VW will rename the ID.4 electric SUV as ID. Tiguan alongside a 2026 model year refresh.
Production will consolidate in Emden and continue through 2031; Zwickau production will end.
New naming slots electric models with combustion-engine counterparts for clearer market positioning.
Similar to Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen will adjust its EV naming strategy. As such, VW will rename its ID.4 electric SUV as the ID Tiguan as part of its recently evolving electric vehicle naming strategy. The updated model will adopt the new name when it undergoes a face-lift later this year, according to a statement by IG Metall, Germany’s largest union, during a press conference in Emden, where the SUV is built.
The decision signals VW’s departure from numeric designations for its EV lineup, a trend it had already begun in the recent past as it began aligning new model names more closely with its traditional combustion-engine offerings. The company has not issued an official comment on the renaming.
Volkswagen did outline its revised naming approach at the IAA Mobility show in Munich in September, when it announced the ID Polo, the new compact electric hatchback previously referred to as the ID2all. The renaming strategy is intended to simply make more sense to existing consumers familiar with VW vehicles. We also think actual names are far more enticing than alpha-numeric ones.
Volkswagen to Use Traditional Names on Electric and Gas-Powered Models Alike, Starting with ID. Polo
Production of the ID.Tiguan will continue in Emden through 2031, according to IG Metall. The model is also currently built in Zwickau, though production at that site is scheduled to be phased out. Emden will serve as the sole production facility for the renamed model moving forward.
The ID.Tiguan will receive a comprehensive refresh alongside the renaming. The facelift is expected to bring the electric SUV’s design closer to that of the current recently introduced ICE-powered Tiguan. A replacement model beyond 2031 has not been confirmed.
Source: Automotive News
