Camouflaged prototype of Volkswagen’s future electric SUV. The ID. Tiguan name is unconfirmed. Photo: Auto Express

The Volkswagen ID.4 could become ID. Tiguan after a wide-ranging update

Volkswagen is preparing a major revision of the ID.4, and the changes could be large enough for the electric SUV to receive the name ID. Tiguan. The information is backed by Auto Express on the basis of prototypes caught in testing and talks with brand representatives, but Volkswagen has not officially confirmed the new designation.

What is certain is that the ID.4 will continue to be produced at the Emden plant after the facelift. The German manufacturer included this decision in the agreement on the reorganisation of its factories. The commercial name, technical specifications and launch timing remain, by contrast, unannounced.

Why Volkswagen might drop the ID.4 name

Volkswagen has already started using familiar names for the new generation of electric cars. The ID.2all concept became ID. Polo, and the strategy suggests that numerical designations could gradually be replaced with ones familiar to the public.

Tiguan is a logical choice for an electric SUV of comparable size to the ID.4. The model with combustion engines and hybrids is one of the brand’s most important cars: at the presentation of the current generation, Volkswagen said that from 2007 to 2023 7.6 million examples had been built.

Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen brand CEO, did not confirm the ID. Tiguan name when asked about it at the 2025 Munich Motor Show. According to Auto Express, his reply was that the designation remains speculation. ID. Tiguan must therefore be treated as a probable name, not as an officially launched model.

A straighter exterior and elements taken from the new ID models

Prototypes photographed in testing keep the basic proportions of the current ID.4, but show a much-modified body. The front has more clearly defined headlights and a light bar that crosses the closed grille, and the Volkswagen badge is expected to be illuminated.

The sills, bumpers and side surfaces appear straighter than those of the current model. At the rear, the lighting signature approaches that used by ID. Polo and ID. Cross. The changes aim to give the SUV a more robust presence and a clearer visual link with Volkswagen’s new electrics.

Images published so far by the motoring press include photographs of camouflaged prototypes and editorial renderings. Volkswagen has not yet presented official photographs of the production version, so visible details can change before the debut.

Restyled Volkswagen ID.4 prototype photographed from the rear

Camouflage hides some of the body and tail-light details. Photo: Auto Express

The interior is meant to correct one of the main criticisms of the ID.4

The update is expected to bring a rebuilt dashboard and the return of physical controls. Prototypes indicate conventional buttons on the steering wheel and a climate-control area easier to use than the touch surfaces on the current generation.

Andreas Mindt, Volkswagen’s design chief, has previously acknowledged that the touch solutions introduced on the Golf 8 affected customer satisfaction. The new ID. Polo, ID. Cross and ID.3 Neo already show the change of direction: simplified interfaces, revised materials and more functions accessible without swiping capacitive surfaces.

Interior of the restyled Volkswagen ID.4 prototype, partly covered

The prototype interior is partly covered, but shows the steering wheel with physical buttons and the central screen. Photo: Auto Express

Auto Express cites a Volkswagen source according to which the scale of the transformation would be comparable to the move from Golf 5 to Golf 6. The two generations had a similar technical base, but the changes to design, interior and refinement were large enough for Volkswagen to treat them as distinct models.

The MEB+ platform and possible batteries

The future SUV is expected to use an evolution of the current architecture, known as MEB+, not the SSP platform scheduled for the end of the decade. Volkswagen has not published the motor and battery range of the updated model.

The British press estimates that the offer could follow the example of the new ID.3 Neo. That car is available with net batteries of 50, 58 and 79 kWh, outputs between 125 and 170 kW and WLTP range of up to 630 km, depending on version. These figures cannot be transferred directly to a larger, heavier SUV.

For the ID.4 successor, rear-drive and dual-motor variants are likely, but Volkswagen has not confirmed them. Likewise, a 58 kWh LFP-chemistry battery is mentioned by Auto Express as a possible solution for the base version, not as an official specification.

What we know about production and launch

Volkswagen has confirmed that the Emden plant will continue to produce the ID.4 after the facelift, alongside the ID.7 and ID.7 Tourer. The wording used by the company matters: the official statement still talks about the ID.4, not ID. Tiguan.

The company has not announced a presentation date. The advanced state of the prototypes suggests the debut is approaching, but any timetable published before Volkswagen’s statement remains an estimate.

What it means for buyers in Romania

The current ID.4 remains available in the Volkswagen Romania configurator, where the base version is listed, at the time of writing, from about €39,945. This price belongs to the model now on sale and does not say how much the future ID. Tiguan will cost.

For a buyer considering a new electric SUV, the change could bring three practical advantages: an interface easier to operate, updated batteries and electronics, and a cabin with improved materials. Until the official presentation, range, charging speed or the price difference versus the ID.4 cannot be assessed.

Frequently asked questions

Has ID. Tiguan been officially confirmed?

No. Volkswagen has confirmed the ID.4 facelift, but not the name change to ID. Tiguan.

Is it an entirely new generation?

Available information indicates a very extensive update of the current ID.4, carried out on an evolution of the MEB platform. There is no confirmation of an entirely new car on the SSP platform.

Will there still be a Tiguan with a combustion or hybrid engine?

Yes. A possible ID. Tiguan would complete the electric range and does not imply the immediate withdrawal of the current Tiguan with conventional and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

When will it arrive in Romania?

Volkswagen has not communicated a launch date, prices or versions for the Romanian market.

Sources