The electric Volkswagen ID.Tiguan: we test-drove the successor to the ID.4 and ID.5

Farewell ID.4, welcome ID.Tiguan. Volkswagen confirms a return to traditional names for its electric models too. Following the ID.Polo and ID.Cross, the ID.Tiguan arrives as the successor to the ID.4 and ID.5, standardising the model names but, above all, introducing a whole host of new features, starting with the styling. Spotted in camouflaged form, it offers a glimpse of a design direction that breaks radically from the ID.4. Prices have not yet been announced, but the price list is expected to start at around 43,000 euros.

Whilst we await the official technical specifications for the Volkswagen ID.Tiguan, it is worth noting that its length has increased by around 10 centimetres compared to the ID.4’s 4.53 metres. In terms of styling, the camouflage does not cover the new LED matrix headlights, which are linked by a light strip running across the illuminated logo. Despite the camouflage, the lines appear less angular, with an overall design that moves away from what we’ve seen in the ID range and follows the styling direction introduced by the ID.Polo.

Developed on the MEB+ platform, the Volkswagen ID.Tiguan will be available with a 58 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery for the 190 cv rear-wheel-drive version. The 77 kWh battery, featuring nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry, will be paired with the 286 cv version and the star of our test – the all-wheel-drive, twin-motor variant delivering a total of 299 cv.

During the brief test drive, where we were able to see (despite the camouflaged dashboard) how the interior follows the design already seen on the ID.Polo – starting with the button-laden steering wheel, the physical climate controls and the 10-inch screen in front of the driver and the 15-inch screen in the centre of the dashboard – we appreciated the new suspension tuning, which improves dynamism compared to before whilst also enhancing comfort. The new ‘one-pedal’ function gets the thumbs-up; it’s ideal in town for reducing fuel consumption and increasing range, whilst the use of drum brakes on the rear axle is worth noting.