Volkswagen Tiguan all new: as a PHEV up to 100 km electric

Highlights

• New from top to bottom
• 100 kilometers electrically with plug-in hybrids
• Not like Allspace

We can no longer call the new Volkswagen Tiguan a real surprise. After all, images of the car have already appeared online, while Volkswagen itself already published photos of lightly camouflaged Tiguans and some initial specifications in June. Today, however, the curtain is finally taken off and we will tell you everything there is to say about the car with the help of still and moving images.

Completely new

First of all, this is this: this Tiguan is completely new. This makes it the third generation of this model, with which Volkswagen arrived very late to the compact SUV party in 2007. Generation two in particular, from 2016 onwards, was a success in Europe and is a car that we currently encounter on every street corner. Volkswagen is therefore taking quite a risk by making the Tiguan look very different from its direct predecessor, which apparently appeals to many with its sturdy and chunky appearance. The new Tiguan is much more rounded in shape and has a somewhat tasteful front without a grille between the headlights, but with a huge fence in the bumper. At the time of writing, we only have images of the orange car with R-Line bumpers. The standard Tiguan has a more modest front, but still an impressive grille in the bumper. The headlights can optionally be equipped with LED matrix technology with 38,400 individually controllable LEDs. This makes them a lot more precise than before.

Generation 1 (above) and generation 2, both in facelifted form.

Size and space

The new Volkswagen Tiguan is 4.54 meters long, 1.64 meters high and 1.84 meters wide. This makes it three centimeters longer than the previous one. The wheelbase remains virtually the same at 2.68 meters, as does the width and height. Nevertheless, the luggage space increases by 37 liters to a total of 652 liters. The headroom has increased by 9 mm at the front and by 10 mm at the rear, and thanks to a sliding rear seat, luggage space and legroom can be expanded nicely. Please note: all dimensions mentioned apply compared to the previous ‘short’ Tiguan. A longer Tiguan Allspace will not return under that name, but will make way for a seven-seater that will have a lot in common with the Chinese Volkswagen Tayron, but will be built in Europe.

Powertrains

There is a reason for that rounded shape, because the smoother carriage reduces the CW value from 0.33 to 0.28. The Tiguan is therefore more streamlined. This reduces CO2 emissions and contributes to the long range of the plug-in hybrid variants. Just like with the new Volkswagen Passat, there are two, and just like with the new Passat, those two are 204 and 272 hp. Both cars share a new version of Volkswagen’s plug-in hybrid technology. Instead of a 1.4 TSI, a 1.5 TSI is used for the petrol part, while a larger battery of 19.7 kWh net provides a much greater range. Volkswagen even promises an electric driving range of about 100 kilometers for the Tiguan, which probably means that the lower Passat will go a bit further. To ensure that you can use the electric options as much and as often as possible, Volkswagen equips the Tiguan eHybrid with a three-phase on-board charger (11 kW) and even a fast charging option, with a peak of 50 kW. These are both still quite rare features for a plug-in hybrid. The platform of the new Tiguan is called MQB evo and is exactly that: a further development of the existing, modular MQB platform on which Volkswagen builds almost all models. In addition to being a plug-in hybrid, the new Volkswagen Tiguan is also available as a mild hybrid, with 130 or 150 hp. In both cases there is a four-cylinder 1.5 TSI and a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.

Interior

A manual gearbox is therefore no longer available in the new Tiguan. Some may think this is a shame, but thanks to a gear lever on the steering column, it also means that there is more space between the seats for other things. There is a smart combination button for volume, mood lighting and driving modes (see video) and there are quite a few compartments and trays. That dial is currently unique to the Tiguan, but otherwise this interior is quite similar to that of the new Passat. The interiors are not identical, but they are similar. The central touchscreen measures 12.9 inches as standard and 15 inches as an option. It should be faster and more user-friendly than the one in other recent Volkswagens and seems to achieve this in practice.

The new Volkswagen Tiguan should appear at Dutch dealers in the first quarter of 2024. Prices are not yet available, but that will undoubtedly change before then.

The green car (photo 6, 7, 8) is an Elegance. That version will not come to the Netherlands, but it does show what the Tiguan looks like without R-Line trim. You will soon also find similar bumpers, but with less chrome, on more simply decorated variants.