America on the Road

America on the Road


First Full Test: 2021 Volkswagen ID.4: Can you Live with an EV CUV?

July 23, 2021

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 was anointed to lead the global brand’s charge into the brave new world of electric vehicles. As a compact SUV, it is right in the midst of the world’s largest vehicle segment. And with 250 miles of driving on a charge, it takes range anxiety out of day-to-day driving. In this episode Host Jack Nerad puts the VW ID.4 through a grueling series of tests the will either prove its worth…or prove it wanting. What makes the ID.4 feel so much different than other compacts SUVs? Jack Nerad will let you know.

In the true spirit of internationalism, Co-Host Chris Teague takes a look at the China-built 2021 Buick Envision, yet another compact SUV. Almost invisibly, Buick has transformed itself from a brand that offered big, comfortable sedans to a brand that concentrates almost exclusively on crossovers. Has it been successful in making the transition? Chris Teague will let us know.

They say there’s no business like show business. So what did the pandemic do to the auto industry’s massive trade exposition, the SEMA Show? Host Jack Nerad will get to the bottom that as he interviews Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The epidemic had some very surprising effects on many SEMA companies that sell auto parts and accessory items.

A recent J.D. Power study on brand loyalty leads off the news segment. According to the world-renowned research firm, the COVID-19 had a profound effect on what vehicles American consumers bought and which ones they didn’t. We’ll have that analysis for you.

The 2021 Buick Envision is a truly international vehicle with a surprising background.