The first facelift for the Volkswagen ID.4 may be critical. Competition is ramping up like never before, with alternatives from Ford, Tesla, and Hyundai undercutting the ID.4 (which used to start at $39,995 but now costs no less than $45,095 before destination). While we don’t yet know if VW is planning to reintroduce a more accessible trim for the 2027 model year’s facelift, insiders say this won’t be just a facelift but such a major update that it’s practically a fresh take on the compact electric crossover, which appears to explain the significant styling alterations coming to the car internally nicknamed the “electric Tiguan.” It’s even rumored to adopt the ID. Tiguan name. Not only will the ID.4 get sharper looks, but with better underpinnings and tech, not to mention a real name, it might be able to justify its higher price point.
2027 ID.4 to Look a Lot Less Electric, a Lot More “VW”
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The new ID.4 will get both a facelift and a Brazilian butt lift, with restyled lighting and more aggressive bumpers at each end of the compact SUV. The headlight clusters will be larger and less rounded, losing soft edges in favor of angular lines. The headlights will remain connected by a full-width LED strip (some EV trends may never die), though it appears each cluster may retain the pulled-back outermost upper element of the current ID.4 and other Vee-dubs. The main one it needs to resemble is the upcoming ID. Polo, which has even sharper cosmetics thanks to Andreas Mindt, but may also get a significantly inflated price. That also means the ID.4’s rear end will retain a full-width bar, but look beyond the camouflaging decals, and the new setup is more rectangular, sharper, and less drooping. Naturally, the side profile looks unchanged, but that doesn’t mean it’s the same car.
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According to our spies, the ID.4 facelift will be built atop a revised MEB+ architecture with modern battery cells, including Lithium Iron Phosphate, which would typically have lower energy density than the ID.4’s current liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion, or Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery type, but is more durable, less harmful to the planet, and safer. With newer tech, the updated ID.4 should be more efficient and have a longer range estimate. The powertrains themselves, however, reportedly only need minor updates. Inside, however…
2027 ID.4 Cabin Shows Volkswagen Listens and Learns
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Although we don’t have any photos just yet, the next ID.4’s interior will be proof that VW listens to its customers, and we mean that in more ways than one. Not only will the cabin finally get physical buttons on the steering wheel and switches in the center console, as customers have long wished for (another reason to laud the ID. Polo), but new software will bring with it a revised IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT. The new software will also allow battery preconditioning (which wasn’t possible on pre-2024 ID.4s) and, on a fun note, the ability to select retro gauge clusters, like those from a Mk. 1 Golf. With all these positive revisions, let’s hope Volkswagen has the bandwidth for one more, a characteristic that endeared so many fans to the brand in the first place: a price we can all afford.
