Compare the2023 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2023 Kia Niro EV

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volkswagen ID.4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Niro EV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Niro EV doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Niro EV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Niro EV’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ID.4 has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Niro EV doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The ID.4 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro EV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The ID.4 Pro S Plus has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro EV only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the ID.4 and the Niro EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Volkswagen ID.4 weighs 596 to 1156 pounds more than the Kia Niro EV. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro EV has not been tested, yet.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Niro EV’s (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the ID.4 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro EV.

The ID.4’s optional electric motors produces 94 more horsepower (295 vs. 201) and 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 291) than the Niro EV’s electric motor.

As tested in Car and Driver the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motors is faster than the Kia Niro EV:

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ID.4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro EV:

For better traction, the ID.4 has larger tires than the Niro EV (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 215/55R17).

The ID.4’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro EV’s standard 55 series tires. The ID.4 S’ 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile than the Niro EV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Niro EV. The ID.4 S has standard 20-inch wheels.

The ID.4 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro EV doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ID.4’s wheelbase is 1.7 inches longer than on the Niro EV (108.7 inches vs. 107 inches).

The ID.4 handles at .85 G’s, while the Niro EV Wave pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Niro EV’s (31.5 feet vs. 34.8 feet).

The ID.4 has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro EV.

The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Niro EV with its rear seat up (30.3 vs. 22.8 cubic feet). The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Niro EV with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 63.7 cubic feet).

The ID.4 has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro EV has no towing capacity.

Standard trailer stability control on the ID.4 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Niro EV doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The ID.4’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro EV’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Niro EV Wave’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the ID.4 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Niro EV can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Niro EV doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The ID.4’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro EV’s projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ID.4 S/Pro S has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Niro EV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The ID.4 S/Pro S also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Niro EV.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the ID.4 has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Niro EV doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.