Volkswagen has just unveiled the first details for the upcoming all-new Tiguan, giving us a first look at the next-generation of the marque’s bestseller that will be officially unveiled in the coming months, ahead of its market launch in 2024.
The third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan will be offered in a variety of powertrain options, including petrol, diesel, mild hybrid petrol, and plug-in hybrid – the latter offering a pure electric driving range that has been increased “to up to 100 km more [sic.] compared with the predecessor“, depending on equipment level – meaning we could possibly see electric driving range upwards of 140 km.
The major increase in electric range is partly due to the new MQB evo platform that allows for a bigger battery, and the use of newer, more efficient motors. You’ll also be able to charge the eHybrid variants via DC chargers, in addition to the AC inputs more commonly seen on PHEVs.
The new platform also allows Volkswagen to now offer an electronically-controlled adaptive suspension on the next-gen Tiguan, giving the SUV “probably the best active chassis control in its segment”. A vehicle dynamics manager, which VW says is inherited directly from the current Golf GTI, also now comes as standard on the all-new next-gen Tiguan.
The system controls the functions of the electronic differential locks (XDS), the DCC Pro adaptive absorbers, as well as wheel-specific braking (a la Mazda’s Kinetic Posture Control) and shock absorber hardness control, to further improve the Tiguan’s handling performance – which the company says is “more neutral, stable, agile, and precise”.
Dimensions of the upcoming next-gen Tiguan hasn’t grown by all that much – Volkswagen says that its length has increased by around 3 cm, while its height, width, and wheelbase all remaining “almost identical” to its predecessor. Despite that, the luggage compartment on the all-new Tiguan has grown by 33 litres (now 648 litres), signifying the new generation model’s improved use of space.
As is standard for these teasers, the cars all sport significant camouflage, masking most of its exterior styling. But from what we can see, it appears that it’ll feature larger ID.4-inspired headlights (with IQ.Light HD matrix illumination available as option), a slim light bar across the front fascia, and a lower grille reminiscent of the Volkswagen Up! of all things.
In stark contrast, it appears that Volkswagen isn’t shy about the next-gen Tiguan’s interior at all, basically showing it off in full. It’ll feature a revamped infotainment system, with a rotary dial control (with its own screen!) on the centre console, and a screen that measures up to 15 inches in diameter. No surprises, really, considering how badly received the current system is.
The gear shifter has been moved from the centre console up onto the steering column (operating similarly to its EV models), freeing up the centre console for more storage space. Volkswagen also says that the cabin will be covered in “high-quality materials”, and offer “premium-class” comfort thanks to its improved noise insulation and upgraded seats.
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The Tiguan has been Volkswagen’s best-selling model worldwide for years, with over 7.4 million units sold since the model’s debut back in 2007. With what the all-new next-generation Volkswagen Tiguan is set to offer, we can’t see a reason for it to not continue the trend – even in the age of rapid electrification.
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