2022 Hyundai Elantra N & 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

WE TAKE ANOTHER STEP ALONG HYUNDAI'S PATH TO HIGH-PERFORMANCE IN THEIR NEW ELANTRA N... PAT GOSS HELPS US WITH SOME WHEEL REFINISHING TIPS... STEPHANIE HART GOES UNDERGROUND WHILE SEARCHING FOR A ONE-OF-A-KIND CLASSIC... AND WE CHECK OUT THE LATEST RESULTS OF VOLKSWAGEN'S EV PLEDGE: THE ID.4 PRO AWD...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: HYUNDAI LAUNCHED THEIR N PERFORMANCE DIVISION WITH 2019s VELOSTER N, A HYPER-HATCH THAT IMPRESSED US WITH ITS NIMBLENESS AND TOTALLY REWARDING DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

WELL, THIS YEAR WE'RE BACK AT THE TRACK FOR THE NEXT STEP IN HYUNDAI'S HIGH PERFORMANCE JOURNEY, THE ELANTRA N. * THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS ABOUT THE 2022 HYUNDAI ELANTRA N SEDAN THAT ARE JUST SO COOL, IT'S HARD TO EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START.

BUT, THE FACT THAT IT EXISTS IS AS GOOD A PLACE AS ANY.

HYUNDAI GAVE US ALL A SHOCK WHEN THEIR N PERFORMANCE BRAND ARRIVED 3-YEARS AGO, ONCE AGAIN PROVING THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, INCLUDING INJECTING EUROPEAN-STYLE PERFORMANCE INTO THE VELOSTER, THEIR QUIRKIEST RIDE.

NOW THAT BEEF COMES TO THEIR MOST MAINSTREAM SEDAN, THE COMPACT ELANTRA; AND IT LETS YOU KNOW OF ITS INTENTIONS AS SOON AS IT CRACKLES TO LIFE.

BUT, WHEREAS THE VELOSTER N WAS A SURPRISE, THE ELANTRA NOW HAS MUCH BIGGER EXPECTATIONS TO MEET.

MUCH OF WHAT MAKES THE ELANTRA N GO FAST COMES FROM THE ORIGINAL VELOSTER N HATCHBACK.

THOUGH, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SEDAN, HYUNDAI FOUND A FEW THINGS TO UPGRADE, WHICH HAVE ALSO NOW BEEN APPLIED TO THE VELOSTER.

THE 2.0 LITER TURBO-4 FEATURES A NEW AIR INTAKE SYSTEM, AND IS NOW RATED AT 276 HORSEPOWER, WHICH IS ONLY 1.0 HORSEPOWER MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL VELOSTER N WITH THE PERFORMANCE PACKAGE.

HOWEVER, MAX TORQUE SEES A BIGGER JUMP FROM 260 TO 289 POUND-FEET.

A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS STANDARD, BUT AN 8-SPEED DCT IS AVAILABLE, AND IT COMES WITH AN OVERBOOST FUNCTION THAT CAN DELIVER AN EXTRA 10 HORSEPOWER FOR 20 SECONDS.

NO OVERBOOST FOR US, AS OUR TEST CAR FEATURED THE REV-MATCHING MANUAL.

GOOD CLUTCH FEEL ALLOWS FOR STRONG LAUNCHES; AIDED BY POWER DELIVERY THAT DOESN'T ARRIVE IN FULL UNTIL YOU GET THE REVS UP.

WE HIT 60 IN A MORE THAN RESPECTABLE 5.4 SECONDS AND CLEARED THE QUARTER IN 14.1 AT 100 MILES PER HOUR.

AS FOR HITTING THE FULL TRACK, THERE ARE MULTIPLE DRIVE MODE OPTIONS OF COURSE, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN SETUP, AND INSTANTLY RECALL IT AT ANY TIME WITH A PUSH OF THE N BUTTON.

VERY RESPONSIVE STEERING WITH GOOD FEEL SETS THE TONE IMMEDIATELY.

THE ELANTRA N CORNERS FLAT, AND GETS THROUGH TURNS WITH SURPRISINGLY LITTLE UNDERSTEER AND VERY GOOD GRIP.

THIS IS MOSTLY DUE TO THE SPORT-TUNED ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIAL, BUT THE WIDER 245 SERIES MICHELIN PS4Ss SURELY HELP AS WELL.

SIGNIFICANT CHASSIS REINFORCEMENTS HAVE BEEN ADDED FRONT TO BACK, ALONG WITH NEW MULTI-JOINTED ANTI-ROLL BARS, AND STIFFER SUSPENSION BUSHINGS.

IT'S EASY TO KEEP GOOD MOMENTUM THROUGH CORNERS, AND THE ENGINE IS QUICK TO DELIVER POWER COMING OUT OF THEM.

BOTH SHIFTER AND CLUTCH WORKED GREAT, AS DID THE REV-MATCHING FEATURE.

AS FOR ENTRIES, BRAKES ARE NOT ONLY BIGGER, BUT GET UNIQUE PADS, AND ADDITIONAL COOLING.

WE FOUND THEM STRONG, FADE FREE, AND CONSISTENT ON TRACK.

STILL, THE ELANTRA N IS ONE SPORTY RIDE THAT DOESN'T LEAVE OUT DAILY DRIVE COMFORT, PROVIDING YOU FIND THE RIGHT SUSPENSION SETTING.

THE N SPORT SEATS ARE NOT ONLY MORE SUPPORTIVE FOR TRACK WORK, BUT BETTER ALL AROUND, PLUS, COME WITH RESHAPED BACKS THAT ALLOW FOR EVEN MORE REAR LEGROOM.

OTHER N UPGRADES INCLUDE UNIQUE STEERING WHEEL AND SHIFTER, AS WELL AS METAL PEDALS AND SILL PLATES.

HYUNDAI'S INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM WORKS GREAT AS ALWAYS, AND COMES WITH SOME UNIQUE N ELEMENTS, SUCH AS AUXILIARY GAUGE READOUTS.

THE SPLASHES OF RED TRIM LIBERALLY APPLIED OUTSIDE IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF EXTERIOR UPDATES.

AERO ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDE A FRONT LIP SPOILER, REAR WING AND DIFFUSER, SILL EXTENSIONS, UNDERBODY AIR FLOW MANAGEMENT, AND WIDER 19 INCH ALLOY WHEELS.

FOR THE STREET, GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH THE MANUAL ARE 22-CITY, 31-HIGHWAY, AND 25-COMBINED.

EARNING AN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 13.2 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH 5.9 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

REASONABLE PRICING IS TO BE EXPECTED HERE, AND A BASE OF $32,945 CERTAINLY QUALIFIES; $1,500 MORE IF YOU WANT THE DUAL-CLUTCH TRANSMISSION.

THE 2022 HYUNDAI ELANTRA N PROVES THAT THE VELOSTER N WAS NO FLUKE.

MOREOVER, THE N LETTER IS SPREADING TO THEIR SUVs TOO WITH THE KONA N. INDEED, HYUNDAI CONTINUES TO FIND NEW WAYS TO IMPRESS AS THEY EXPAND THEIR PROFILE OVER THE AUTOMOTIVE LANDSCAPE.

TURNING THEIR MOST EVERYDAY OFFERINGS INTO HIGH-PERFORMANCE THRILL RIDES HAS CERTAINLY GOTTEN OUR ATTENTION.

AS HYUNDAI'S N DIVISION HAS QUICKLY TURNED THE BRAND INTO A SERIOUS PERFORMANCE CAR PLAYER.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

* THE SPECTACULAR LURAY CAVERNS IN VIRGINIA IS A NATIONAL LANDMARK.

PLUS, IT'S SURROUNDED BY TERRIFIC DRIVING ROADS, AND THAT'S REASON ENOUGH FOR US TO VISIT THE AREA.

BUT ALSO, JUST BEYOND THE CAVES IS A LARGE COLLECTION OF VINTAGE VEHICLES THAT INCLUDES THE OLDEST CAR IN OPERATING CONDITION ON DISPLAY IN AMERICA.

SO, LET'S FOLLOW STEPHANIE HART INTO THE CAVES AND CHECK IT ALL OUT.

* Stephanie Hart: AS YOU CAN SEE THE LURAY CAVERNS ARE OTHER-WORLDLY.

IT'S EXTREMELY PEACEFUL DOWN HERE, IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND IT'S 54 DEGREES WITH 87 PERCENT HUMIDITY-- AND THERE'S A UNIQUE CAVE SMELL HERE...WHICH ADDS TO ITS CHARM.

Bill Huffman: LURAY CAVERNS IS THE LARGEST CAVE SYSTEM ON THE EAST COAST AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY RANKED 12TH IN THE WORLD.

Stephanie: EXPLAIN HOW THE CAVERNS HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME.

Bill: THE CAVERNS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING, BUT IT DOES GROW SLOWLY.

SO ABOUT EVERY 120 YEARS A CUBIC INCH WILL GROW OF ROCK, SO IT TAKES A LONG TIME.

Stephanie: THESE DAYS, LURAY CAVERNS COVERS 64 ACRES.

THE PATHWAY THAT WE FOLLOW THROUGH THE CAVERNS IS ABOUT A MILE AND A QUARTER.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE WE'RE JUST 90 MILES FROM WASHINGTON, DC.

Bill: STALACTITES HANGS FROM THE CEILING DOWN.

IT HANGS TIGHT TO THE CEILING-- THAT'S HOW I REMEMBER IT-- AND A STALAGMITES GROWS FROM THE BOTTOM UP AND IT MIGHT REACH THE CEILING.

Stephanie: ONCE, THEY MEET THEY FORM A COLUMN OR PILLAR LIKE THIS.

THIS DOUBLE COLUMN IS THE LARGEST FORMATION IN THE CAVERNS AT 47 FEET HIGH.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL!

AND THE CAVE FORMATIONS DON'T JUST LOOK PRETTY, THEY MAKE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOO.

THANKS TO HELP FROM THIS ORGAN.

DREAM LAKE IS A BIG HIGHLIGHT HERE... Bill: SURE, ONE OF OUR MAIN FEATURES IS DREAM LAKE WHICH IS A LARGE BODY OF WATER IN THE CAVERNS WHICH CREATES A PERFECT REFLECTION OF THE CEILING.

SO, THERE ARE NO STALAGMITES ON THE BOTTOM-- WHAT YOU SEE IS AN ILLUSION, JUST THE TOP, AND IT LOOKS VERY, VERY DEEP BUT AT ITS DEEPEST POINT, IT'S ONLY 18 OR 20 INCHES.

Stephanie: A DREAM COME TRUE FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF LURAY CAVERNS CORPORATION, H.T.N.

GRAVES.

AS A RESULT, HE COMBINED HIS LOVE FOR THE CAVERNS WITH ANOTHER LOVE-HIS CARS-- CREATING THE CAR AND CARRIAGE CARAVAN MUSEUM NEXT DOOR IN 1957.

THE CENTERPIECE OF THE COLLECTION IS THIS 1898 BENZ VIS-�-VIS.

IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST AUTOMOBILES ON DISPLAY IN THE COUNTRY.

AS I LEARNED, IT HAS ITS ORIGINAL ENGINE.

ROD GRAVES: THIS IS ONE GIANT PISTON RIGHT HERE AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE COMPRESSION IS REALLY GOOD IN HERE.

THIS PISTON WAS A ONE PISTON DRIVE WHEREAS TODAY WE HAVE UP TO EIGHT.

PRETTY AMAZING START OUT OF A BASICALLY FARM ENGINE APPLIED TO WHEELS.

Stephanie: A CENTURY AGO, SOME PEOPLE DROVE THIS ROLLS ROYCE SHOOTING BRAKE TO GO HUNTING.

THIS IS THE ONLY SHOOTING BRAKE PRODUCED THAT YEAR.

VERY FEW SURVIVE TODAY.

THIS 1912 METZ IS KNOWN BEST FOR ITS FRICTION TYPE DRIVE... THAT WORKS LIKE A CLOCK MECHANISM.

Rod Graves: YOU WOULD GET THE AUTOMOBILE RUNNING ENOUGH TO TURN THE DISCS.

AND SO, THERE'S VERY LITTLE FUEL INVOLVED HERE AND SOMETHING THAT COULD BE APPLIED TODAY.

Stephanie: THIS 1928 MERCEDES-BENZ MODEL S WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND HEAVIEST CARS OF ITS TIME.

FAST AND EFFICIENT, THIS HORSE DRAWN FIRE STEAM ENGINE PUT OUT FIRES IN THE EARLY 1900s.

FIREFIGHTERS BUILT UP STEAM IN THE BOILER, THEN THE STEAM MECHANISM WOULD PUMP WATER FROM A NEARBY WATER SOURCE, LIKE A RIVER, AND EXTINGUISH FIRES.

Rod: IT WAS ACTUALLY DOCUMENTED THAT IT PUT OUT A VERY TREMENDOUS FIRE WHERE MANY LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST SO LOOKING AT THAT IS HUMBLING IN ITSELF.

Stephanie: CHECKING OUT THE CARS AND CAVERNS AT LURAY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE PAST, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAKING TONS OF MODERN MEMORIES.

RESULTING IN AN OUT OF THIS WORLD EXPERIENCE!

John: WHETHER, IT'S AN OLD SET OF STEELIES OR A LITTLE CURB RASH-- WE'VE ALL DONE IT-- PAT GOSS HAS ADVICE ON HOW TO REJUVENATE YOUR WHEELS.

* Pat Goss: THERE COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO REFINISH STEEL WHEELS.

IN OUR CASE IT WAS A BAD CASE OF THE RUSTYS.

THE WHEELS ON OUR ANTIQUE TRAILER, WELL, THEY HAD BECOME RUSTED OVER THE YEARS AND WE WANTED TO MAKE THEM LOOK BETTER.

NOW, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT THAT?

WELL, THE IDEAL THING IS, IF YOU HAVE A SAND BLASTER, BEAD BLASTER, SOME TYPE OF BLASTING EQUIPMENT, BUT LET'S FACE IT: MOST OF US DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT NOR DO WE HAVE THE AIR COMPRESSOR THAT'S NEEDED TO POWER THAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT, AND EVEN IF WE DO, WE TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE THE AIR DRYER SYSTEM THAT'S NEEDED TO KEEP THE MEDIA IN THAT BLASTER FROM TURNING INTO A BLOB IN THERE.

SO, MOST OF US HAVE TO BE RESIGNED TO USING WIRE BRUSHES, ABRASIVE WHEELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

NOW, YOU CAN BUY THESE IN ANY OF THE HARDWARE STORES AND SO ON.

YOU CAN USE A BATTERY-POWERED DRILL, AN ELECTRIC DRILL-- YOU CAN USE AN AIR-POWERED TOOL.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR-POWERED TOOLS IS THEY'RE MOSTLY DIE GRINDERS AND THEY MAY TRAVEL AT UP TO 18-20,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE, SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DISC THAT YOU'RE USING IS RATED FOR THAT SPEED, OTHERWISE IT COULD EXPLODE AND YOU COULD GET SERIOUSLY INJURED.

BIG THING IS, YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, GET AS MUCH OF THE RUST OFF AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.

THERE WILL BE SOME PLACES THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE WIRE BRUSHES AND DISCS AND SO ON, BUT IF YOU USE THE PROPER TYPE OF PRIMER, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.

WE MASK OFF THE WHEEL, AND EVERYTHING LOOKS WONDERFUL WITH THE MASKING TAPE...

WHEN WE GET ALL DONE SPRAYING, WE'VE GOT SPOTS OF PAINT ON THE TIRE.

OH, BOY.

SO HERE'S A LITTLE TRICK: YOU CAN DEFLATE THE TIRE, PUSH THE SIDE OF THE TIRE DOWN, INSERT CARDS - PLAYING CARDS, INDEX CARDS, WHATEVER, LIKE WE HAVE DONE HERE.

THIS MAKES A WONDERFUL MASKING DEVICE FOR PAINTING A WHEEL.

AND DON'T FORGET, ONCE YOU GET YOUR WHEEL LOOKING ALL NICE AND SHINY AND CLEAN, YOU MUST PUT CLEAR COAT OR PRIMER OR SOMETHING ON IT, BECAUSE IT WILL LITERALLY RUST OVERNIGHT, WHEN IT'S HUMID.

AND IF YOU DO THIS RIGHT, WELL, YOU'LL HAVE SOME REALLY GREAT LOOKING WHEELS.

* Alexander Kellum: THE "FLYING SPUR" NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE UBER-LUXURIOUS SUPER-SALOON EXPERIENCE BENTLEY HAS SO ELEGANTLY CRAFTED OVER THE DECADES-- AND FOR GOOD REASON.

BUT WHAT HASN'T BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRAND UNTIL RECENTLY IS THE WORD "HYBRID."

WELL, BENTLEY BROUGHT US OUT TO BEVERLY HILLS TO SEE HOW THAT'S ALL GOING TO CHANGE WITH THE APTLY-NAMED FLYING SPUR HYBRID.

WE'VE RECENTLY SEEN BENTLEY OFFER A PLUG-IN HYBRID POWERTRAIN IN THEIR BENTAYGA SUV, AND WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO GO FULL-EV BY 2030 THE FLYING SPUR HYBRID ACTS AS THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS THAT GOAL.

IT'S POWERED BY A 2.9 LITER TWIN-TURBO V6 COMBINED WITH A 100 KILOWATT ELECTRIC MOTOR, CAPABLE OF A MAXIMUM 536 BRAKE HORSEPOWER AND 553 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

ZERO-TO-SIXTY IS ABOUT 4.1 SECONDS, WITH A TOP SPEED OF 177 MILES PER HOUR.

THE PLUG-IN HYBRID'S 18 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY IS CAPABLE OF ROUGHLY 25 MILES OF BATTERY-ONLY RANGE OR AT LEAST 450 MILES WHEN COMBINED WITH THE TRADITIONAL MOTOR.

THOSE NUMBERS MAY BE SURPRISING TO SOME, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE UNLADEN WEIGHT OF THIS VEHICLE BEING ABOUT 5500 POUNDS.

MAKES SENSE, SINCE THIS CAR IS REALLY FILLED WITH ALL THE LUXURY YOU'LL EVER NEED, BUT WHAT'S MOST SURPRISING IS THE PERFORMANCE, AND IN PARTICULAR THE ACCELERATION.

IT'S POWERFUL, IT'S INSTANT, NO DOUBT THANKS TO THE ELECTRIC MOTOR.

IT'S CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING TO KNOW YOU HAVE ENOUGH "GET-UP-AND-GO" IN SUCH A HEAVY VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT THE TRADITIONAL W12 OR V8 ENGINES THE FLYING SPUR'S DESIGN HAS WON NUMEROUS AWARDS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING OUR OWN 2021 DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST DREAM MACHINE, AND BENTLEY SAW NO REASON TO TAMPER WITH IT; THE ONLY MAJOR IDENTIFYING FEATURES ON OUR TESTER ARE THE CHARGE PORT AND HYBRID BADGING.

THE ROOMY INTERIOR FOLLOWS SUIT WITH MINIMAL CHANGES FROM NON-HYBRID MODELS.

NO OFFICIAL PRICING YET, BUT EXPECT IT TO BE NORTH OF THE BASE FLYING SPUR'S 200K MSRP.

WITH BENTLEY'S PLAN TO GO ELECTRIC BY THE CLOSE OF THE DECADE, THE FLYING SPUR HYBRID IS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS THAT GOAL.

RATHER, IT'S EVIDENCE OF BENTLEY PUTTING THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THE BENTLEY FLYING SPUR HYBRID ON AN UPCOMING EDITION OF MOTORWEEK .

John: THESE DAYS, CARS ARE CONSTANTLY IN THE HEADLINES.

SO, LET'S CHECK IN WITH LAUREN MORRISON FOR ALL THE LATEST MOTORNEWS!

Lauren Morrison: ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE GREENLIGHT, PAVING THE WAY FOR SAFER ROADS.

THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS RULED THAT AUTOMAKERS CAN NOW INSTALL FULLY-ADAPTIVE DRIVING BEAM HEADLIGHT SYSTEMS IN THE U.S. ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS STEER THE LIGHT TOWARDS THE DIRECTION YOU TURN YOUR CAR AND CAN ALSO ALTER THE LIGHT PATTERN TO AVOID BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

EUROPE HAS ALLOWED ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS SINCE 2006.

TRIPLE-A SAYS, "THAT EUROPEAN CARS EQUIPPED WITH ADAPTIVE HEADLIGHTS INCREASED ROADWAY LIGHTING BY AS MUCH AS 86 PERCENT, COMPARED TO U.S. LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS."

MAKING THE SWITCH TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CAN BE NERVE-WRACKING, BUT A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT THOSE WHO DID ARE HAPPY THEY MADE THE LEAP.

ACCORDING TO JD POWER'S 2022 U.S. ELECTRIC VEHICLE EXPERIENCE OWNERSHIP STUDY, MOST FIRST-TIME EV OWNERS ARE SATISFIED WITH THE SWITCH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SERVICE, DRIVING ENJOYMENT, AND STYLING.

AND EVEN IF BUYERS WEREN'T COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE EV, THE STUDY ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT MOST BUYERS WOULD STILL BE WILLING TO GET ANOTHER EV-- JUST A DIFFERENT BRAND, WHICH WOULDN'T BE HARD TO FIND WITH THE EV LINEUPS WE'RE SEEING.

IT'S THE END OF THE LINE FOR ONE VOLKSWAGEN MODEL, BUT JUST THE BEGINNING FOR ANOTHER.

THE FINAL VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT MIDSIZE SEDAN HAS ROLLED OFF VW'S CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE ASSEMBLY LINE.

THE PASSAT HAS BEEN SOLD IN THE U.S. FOR OVER FOUR DECADES, SOMETIMES WITH DIFFERENT NAMES LIKE DASHER AND QUANTUM, BUT WITH THE DEATH OF PASSAT COMES NEW LIFE.

VW PLANS TO BUILD THEIR ID.4 ELECTRIC SUV AT THE CHATTANOOGA PLANT.

AND THAT DOES IT FOR THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS!

John: AFTER DABBLING WITH BATTERY ELECTRIC CONCEPTS FOR YEARS, VOLKSWAGEN WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST BRANDS TO MAKE A PRODUCTION COMMITMENT TO GO FULL EV.

AND THE ID.4 WAS THE FIRST ALL-NEW DESIGN TO EMBODY THAT PHILOSOPHY; OFFERING ROOMY SUV PRACTICALITY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE.

BUT ONE THING WAS MISSING: ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

WELL, NOW IT'S HERE; SO WITH ALL-WHEEL-TRACTION NOW THE MAIN ATTRACTION, LET'S GET A GRIP!

* THIS VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 AWD PRO S IS LARGELY THE SAME COMPACT SUV WE TESTED LAST YEAR, BUT WITH ONE IMPORTANT AND MOST ESSENTIAL ADDITION: ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE.

IT COMES COURTESY OF AN ADDITIONAL 80 KILOWATT MOTOR ON THE FRONT AXLE, JOINING THE 150 KILOWATT REAR UNIT.

THE AWD CONFIGURATION USES THE SAME 82 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY, SO RANGE DECREASES FROM A MAX OF 260 TO 240 MILES, BUT TOTAL POWER OUTPUT INCREASES FROM 201 TO 295 HORSEPOWER WITH 339 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL OF THE NUMBERS, AFTER DRIVING AROUND FOR A FEW DAYS IN REAL WORLD CONDITIONS, WE FOUND WE COULD EASILY TRAVEL MORE MILES THAN INITIAL INDICATIONS; LESSENING THE RANGE ANXIETY THE MORE WE DROVE.

AND WE ALSO HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH RANGE TO GET TO OUR MASON DIXON DRAGWAY TEST TRACK FOR COMPLETE TESTING.

IT DOESN'T EXPLODE OFF THE LINE WITH THE GUT-PUNCHING LAUNCH OF MANY EVs, BUT IT DOES HAVE DECENT POWER, HITTING 60 IN 5.5 SECONDS.

WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TRACK TEST THE REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE VERSION, BUT THIS ONE FEELS CONSIDERABLY FASTER.

POWER STAYS FULL AND UNIFORM ALL THE WAY DOWN THE TRACK, WITH NO GEAR CHANGES TO INTERRUPT THE PROCESS.

SMOOTH AND STEADY, FOR A 14.3 SECOND QUARTER-MILE AT 97 MILES PER HOUR.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES GENERALLY BENEFIT GREATLY FROM A LOWER CENTER OF GRAVITY, AND THE ID.4 EXPLOITS THAT TO THE FULL.

COMBINE THAT WITH THE ADDITIONAL AWD-GRIP, AND IT REALLY DID FEEL GLUED TO THE GROUND THROUGH OUR SLALOM COURSE.

STEERING WAS VERY RESPONSIVE-- ALMOST INTUITIVE, AS IT SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD IN MIND AS SOON AS WE STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL.

THERE IS SOME BODY ROLL AND STABILITY CONTROL WILL INTERVENE IF YOU TURN IN TOO AGGRESSIVELY; BUT, THE EXPERIENCE WAS ALMOST "PORSCHE-LIKE" ACCORDING TO ONE OF OUR TEST DRIVERS.

SAFE AND STURDY FEELING IN OUR BRAKING TEST.

STOPS FROM 60 AVERAGED A GOOD 110 FEET, WITH MINIMAL NOSE DIVE AND NICE FIRM PEDAL FEEL.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE ASPECTS OF THE ID.4, AND THE BIG REASONING BEHIND IT EARNING OUR 2022 DRIVERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST EV, ARE THAT IT DRIVES JUST LIKE THE SUV YOU'RE USED TO, AND IT'S JUST AS PRACTICAL TOO.

NOT ONLY IS THERE DECENT CARGO SPACE IN BACK FOR A WIDE RANGE OF FAMILY ADVENTURES, BUT THERE'S PLENTY UP FRONT FOR ALL OF THOSE SMALL ITEMS WE SEEM TO BRING WITH US, AS WELL AS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EVERYONE TO GET COMFORTABLE.

LIKE MOST EVs, SOME CONTROLS ARE A LITTLE QUIRKY COMPARED TO WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE USED TO.

PRIMARILY THE SHIFTER, WHICH IS MOUNTED ON A BRACKET COMING OFF OF THE GAUGE PANEL, AND IS NOT CLEAR AT FIRST EXACTLY HOW TO OPERATE IT.

MATERIALS?

A MIXED BAG.

THERE ARE SOME HARD PLASTICS BUT MOST ARE QUITE NICE.

THE S IN PRO S STANDS FOR "STATEMENT," AND HELPING YOU DECLARE YOUR UPGRADED CREDENTIALS ARE LEATHERETTE-COVERED SEATS, 30 COLOR MOOD LIGHTING, AND A LARGER 12 INCH DISCOVER PRO MAX INFOTAINMENT DISPLAY.

VW'S IQ.

DRIVE SAFETY AND ADVANCED DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEMS ARE STANDARD WITH ALL ID.4s.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY MPGE RATINGS ARE 98-CITY, 88-HIGHWAY, AND 93-COMBINED; WITH AN EFFICIENCY RATING OF 36 KILOWATT HOURS PER 100 MILES.

ADDING ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS JUST THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THIS ONGOING ID.4 STORY WHICH LOOKS LIKE TO BE A REAL PAGE-TURNER; AS '22 MODELS WILL GET INCREASED RANGE AS WELL AS A MORE POWERFUL ONBOARD CHARGER.

AND COMING FOR '23 WILL BE AN ENTRY-LEVEL MODEL WITH CONSIDERABLY LOWER PRICING.

FOR NOW, AWD PRICING STARTS AT $44,870 FOR THE PRO BEFORE ANY AVAILABLE TAX CREDITS; $49,370 FOR THIS PRO S. THAT MAKES THE VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 AWD PRO THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE BATTERY ELECTRIC YOU CAN GET.

IT PROBABLY WON'T STAY THAT WAY FOR LONG, BUT TAKEN AS A WHOLE, THE ID.4 SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR FULL ON ELECTRIC SUVs.

John: WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME... WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS FUN IN BMW'S M3 COMPETITION.

THEN, IT'S A PREHISTORIC RAMPAGE IN FORD'S F-150 RAPTOR.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

FROM OUR ORIGINAL FOUR CORE PRODUCTS... LUCAS OIL HAS DEVELOPED OVER 400 CUSTOM PRODUCTS TO HELP BOTH PROFESSIONALS AND DO IT YOURSELFERS.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT LUCASOIL.COM.

LUCAS OIL, KEEP THAT ENGINE ALIVE.

TIRERACK.COM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

AND NOW, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF TIRERACK.COM.

FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOUR WATCHING PBS.