- Underpinning the all-electric ID. Tiguan is VW’s updated MEB+ platform.
- The SUV adopts a classic VW shape and profile, unlike the ID.4 and ID.5.
- This lightly-camouflaged prototypes includes distinctive front and rear fascias.
Like so many other legacy brands, VW has stopped pretending its EVs need to exist as a separate species from the combustion cars parked beside them, with their own naming logic and their own marketing language. That rethink is why the replacement for the ID.4 and ID.5 is expected to show up wearing an ID. Tiguan badge rather than another number, and why the car underneath the badge looks set to change more than the name suggests.
Our spy photographers have snapped the new electric SUV testing on several occasions, most recently back in June, wearing the body of the ID.4. This triggered speculation that the new model wouldn’t be a dramatic departure from the ID.4 and ID.5 it’s designed to replace, which was a bit of a shame. It seems VW was fooling us all.
Read: VW’s ID. Tiguan Will Be So Much More Than A Facelifted ID.4
The crew from YouTube channel Autogefühl was recently given an up-close look at the new EV, and it bears little resemblance to those earlier prototypes. This camouflaged example, which appears to be wearing production-ready sheetmetal, breaks cleanly from the ID.4 and carries a more muscular, upright stance than the current Tiguan.
Visible at the front of this prototype are a distinctive LED light bar, unique DRLs, and distinctive headlamps. It also lacks a traditional front grille, making do with a blacked-out lower grille. We’re not provided with a good look at the sides of the vehicle, but we can see it also has unique windows and black roof rails.
The rear end is also a dramatic departure from the ID.4 and ID.5. For example, it ditches the curvy taillights of those models in favor of more muscular ones, each rocking two square-shaped lighting signatures. Positioned in the center of the rear bumper is a larger black element.
Carscoops understands the new electric ID. Tiguan will use the new MEB+ platform, likely joined with upgraded batteries compared to the current model’s 58 kWh and 79 kWh packs. VW would also be wise to boost peak DC charging speeds beyond the current 175 kW to rival new offerings from China.
Lead image: Autogefühl / YouTube
