How Well Does A Car Seat Fit In The ID.4?

Compact crossovers are the most popular vehicle category for newly married couples and small families. That same demographic has a high interest in EVs, particularly those with the ability to charge at home. From that, you can reasonably assume plenty of baby seats are being installed in Volkswagen ID.4s. How well do the various types of child seats fit in an ID.4? Fortunately, Cars.com tested just that, and Bud Brown Volkswagen highlights what they found. 

How the Testing is Done

This is a unique test that Cars.com performs on a variety of models. All of the tests are conducted by Cars.com editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman, who are both certified child safety seat installation technicians and moms. 

There are many car seats for many childhood stages, from newborn to an early school-age child simply in need of a booster seat to have the shoulder straps fit correctly. There are many manufacturers of car seats, of course, and the two Jennifers don’t try to test them all on each vehicle. Instead, they have chosen a well-selling seat that adequately represents the norm for each category and use the same seats for each model they test. These seats include:

• Infant (rear-facing) – Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat
• Rear and Forward Facing Convertible – Graco Contender 65 convertible seat
• Booster – Graco TurboBooster

The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter front passenger. Each seat is installed in the second row, with the booster seat behind the driver’s seat and the infant and convertible seats installed behind the front passenger seat. They will also install both at the same time to see if a third seat will fit in the middle. Needing three child seats simultaneously is not typical for most families but is not unheard of either. It is irrelevant in this case, but vehicles with a 3rd row will also have the seats installed in it. Aside from the seats, the vehicle’s latch system is judged on its own based on how easy it is to locate. Each test is graded from A to F based on the following criteria:

A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn’t impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row (when applicable).

B: One room, fit, or connection issue. Some problems accessing the third row when available.

C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access the third row when available.

D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.

F: Does not fit or is unsafe.

The ID.4 Earned an A in All Tests

Bud Brown Volkswagen is happy to tell you that the ID.4 earned a grade of A on every test. This is what they had to say about each:

Latch – Two sets of lower anchors sit under flip-down covers; they’re easy to find and use. Three top tether anchors sit on the seatback; all are clearly marked.

Infant Seat: – Connection to the lower anchors was easy, and our 5-foot-6-inch front passenger had ample legroom with the seat installed behind her.

Rear-Facing Convertible – As with the infant seat, installation was easy, and the front passenger legroom was plentiful ahead of the car seat.

Forward-Facing Convertible – After raising the head restraint, the convertible fits well in its forward-facing position. We had no trouble connecting to the lower anchors; we removed the cargo cover to better access the top tether anchor.

Booster Seat – Again, we raised the head restraint to situate the booster flush against the seatback (as it should be). The buckles are short, but they sit on stable stalks and stick up, so kids should be able to grasp and use them independently.

The Volkswagen ID.4 seats five people of all ages, is available in rear or all-wheel drive, and has an all-electric range between 206 and 291 miles, depending on drivetrain and battery size. It also sports a fantastic high-tech interior to go with its smooth, quiet, and almost maintenance-free operation. Visit Bud Brown Volkswagen to learn more about the ID.4.