2023 Volkswagen ID.4 vs 2023 Dodge Durango

The Volkswagen ID.4 electric car is still relatively new to the marketplace (it debuted for the 2021 model year) but VW is already making some important updates to keep it competitive and fulfil goals set when this compact electric SUV first launched.

The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 adds a new base model and a smaller 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack alongside the carryover 82-kWh to increase affordability. VW will also begin sourcing cars for its North American dealerships from the same Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory that builds the gasoline-powered Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. The automaker has been discussing this since the ID.4 was unveiled, but at first cars for our market came from Zwickau, Germany.

The 2023 ID.4 retains single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) and dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) powertrain options, but gets revised exterior and interior styling, some software changes, and a few more standard tech features and driver aids.

The new-for-2023 base model is dubbed simply ID.4, slotting below the ID.4 Pro and ID.4 Pro AWD. We recently spent a day on a test drive with the U.S. equivalent of the ID.4 Pro AWD model, along with a shorter drive in a base ID.4 model.

The evolution of the Dodge Durango exemplifies how the Stellantis brand has evolved from a mainstream competitor to Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, and Toyota into a niche brand emphasizing muscle-car attitude.

The Durango was Dodge's first modern SUV, arriving for the 1998 model year as the brand's entry into the midsize SUV segment. The current, third-generation Durango dates all the way back to the 2011 model year. But, as Dodge has found with the Challenger coupe and Charger sedan, a vehicle's lifespan can be greatly extended with an added dose of horsepower.

The 2023 Dodge Durango lineup starts with the base SXT trim level and moves up through the GT, R/T, Citadel, and SRT 392. Changes for 2023 for Canada include standard heated front seats and heated steering wheel and some new colours (bringing the total colour palette to nine).

However, the big news for 2023 is the return of the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat and its devilish supercharged V8 engine. The Hellcat was previously available only for the 2021 model year as a limited edition, but now it's a regular production model. That being the case, the Hellcat ended up as our test vehicle for this Dodge Durango review.