Next VW ID 4 will be renewed rather than a facelift

Expect the next ID 4 from Volkswagen to be essentially a new vehicle rather than an overhaul of the existing model. VW sees it as an electric equivalent to the Tiguan.

ID 4 launched in 2020 and soon became one of the world’s most popular EVs.

Now this rival for the Tesla Model Y is due technical updates to bring it into line with its newer stablemates.

Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer said the 2026 ID 4 will be much more appealing. He stated: “The ID 4 is completely new inside and out. It will be a completely different car – a huge step up.”

Volkswagen wants the ID 4 to be visually similar to the upcoming ID 1 city car and ID 2 supermini (below). “We felt it needed to fit in with the new design language since it is still our most important electric vehicle in numbers,” said Schäfer.

To stay competitive, Volkswagen felt they had to bring out something virtually all new.

Evidently the second-gen ID 4 is referred to within the group as the ‘electric Tiguan’, making the two seem like sibs. 

Whether or not the firm continues with the ID 4 name or decides to call it the electric Tiguan is unclear. Management has said in the past it wants to hold onto important nameplates like Golf and Tiguan. 

An electric Tiguan equivalent is key to the future of the group as the ICE power SUV is Volkswagen’s most popular car globally.

Volkswagen technical development chief Kai Grünitz recently said that both ID 4 and ID 3 will adopt the new design language of the ID 2all concept. It will give ID 4 a new squatter family look. 

Inside, both ID 3 and 4 will feature a fully revised interior, with a new dashboard and user interface. Buttons and knobs will  replace unloved sliders.

There will be a conventional knob for the volume control too.  

Technical details of the facelifted ID 3 and ID 4 have yet to be revealed . Expect newer, more advanced electric motors and more modern battery and inverter technology.

ID 4 should arrive in H2 of 2026. It is thought that the ID 5 will not be renewed. 

VW wants to erase the image of its earlier EV efforts that had diappointing build quality, software and user experience in the first-gen MEB vehicles.

With the three new small EVs from the group, the ID 2, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq, VW wishes to extend the lifespan of the current 400V models. It wants the group to remain top of Europe’s EV sales charts. Its next-generation 800V SSP platform is due out in  2028.

Before the arrival of the new ID 3 and ID 4, Volkswagen will use the Munich motor show in September to preview its ID 2X. A raised crossover version of the ID 2, it is due on sale in 2027, taking on Jeep Avenger and Peugeot e-2008.