda CRVs, Toyota RAV4s, and similar vehicles, according to VW.
“It’s a compact SUV, and there’s not an electric vehicle landing in that space,” Keogh said. “We like that dealers will have what no one else has.”
Pricing for the ID.4 starts at $39,995 for the rear-wheel-drive ID.4 Pro before a potential federal tax credit of up to $7,500, the company said during a worldwide launch of the SUV on YouTube.