Volkswagen 2026: ID.4 Renamed, Golf Holds Strong, New Electric SUV

Volkswagen reshuffles in 2026: the ID.4 gets a new name, the Golf remains king on the used market, and a compact electric SUV appears as the ID. Cross. Here's what Wolfsburg has cooking in the coming months.

"The 2021 VW ID.4 lost 55% of its value in five years, about $22,000." — Kelley Blue Book, cited by Jalopnik

The ID.4 Transforms into the ID. Tiguan

This is the news that's been buzzing in auto press rooms lately. According to Carscoops, Volkswagen is set to rename its compact electric SUV, the ID.4, to ID. Tiguan by 2027. The idea? Ditch the alphanumeric codes (ID.3, ID.4, ID.7...) that never really clicked with the public, and bet on a name everyone knows.

The design follows suit. Prototypes spotted testing show a profile closer to the classic combustion Tiguan — less futuristic origami, more familiar SUV. Inside, the big news is the return of physical buttons, after years of touch sliders that drivers genuinely hated. Finally.

The motor will also be backed by VW's latest in-house software, already deployed on current ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7 models. Kai Grünitz, the group's technical director, promises "more performance and a better customer experience." On the menu: one-pedal driving mode, travel assist, and a vehicle-to-load port to power external devices from the car's battery.

The Used ID.4: Watch Out for the Drop

If you were thinking of buying a used 2021 ID.4 to snag a deal, the numbers partly back you up — but current owners might cry. According to Kelley Blue Book, the electric SUV lost 55% of its value in five years, about $22,000 gone up in smoke. Its resale value now sits around $15,400, with trade-in prices as low as $11,800.

KBB projects a continued drop: $12,800 by 2027, $10,800 by 2028. The reasons are familiar: fears over battery degradation, perceived software obsolescence, and the overall drop in new EV prices dragging the whole market down. At launch, Jalopnik noted the ID.4 "wasn't up to snuff" against the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-Eicle/ford-mustang-dark-horse-sc-2026-103-490-pour-le-v8-supercompresse) Mach-E, or **Volvo XC40 Rechargele/volvo-xc90-b6-ultra-2026-interieur-et-exterieur-en-detail) Recharge" — a harsh verdict, but one that partly explains this brutal depreciation.

### The ID. Cross Arrives Under €35,000?

While the ID.4 morphs into a Tiguan, VW is prepping a new entry in its electric lineup: the ID. Cross. This compact SUV will slot below the ID.4 in the hierarchy, with an estimated price around €35,000. It'll go head-to-head with the Renault Scénic E-Tech, the Peugeot EE-3008](/article/peugeot-remplace-le-puretech-par-le-moteur-turbo-100-sur-208-et-2008), or the Kia EV5 (from €44,990, with no French eco-bonus).

According to Rouleur-Électrique, the ID. Cross will be reserved for the European market and will ride on the MEB+ platform. Andreas Mindt, VW's design boss, talks about three pillars: stability, appeal, and a "secret sauce" inspired by the brand's iconic models — Golf, Combi. In short, VW wants its future small EVs to look like VWs, not tech gadgets.