Volkswagen ID. Tiguan replaces VW ID. 4

Despite only being on sale for four years, the ID. 4 is making way for ID. Tiguan in the same way the ID. 2all will become ID. Polo.

It’s a big seller, ID. 4, said the CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Thomas Schäfer. The car “has to be updated to our new design language”.

It’s not just the look either. “The ID.4 will get the MEB+ [platform], with the new battery, the cells; LFP technology and all that is coming in. It’s going to be a huge step up from today’s car.”

While the name change has not been confirmed officially, the fact that the ID. 2all became the ID. Polo suggests as much. VW numbers are being replaced by familiar names. Electric Golf will become ID. Golf.

Chief designer Andreas Mindt admitted as much: “In my opinion, you have to have names, this human element on a Volkswagen.”

Everything on the outside will be cleaner with swoopy styling, according to a VW insider. The size won’t change but expect this to look much closer to the ICE power Tiguan. Cue a light bar and sharp DRL signature for the front, with an illuminated VW badge likely. A cleaner lower section should set apart the EV from its combustion counterpart.

The sides will continue with lots of plastic cladding while at the rear the number plate will be mounted lower within the bumper rather than the bootlid.

Marked interior update too

Evidently the interior will undergo major changes, with more physical buttons for the steering wheel and climate controls. Lessons were learnt after the haptic sliders in Golf irked occupants.

Expect a lift in interior quality too. Mindt said: “The interior is soft padded.”

There are sufficient changes to consider this a new generation, according to Volkswagen.

The move to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) technology will be a “major step forward in terms of cost for [VW]” according to Schäfer, with lower list prices likely. It will be more competitive with EV6 and Ioniq 5.

While LFP isn’t as energy dense as NMC batteries, VW will add more cells using a new ‘cell-to-pack’ layout. There’s no battery frame, while three rows of prismatic cells side by side, and a cooling plate on top of the pack.

Expect 400km of range for entry-level versions, while longer range models will likely stick with NMC tech. Some versions will hit over 600km of range. A heat pump will remain an option.

Schäfer also said that the ID.3 will be heavily updated, more especially on the interior. As to the name, that’s unclear but it won’t be Golf given the Gen IX electric version of VW’s long running hatch will inherit the ID. Golf badge.