Volkswagen has announced that its Plus Speech voice assistant, powered by Cerence technology, will officially launch in the United States this week. This feature will be integrated into the 2025 Jetta, Jetta GTI, and MY24 ID.4 (82kWh battery) models.
This feature, named "IDA," can execute in-car commands, answer questions unrelated to driving, such as suggesting restaurants, route planning, or creating entertainment content. Although some simple commands are processed locally, more complex requests will be forwarded via the internet to Cerence Chat Pro, utilizing multiple data sources including ChatGPT to provide users with more natural and fluid responses.
Image from pcmag
Volkswagen states: "The latest integration allows drivers and passengers to express themselves more vividly when seeking assistance. Simply say 'Hey IDA, I feel a bit cold,' and the system will detect that the driver is cold and automatically activate the heating system."
The availability and cost of Plus Speech vary by model. The ID.4 and ID. Buzz will offer Plus Speech with AI service for free for three years, while GTI, Golf R, and Tiguan include one year of free use. Jetta, Jetta GLI, and Taos users will need to subscribe to this service through the myVW app. The 2026 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport will integrate the ChatGPT feature.
For the 2025 model year, the annual subscription fee for Plus Speech with AI is $11. As the free trial period ends, this price may increase, but Volkswagen has not made any announcements yet.