The Volkswagen ID.4 is about to get a massive makeover: Here’s a sneak peek

The ID.4 is due for a makeover for the 2026 model year, including a fresh new look and several upgrades. After Volkswagen unveiled the electric version of its best-selling SUV on Monday, we are getting a better idea of what the new ID.4 will look like.

The 2026 Volkswagen ID.4 will get a makeover and more

Volkswagen introduced the ID.Cross concept at the Munich Motor Show on Monday, the all-electric counterpart to its top-selling T-Roc SUV.

It’s part of Volkswagen’s new affordable EV lineup, which will include the ID.Polo and the production version of the 20,000 euro ID.1.EVERY1.

“Our goal for the next five years is clear: By 2030, we want to establish ourselves as the leading high-volume manufacturer for pioneering technology,” Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer said at the IAA Mobility 2025 in Germany.

Those plans include updating its current ID lineup to align it with the new look. After unveiling the ID.Cross, Volkswagen head designer, Andreas Mindt, said the new look will “characterise every new Volkswagen in the future.”

As Mindt calls a dash of “secret sauce,” Volkswagen drew inspiration from its icons, including the Golf and minbus.

The new design is based on three cornerstones: stability, likeability, and secret sauce. Volkswagen’s upcoming electric vehicles will feature few character lines and new front and rear end designs. With added graphics and a 3D light signature, Mindt said the car looks like it’s smiling.

According to Autocar, the 2026 Volkswagen ID.4 is known internally as the electric Tiguan (or ID.Tiguan?), and it will feature a similar look as part of a drastic makeover to the ID series.

Schäfer told Autocar that “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,” adding, “Why would you let them go?”

The new ID.4 will look more like the ID.2 with “a lower and squatter stance,” Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen technical development boss, said.

It will also undergo an interior overhaul, featuring a new infotainment system and layout. One of the biggest changes will be the return of physical buttons, as shown in the ID.2all concept.

Volkswagen has yet to reveal range or other final specs for the updated ID.4, but it’s expected to feature slightly more range and power with recent battery and motor improvements. The updated ID.4 will arrive later next year, following the ID.3, which is set to launch in the second quarter.