SUVs dominate today's automotive landscape, and the shift to electric power has only accelerated that trend. The flat floor of an EV leaves generous room for battery packs beneath the cabin, making high-riding models the natural first choice for manufacturers going electric. Volkswagen seized this opportunity by engineering its dedicated MEB platform from scratch — a modular architecture flexible enough to underpin a wide variety of body styles and vehicle types.
Even so, the overwhelming majority of MEB-based cars on sale today are SUVs, with the VW ID.3, Cupra Born and ID.Buzz standing as the rare exceptions. In this article, we take a closer look at the platform's best-selling family — the VW ID.4, Audi Q4 and Skoda Enyaq iV — to uncover exactly what unites them and what sets them apart.
VW ID.4, Audi Q4 and Skoda Enyaq - the triplets
Shared foundations
All three electric SUVs are built upon the same MEB architecture, and that shared DNA shapes much of their engineering. Structural rigidity is common across the lineup, so buyers can expect comparable passive safety performance from each model. Rear drum brakes, a sophisticated five-link rear suspension and an independent McPherson strut setup with lower wishbones up front are all direct results of the identical underpinnings.
The motor technology follows the same pattern. Every rear-wheel-drive variant relies on a permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted at the back, while all-wheel-drive versions add an asynchronous induction motor to the front axle.
On the tech front, the trio runs the fourth generation of the VW Group's infotainment software together with the matching suite of connected online services. Buyers of any MEB model can also tick the box for the clever augmented reality head-up display.
MEB platform is the backbone of the SUVs from VW Group
Where they go their own way
Despite sharing a platform, each model wears its own distinct styling, and those design choices have real consequences for aerodynamic efficiency. The slipperiest of the bunch is the coupe-bodied Skoda Enyaq iV, which achieves a remarkable drag coefficient of just 0.23 — a genuine engineering accomplishment for an SUV.
The Audi Q4 Sportback and the VW ID.5 (the coupe sibling of the ID.4) come next, both recording a Cd of 0.26. Unsurprisingly, the sleeker coupe silhouettes deliver the best aero numbers in each brand's range.
Top class aerodynamics for Skoda Enyaq Coupe and its illuminated front grill
Powertrain lineups differ as well. The entry-level 109 kW motor appears only in the Skoda Enyaq iV and VW ID.4. The 132 kW option is exclusive to the mid-range Enyaq, whereas the ID.4 and Q4 instead share a 125 kW unit. For all-wheel drive, the Enyaq and ID.4 offer both 195 kW and 220 kW outputs, while the Audi Q4 limits buyers to the 220 kW variant alone. Battery availability also varies: the base 52 kWh pack is offered across all three, but the 58 kWh mid-tier option is reserved for the VW and Skoda, with Audi skipping it entirely.
Different interior philosophy among the three automakers
The cabins are where the three models diverge most dramatically, each brand stamping its own identity on the space — Skoda with its Simply Clever practicality, Audi with its premium flourishes. The VW and Skoda follow a nearly identical formula: a large free-standing central touchscreen paired with a compact 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster tucked behind the steering wheel.
Audi charts its own course, fitting a larger 10.25-inch digital cockpit capable of displaying navigation maps, embedding a slightly smaller infotainment display within the dashboard, and retaining a dedicated climate control panel — while the VW and Skoda fold those functions into the touchscreen.
Practicality figures separate them too. The Skoda Enyaq leads with 585 liters of boot capacity, ahead of the VW ID.4 at 543 liters and the Audi Q4 at 520 liters. Exterior highlights include Skoda's distinctive illuminated grille and Audi's customizable digital light signature, available when the Matrix LED headlights are specified.
Audi Q4 has a unique digital light signature thanks to Matrix headlights
The verdict
It's no accident that Volkswagen fields three closely related electric SUVs. The shared hardware keeps development and production costs in check, while the distinct designs, interiors and equipment strategies allow the group to appeal to a far broader audience than any single model could alone.
On top of that, running three variants side by side gives the company a built-in real-world comparison test that informs the next generation of products. Choosing between the triplets may require a little more homework from buyers — but having more options on the table is hardly something to complain about.
