Volkswagen Id.4 News

Volkswagen Australia has moved to shake up its mid-size ID.4 pure-electric SUV with a bigger battery in the entry-grade, new onboard features, revised controls and upgraded active safety systems for the 2027 model year. Even as local electric vehicle (EV) sales boom, the ID.4 remains a sales minnow, recording just over 1300 registrations to the end of September this year compared to the heavy-hitting Tesla Model Y sitting on 35,930 units for the same period. So, to improve the EV’s value-equation and boost sales momentum, while adding $1000 to the before on-road costs price VW has upped the standard specification with its new, in-house-developed Innovision multimedia system (with satellite navigation), physical steering wheel controls, expanded driver assistance technologies and enhanced personalisation features across ID.4 Pro and ID.4 GTX models. The Innovision system is managed through a 12.9-inch touchscreen with nav functionality including a new-gen version of the brand’s ID. Light system, which provides guidance prompts at the base of the windscreen, including animated directional cues for upcoming turns. The MY27 updates bring an increased gross battery capacity of 84kWh for the ID.4 Pro (up from 82kWh) with the official range figure rising marginally from 544 to 546km. The ID.4 GTX retains its 82kWh pack. VW has responded to calls for physical adjustment of commonly-used features, replacing widely unloved touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel with conventional buttons for functions like audio volume, cruise control and phone connection,   At the same time a new ‘Driving Experience Selection with Atmospheres’ set-up allows personalisation of the cabin through coordinated adjustment of a range of comfort and convenience settings. The car’s ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) suite has also been expanded to include: Traffic sign recognition Front cross-traffic assist Proactive Occupant Protection System Predictive Speed Limiter Enhanced Area View Surround-view Camera System The Predictive Speed Limiter works in conjunction with the car’s adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition to automatically adjust vehicle speed in response to changing limits.  The upgraded VW ID.4 is available now and announcing its improved specification Volkswagen Australia Brand Director of Passenger Vehicles Piergiorgio Minto said, "The MY27 updates introduce a meaningful range of enhancements across technology, safety and personalisation, further strengthening the appeal of the ID. 4 range for Australian customers.”

We now know the truth about how long a car battery will last. Austrian battery diagnostics specialist Aviloo has worked out which vehicles perform best when it comes to an EV battery’s state of health (SoH) over time and distance. In its 2026 Certified EV Battery Report the company has analysed more than 500,000 Aviloo ‘Flash Test’ results from 2022 to 2026 across 20 high-volume electric car models in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia to determine the best performers. The flash test is a three-minute diagnostic check that assesses the health and performance of an electric vehicle's high-voltage traction battery. Rather than registering a value reported by the car's on-board battery management system, the flash test “independently calculates SoH using a statistical model trained on hundreds of thousands of comparable used vehicles, factoring in mileage, age, (charge) cycle count, cell voltage spread, energy counters and other diagnostic signals.” In releasing its results Aviloo made the point that, buyers of used internal-combustion cars rely on odometer readings and service records, but was not the most accurate way to tell an EV battery's state.  “The battery is the single most expensive component of an electric car, and the one with the widest variation from vehicle to vehicle. “Two used electric cars with 50,000 kilometres on the odometer might present in what appears to be identical condition but can differ by up to 10 percentage points in battery SoH,” it said. The data reflects three mileage milestones (50,000, 100,000 and 150,000 kilometres), identifying the SoH range covering 99 percent of all independently tested vehicles of that model.  The company made the point, “Battery health varied within each of the 20 models tested, between models and, above all, between individual vehicles of the same model. An average per model therefore says little about a specific car. "SoH can vary by up to 13.5 percentage points between the best and weakest examples of the same model,” it said. As a result the median serves as the reference point in each case. The spread across the 20 models tested was already clear at the 50,000km mark with four examples highlighted for more detailed analysis in line with their different sizes, typical use and battery types. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 had the best SoH of the four models, with range barely falling from 335 to 321km and a spread of 37 kilometres between the extremes recorded. As one of Europe’s best-selling EVs, the VW ID.4’s potential range fell from 373 to 355km, with up to 44km between the best and the weakest vehicle at 150,000km. The Tesla Model Y, the world's best-selling car for the last three years, saw its real-world range fall from 379 to 361km at 150,000km, with a 46-kilometre difference between the best and the weakest example tested. The Nissan Nissan Leaf ZE1, with the smallest (40kWh) battery of the four models highlighted the finding that smaller batteries with more frequent charging cycles age faster on average.  Across all three mileage levels analysed, the Nissan had the lowest SoH of the four models examined in detail, with its real-world range dropping from 195 to 185km. Other models that performed well after 150,000km travelled were the Mercedes-Benz EQA (93.97 SoH), BMW i4 (93.62), Hyundai Kona EV (92.95), Volvo XC40 Recharge (92.79), Ford Mustang Mach-E (92.53) and Polestar 2 (92.46). Some that didn't fare as well were the Renault Zoe (87.33) and Tesla Model 3 (88.94). Commenting on the report Aviloo CEO Dr. Marcus Berger said, “The truth in this data is that averages hide a lot.  “Yes, electric car batteries age better than the myth of rapid wear suggests, but that is not the most important finding.  “What matters is that battery health varies widely between models, and even more widely between individual vehicles of the same model,” he said. The Aviloo Certified EV Battery Report will now be published twice a year, drawing on the company’s global diagnostics database, which holds more than one million independent tests. 

Having spent three months living with a Volkswagen ID.5 this year and knowing that it’s reportedly set to be discontinued, I can now tell you what I really think of this electric mid-sized SUV. Well, I always tell you what I really think and you can read my long-term review of the ID.5 where I call out where it missed the mark. But it still bothers me that Volkswagen dropped the ball so badly with its first electric car (alongside the ID.4) for Australia. If you don’t know the ID.5 is an SUV about the size of a Volkswagen Tiguan and it’s the coupe-ish version its ID.4 twin. At about $63,000 it's the same price as a mid-range Tiguan, too. The problem is, it's not a Tiguan. Fortunately it appears Volkswagen has realised this and the ID.5 looks set to eventually be axed and the ID.4 will be replaced by a new model called the ID.Tiguan. Volkswagen would be hoping that the overhaul addresses the ID.4 and 5's issues. With Chinese car companies gaining so much ground Volkswagen can’t afford to get it wrong. Really the issues with the ID.5 and ID.4 are to do with practicality and utility which are two of the pillars on which Volkswagen has built its reputation. The ID.4 and ID.5 have poor practicality and utility compared to other mid-sized electric SUVs and there’s absolutely no excuse. We rate cars based on whether they are fit for purpose and neither of those models are fit for purpose as a family SUV. Passenger space isn’t great, cabin storage is almost non-existent, the boot size isn’t large enough and there's no front boot. It boggles my mind that a car with a 2.8m wheelbase (the Tiguan’s is 2.7m) and with no bulky combustion engine, transmission or driveshaft eating into the passenger cell could have such poor cabin space and storage. Again, this is coming from a family car perspective. If you don't require that much space or utility, it's a lovely EV to drive. Volkswagen Group’s Head of Design Klaus Zyciora oversaw the ID.4 and ID.5. He’d been with Volkswagen for 35 years and worked on everything from the Mk IV Golf onwards, including the Tiguan. There are videos of Zyciora walking us through the design of the ID.4 and ID.5 and, like a detective trying to put the pieces of a crime together, I’ve watched them to discover the motive behind this automotive misdemeanour. I do like the exterior design of the ID.4 and ID.5 with its curvy and muscular lines, and the interior is also visually pleasing in a minimalist way, but the car is a perfect example of form over function. Well it’s not Zyciora’s problem any more. He's now Vice President and Global Head of Design for Chinese carmaker Changan.  Zycior was replaced by Michael Mauer in 2023 as Volkswagen Group’s new design boss. Mauer arrived having designed every Porsche since 2004 inside and out, and while that also includes the polarising 2007 Cayenne facelift, he also penned the beautiful 991 911, 918 Spyder, Macan and Taycan. With Zycior gone, Mauer would have been part of the clean-up team to fix the ID.4 and ID.5 before handing over the reins to the Group’s current design chief Andreas Mindt in 2026. By the time Mindt arrived in March this year the ID.Tiguan had been snapped cold weather testing in Germany a month before. Will the new ID.Tiguan come with all the practicality and utility problems fixed? It will be based on the MEB+ platform which is an evolution of what underpins the ID.4 and ID.5, so hopefully. It’s likely the ID.Tiguan will be revealed this year and go on sale in 2027. When will it come to Australia? Well, it took the ID.4 and ID.5 five years to reach us after they launched in Europe but I doubt we will be waiting that long this time. But when it does arrive you can bet I’ll be checking to see if VW dropped the ball again or if they got it right.

Volkswagen will give its ID.4 mid-size electric SUV a major update in late 2026, according to reports.

Volkswagen said Australia won’t see hybrid versions of the new Tiguan family SUV, despite new efficiency laws taking effect.

Volkswagen has confirmed the arrival of two new sub-$70,000 grades to complete its ID.4 and ID.5 line-ups.

Volkswagen says the early adopter phase is over, and it is bringing the ID.4 and ID.5 right when it considers the mainstream phase of EV adoption to begin.

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed its future EV plans. Speaking to CarsGuide at the launch of the ID.4 and ID.5 mid-size SUVs, Volkswagen’s Director of Passenger Cars, Piergiorgio Minto, and the product manager of the ID range, Arjun Nidigallu, explained why the brand wont rush to emulate its rivals like Kia, Hyundai, or MG into rapidly expanding its electric car portfolio. When asked about the potential of the also-long-awaited Golf-sized ID.3 hatchback to join the range, Minto said: “Medium SUV has to be the focus.  “I believe that we need to stick with the ID.4 and ID.5, put them into the market, and see how the customer reacts.” “We’re continuing monitoring the possibilities, but medium SUV is the big one.” The brand has previously significantly delayed its range of ID electric vehicles, with the ID.4 itself having been pushed back more than four years, originally launching in Europe in 2020. The brand has previously confirmed the ID.3, delayed its launch prediction and has since gone cold on the idea of introducing the hatch to our market, despite it receiving a similar slew of upgrades to the ID.4, which it says is now much more appropriate for an Australian audience, thanks primarily to improved pricing and driving range, and a more powerful electric motor. Additionally, the ID.7 - effectively an electric sedan and wagon equivalent to the Passat - has been deemed out of consideration in previous comments by the brand, at least for the time being. Despite this seemingly measured approach to new electric models, VW claims it is all-in on electric vehicles, showing predictions that the market for EVs will continue to climb past the current plateau and be adopted by more mainstream buyers. To that end, the brand stressed a no for now on a car like ID.3 is not a no forever, as it continues to monitor the Australian market’s taste for electric vehicles. Nidigallu added the brand had also left the standard-range 52kWh version of the ID.4 available in Europe on the cutting room floor for the time being, but just because it had opted to go for long-range only as it is more suited to Australian conditions, didn’t mean it wasn’t open to bringing in an even more affordable version of the mid-sizer to our market in the future. “One of our big advantages is we have a lot of access to product,” he said, adding that Australia’s new vehicle efficiency laws (NVES), which put pressure on manufacturers to reduce their fleet C02 average have added additional negotiating for VW Australia, with its factory to provide more electric vehicles or variants if need be to meet the targets. Volkswagen, however, is already well positioned to survive the tough new emissions laws as its range of vehicles already comply with or exceed European regulations (Euro 6d) which have been in place for years, and which the new Australian laws emulate. Meanwhile, the pricing of the new ID.4 is a very deliberate and strategic move for VW as it attempts to establish itself in the electric mid-size SUV space against some now very well-entrenched competitors. Starting at $59,990 plus on-road costs, the single ID.4 Pro trim level available at launch is only $1090 more expensive than the incoming and deeply updated Tesla Model Y ($58,900 for a base RWD version) while offering at least similar specifications. It also measures up competitively with Kia’s EV5 (from $56,770), BYD’s Sealion 7 (from $54,990), and XPeng’s G6 (from $54,800). However, in this mid-size electric bracket it remains undercut by other newcomers, like Geely’s EX5 (from $40,990) and the Leapmotor C10 (from $43,888). In Q3 of 2025, Volkswagen will expand the range of its electric offering to include a dual-motor GTX version of the ID.4 and, conversely, a Pro rear-wheel-drive version of the ID.5. Prices are yet to be revealed, but expect them to mirror the prices of the current ID.5 GTX (from $72,990) and ID.4 Pro. Despite its buyers usually opting for the most upmarket trims, this time around VW is predicting the lion’s share of volume will be directed to the ID.5 Pro rather than the more performance-oriented GTX, in part thanks to its 544km (WLTP) driving range, which the brand said “breaks the psychological barrier” of range anxiety and makes it appeal more to existing buyers who might have usually opted for the most popular Tiguan 162TSI R-Line (from $60,590). Whether this strategy can pay off in such a competitive market remains to be seen.

Following considerable delays, Volkswagen is finally entering Australia’s most competitive EV segment after announcing Australian pricing for its 2025 ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs. Both models will be offered in single variant line-ups, consisting of the ID.4 Pro and ID.5 GTX. The ID.4 first went on sale in Europe in 2020, followed by the ID.5 in 2021, with each of them receiving minor updates since then. Australia will subsequently receive the most up-to-date models. Starting with the ID.4 Pro, the more bulbous model with traditional SUV styling will start at $59,990, before on-road costs, $3410 less than the new Tesla Model Y Launch Edition ($63,400), $5000 more than a BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990) and $3220 more than a Kia EV5 ($56,770). The ID.4 is generally smaller than its aforementioned rivals at 4,584 mm long, 1852mm wide, 1632mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2771mm. It carries a 77kWh (usable) battery pack that powers a single electric motor mounted to the rear axle. All up it delivers 544km of WLTP-rated range, 62km more than a Sealion 7 Premium and 11km more than the current Long Range Model Y. The updated Model Y Launch Edition is estimated to offer 7km more than the ID.4, though. Power and torque are rated at 210kW/540Nm, while its 0-100km/h sprint time is clocked at 6.7 seconds. As standard, the ID.4 gets 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, progressive steering, matrix LED headlights with adaptive high beam, 3D LED tail lights, keyless entry, a power tailgate and a panoramic sunroof with an electric blind. Additionally there are power adjustable front seats with massage and heating functions, microfleece upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a wireless charging pad, tri-zone climate control, a 12.9-inch multimedia display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a six-speaker audio system. Moving over to the sportier ID.5, it will start at $72,990, a $13,000 premium over its slightly more sensible sibling. In return, it adopts fastback styling, a small rear wing and a contrasting black roof, while growing slightly in length and wheelbase to 4599mm and 2766mm, respectively. Height retracts to 1619mm and width remains consistent at 1852mm. The ID.5 GTX carries a slightly larger 79kWh (usable) battery pack over the ID.4 and adds an additional electric motor on the front axle for a total power output of 250kW. Volkswagen hasn’t quoted a torque figure. Driving range subsequently drops to a commendable 522km under the WLTP cycle, while 1.3 seconds is sliced off its 5.4 second 0-100km/h sprint time. It builds on the features of the ID.4 with larger 20-inch wheels, sports seats with integrated head restraints, a premium Harman/Kardon audio system and GTX interior and exterior badging. Charging capacity on both models is rated at 11kW for AC home charging and 175kW for DC public charging stations. Standard safety equipment includes front assist with pedestrian and cycling monitoring, travel assist, lane assist, side assist and emergency assist, a driver fatigue and attention monitor, a surround-view camera and front and rear parking sensors. Customers can upgrade to metallic paint for an additional $1000 or premium metallic paint on the GTX for $1300. The ID.4 Pro qualifies for a $900 exterior styling package that adds a gloss black roof, silver roof rails and silver pillar and bumper trims. The ID.4 Pro and ID.5 GTX will debut at the Everything Electric Fair at Sydney Olympic Park between March 7 and 9, with deliveries expected to commence from mid-July. All prices are calculated at before on-road costs

VW details its 2025 third-generation Tiguan range well ahead of its local arrival.