Electric Volkswagen Tiguan: no ordinary Tiguan, no ordinary ‘ID’

The first reports of an electric Tiguan reached us in December. It may seem a somewhat strange choice to come up with such an electric SUV, especially since Volkswagen already has EVs of a comparable size with the ID4 and ID5. Nevertheless, it seems that in addition to the ID models, Volkswagen will soon also ‘just’ build electric cars under the more classic model names. This applies, for example, to a future Golf, but also to the Tiguan. We see a somewhat similar tactic at Volvo, which offers both ‘own’ EVs and EVs under the hipper Polestar label. But this involves two brands, while at Volkswagen this differentiation must take place within a single brand.

The future will show how Volkswagen will park the electric Tiguan right next to the ID-EVs. It seems certain that the car will come. Automobilwoche reports that works council chairman Daniela Cavallo has even announced where the car will be built. That will ‘just’ happen in Wolfsburg, so in Volkswagen’s home city. There is reportedly some production capacity left, as the top EV known as Trinity is experiencing some delays.

In the proverbial corridors it is buzzing about the electric Tiguan. For example, the car would use the MEB + platform, an electric base that can be seen as the successor to the current MEB. This suggests that the electric Tiguan will not just be a fuel Tiguan with an electric powertrain, like the e-Golf compared to the regular Golf at the time. After all, an MEB base is not suitable for an application with a petrol engine. The ‘ID Tiguan’, as it may be called, will therefore probably be different from the regular new Tiguan, which should see the light of day sometime in 2023. It doesn’t get the typical ID looks we know from current Volkswagen EVs. According to what we now know, that may even be its biggest ‘unique selling point’: the MEB technology, but not the perhaps somewhat taste-sensitive ID appearance.