2026 Volkswagen ID.4 Will Usher In a New Generation for the Compact SUV
Along with getting a complete overhaul, according to a new report, the compact electric SUV could adopt a new name to market it as the Tiguan’s electric counterpart.
The Volkswagen ID.4 will be overhauled for a new generation with the introduction of the 2026 model year, according to a report by Autocar.
Speaking to the U.K. publication, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer called the redesigned compact electric SUV “a huge step up.”
The report also suggests that the redesign could see VW drop the ID.4 name and instead refer to the model as the Electric Tiguan.
The Volkswagen ID.4 is practical, it’s comfortable, and it’s got an attractive starting price, but the current generation is starting to show its age. With that in mind, the ID.4 is reportedly about to get a facelift, and it will be major enough that the 2026 model may as well be considered a new generation, according to a new story from Autocar.
Speaking to Autocar about the upcoming redesign, Volkswagen’s CEO of passenger cars, Thomas Schäfer, called the new ID.4 “really beautiful.” Schäfer suggested that the redesign will put the ID.4’s looks more in line with those of the upcoming ID.1 and ID.2, both of which are headed for Europe. “We felt it needed to fit in with the new design language going forward, since it is still our most important electric vehicle in numbers,” he said.
Schäfer also hinted at just how much work has been done to overhaul the compact electric SUV. “We’ll redo the ID.4 completely inside and out. It will be a completely different car—a huge step up,” he said. “It’s also to stay competitive for a while: let’s [bring] a completely new one.”
In fact, the changes could be headed for more than just the sheetmetal, with Autocar reporting that the ID.4 name may be dropped in favor of calling the SUV the Electric Tiguan. The name change hasn’t been confirmed, but it wouldn’t be totally out of the blue. Schäfer previously suggested to Autocar that it would be foolish of the brand not to cash in on its historical names.
“We’ve decided we’re not going to throw away the traditional, successful names that have carried us for so long, that we’ve invested in for so long, like Golf and Tiguan. Why would you let them go?” Schäfer asked the outlet.
