VW ID 4 overhaul to usher in new face and physical controls

The Volkswagen ID 4 will join the ID 3 in being extensively updated for a second time, which will bring it visually in line with the upcoming ID 2 and reintroduce physical controls inside.

Speaking to Autocar, VW technical development boss Kai Grünitz confirmed that the ID 3 will adopt the new design language first introduced on the 2023 ID 2all concept. The changes will give it “a family resemblance to the ID2” as well as a “lower and squatter stance”.

Grünitz hinted that the ID 4 will follow a similar design revamp as part of a move to keep the pair fresh until deep into this decade, when replacements are due. For example, Autocar understands the ID 3 will be replaced by the electric Golf in 2028.

Inside, Grüntiz confirmed for the first time that the facelifted ID 3 and ID 4 will receive fully revised interiors featuring a new dashboard and user interface. Among the changes is a return of physical buttons and knobs in place of digital display-based functions and the controversial slider element, a move first hinted at by the ID 2All.

“We’re going to bring back a round knob for the volume control,” an insider said, adding: “If you develop something that works, and it has worked for years, there’s no reason to replace it.”

Technical details of the facelifted ID 3 and ID 4 have yet to be revealed, though Autocar has been told Volkswagen’s best-selling electric models will benefit from the efficiency and performance gains brought to other more recently launched models, including the ID 7, through newer and more technically advanced electric motors and more contemporary battery and inverter technology.

The facelifted ID 3 is scheduled to be revealed during the second quarter of next year, with the ID 4 arriving later in 2026.

The updates are part of a broader effort to reset Volkswagen’s image as a maker of EVs after early criticism of quality, software and user experience in its first-generation MEB-based models.

Alongside the arrival of three new MEB Entry-based EVs next year – the VW ID 2, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq – the goal is to extend the lifespan of the current 400V models to keep VW at the top of Europe’s EV sales charts, insiders say, while the firm readies its next-generation 800V SSP platform, which is due to underpin VW EVs from 2028.

Volkswagen also intends to differentiate its EV designs by region, with European and US models sharing a common design theme while Chinese-market cars receive their own styling direction. This strategy was hinted at by the unveiling of the ID Aura, Era and Evo at the Shanghai motor show in April.