2024 Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 upgraded: More grunt and tech for Tesla Model Y rivals before they even arrive!

They may not be due in Australian showrooms until mid-2024, but Volkswagen’s ID.4 compact EV SUV and ID.5 compact EV SUV Coupe have been upgraded with a revised multimedia system as well as a more powerful and efficient electric powertrain.

How can that be for a new model? The answer is, they’re not so new.

As a wave of fresh EV arrivals has been flooding the local market in recent years VW has been slow to join the zero-emissions party. The ID.4 was first offered for sale in Germany and elsewhere in early 2021 and the ID.5 a year later in the first quarter of 2022.

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So, even though they’ll be new news for Australian buyers, this electric duo is pushing towards mid-life as they arrive and a refresh is timely.

First headline inclusion is a new-generation multimedia system managed through a bigger 12.9-inch touchscreen and running improved software via a new menu structure which VW says is “much faster and offers more functions”. 

To help accommodate the bigger media screen the drive mode selector has been shifted from the instrument binnacle and morphed into a steering column switch, a design borrowed from the ID.7 large EV sedan.

The (standard) ‘Digital Cockpit’ and (optional) augmented reality head-up display have been enhanced and ‘touch sliders’ for ventilation and air-conditioning control as well as audio volume are now illuminated. The multifunction steering wheel has also been given a new operating logic.

A new ‘IDA’ voice assistant is claimed to respond more precisely to voice commands and offer new functions, from cloud-based weather information to sports updates and financial reports. Ten-speaker, 480-watt Harman Kardon audio is now optionally available.

Under the skin a new drive system brings more power and extends (WLTP) range; up to 550km (+17km) for the ID.4 and 556km (+11km) for the ID.5.

Underpinning the improvement is a new-generation 77kWh battery and a new drive motor on the rear axle reducing energy consumption and increasing power. The entry rear-wheel drive model now boasts huge output increases to 210kW (+60kW) and 545Nm (+235Nm). 

The sporty twin-motor ‘4Motion’ AWD GTX steps power up to 250kW (+30kW) and boasts a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.4 seconds. All-wheel drive models also offer an increased DC charging capacity of 175kW, up from 135kW.

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed the updated ID.4 and ID.5 rear-wheel drive will arrive in Australia in July 2024, with pricing confirmed closer to the on-sale date.

However, the brand's local representatives have previously told CarsGuide the ID.4 will start from a before on-road costs price roughly equivalent to the Tiguan 162TSI R-Line (around $60K).

For reference, that’s broadly in line with premium EVs like the Polestar 2 (from $63,900) and the VW pair’s most direct rival, the Tesla Model Y (from $65,400).