Just a few days ago, our spies in Europe sent us photos of a “refreshed” Volkswagen ID.4 with a conspicuously large number of visible changes to the the body structure. Such things are uncommon for mid-cycle updates, and we said as much when we shared those images with you. Why would VW go to such lengths to update an EV in a sales climate showing renewed hostility toward electrification? Well, thanks to Automotive News, we may have the answer: It looks like the the ID.4 is getting a branding overhaul and will emerge as the Tiguan EV—or, to be more precise, the ID Tiguan.
VW is reportedly making the change in hopes that using a more-traditional model name for its compact electric crossover will better resonate with customers on an emotional level. That’s a pretty highfalutin way of saying that “ID.4” is boring and soulless, but either way, we’re not inclined to argue.
But while the re-branding effort helps us make sense of Volkswagen’s forthcoming updates to the ID.4’s sheet metal, it also prompted us to look at the prototype with fresh eyes. Do these changes make more sense now that we know that Volkswagen plans to rebrand it entirely?
Above left is a 2024 ID.4; above right is the updated prototype we saw earlier this week. The bottom image is of the 2025 Tiguan we drove last year. We can see some Tiguan-esque manipulation in the side profile. The new mirrors appear to be lifted directly from the gas car, for instance, and the prototype also has the same, old-school pull handles found on the Tiguan (versus the flush-fitting flap style on the ID.4). Note that the charge port on the ID.4 has not moved; the image of the production 2024 car has simply been mirrored.
If you look carefully at the nose of the prototype, you can see light bleeding out around decals that are likely covering up headlights designed to match the Tiguan’s. We can also see that the divider between the upper and lower bumper is more pronounced—another nod to the gas model.
Will these changes make for a convincing rebrand? We’ll keep our eyes on this to see how it progresses.
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