Volkswagen trades numbers for names with the new ID. Tiguan

Volkswagen is making a big change to how it names its electric cars. We managed to get used to numbers like the ID.4, but now, the German automaker is bringing back names people already know and like. The popular ID.4 SUV is getting a major makeover and a new title. Soon, drivers will see the ID. Tiguan at local dealerships.

The ID.4 first arrived in 2020 as a groundbreaking model for the brand. It was VW's first fully electric SUV built from the ground up. While it did well, Volkswagen wants to make its EVs feel more familiar to long-time fans. By using the Tiguan name, they are leaning on a brand that has sold millions of gasoline-powered units over the years. This transition starts officially with the ID. Polo launching this spring, followed by the ID. Cross and finally the ID. Tiguan later this year.

Designers are giving this new electric SUV a bit tougher look. The current ID.4 has a very rounded, smooth face to help it slide through the air. The upcoming ID. Tiguan looks more like a traditional SUV. It has a squared-off front end and a taller profile. Andreas Mindt, the head of design at Volkswagen, says the "secret sauce" for their new vehicles is a mix of stability and likability. This means the car should look sturdy but also friendly to the person driving it.

The changes continue once you open the door. Many drivers complained that the ID.4 relied too much on touchscreens and lacked physical buttons. Volkswagen listened to that feedback. The ID. Tiguan will feature a 10.25-inch screen for the driver and a 13-inch touchscreen for navigation. Best of all, physical buttons are coming back for the climate control and on the steering wheel, making it much easier to change the temperature or volume without taking your eyes off the road.

The ID. Tiguan will use an improved version of the company's electric platform, called MEB+. While we don't have the final range numbers yet, we can look at the current models to get an idea. Today's ID.4 Pro has a 77 kWh battery. In the United States, the rear-wheel-drive version is rated for 291 miles on a single charge. In Europe, using the WLTP scale, that range is rated even higher at 352 miles. The new model should perform even better.

The current 2026 ID.4 Pro starts at $45,095 in the US, and roughly $47,000 in Europe. To keep prices from climbing too high, Volkswagen might use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the ID. Tiguan, since they are cheaper to make. Keeping the price down is important because there are a lot of rivals out there, including the Tesla Model Y, the Hyundai IONIQ 5, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The battle for the driveway is getting intense. Last year, Volkswagen sold more EVs in Europe than Tesla did for the first time since 2022. VW sold 274,417 electric vehicles - a 56% jump from the year before. Meanwhile, Tesla's European sales dropped by 27%. The ID.4 was the fifth most popular electric car in Europe last year, followed closely by its smaller siblings, the ID.3 and ID.7.

Production for the ID. Tiguan is set to happen at the Emden plant in Germany. We expect to see the official debut of the car by the end of 2026. It will completely replace the ID.4 on the assembly line and stay in production until at least 2031. European drivers will get their hands on it first, with the United States following shortly after.

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