Next-gen VW Tiguan gets new Plug-in hybrid; Tiguan to gain Electric model [Update]

Update: ‘Release Date’ section updated.

The second-gen VW Tiguan received its customary mid-life facelift in 2020, encompassing soft changes. In the coming months, the next-gen VW Tiguan, sporting comprehensive updates, will replace the current generation that debuted in late 2015. Unlike today, the next-gen VW Tiguan is expected to have two plug-in hybrid variants.

The Tiguan is the best-selling Volkswagen worldwide. In the U.S., VW has let their long-standing Golf and Passat models die, placing higher expectations from the Tiguan, which is also currently the best-selling car for VW of America. However, for the U.S. market, there is a twist, which we’ll come to later in the article. Here’s what we know of the next-generation Volkswagen SUV:

Design

During the mid-life facelift of the second-generation Tiguan three years ago, VW designers focused on enhancing the SUV’s expressive front-end. With the 2023 model, they have prepared an extensive character change for the compact SUV, one that lends a better definition to its profile as well.

Front

The next-gen Tiguan features a modern design that incorporates elements associated with pure-electric vehicles. This suggests that Volkswagen may be setting the stage for the pure-electric Tiguan in a few years. Notably, the incoming model features a sleek front-end without an upper grille and introduces new dual-element headlamps equipped with IQ.Light HD matrix technology, derived from the Touareg.

The functional radiator grille, located in the center, is more prominent and is flanked by vertical side air inlets. While the covered body in place of an upper grille features a decor strip at the top, this grille has three such horizontal elements. An additional cooling air intake in the lower fascia aids this grille. The front bumper has tall and muscular C-shape formations on the sides, which gives the SUV a sporty look.

On the sides, the next-gen Tiguan has a curvier roofline, a new beltline that rises at a higher angle from behind the B-pillar, and sleeker mirrors. Like on the outgoing model, the plug-in hybrid variant’s charging port is located in the front wing on the left side, spy pictures revealed in early July 2023. Expect plenty of new wheel options for the redesigned model. The rear overhang looks longer and more upswept.

At the rear, there are new tail lamps with translucence. The bumper, like in the outgoing model, has a reflector that covers almost the whole width of the SUV. The exhaust tip has been kept out of sight. Only the potential R variant may feature visible exhaust tips.

Spy pictures from the Nürburgring suggest Volkswagen will offer the next-gen Tiguan in an R-Line trim that slots below the potential R variant. Like the outgoing Tiguan R-Line, the test mule featured unique bumpers with a C-signature, gloss black front air intakes, black wheel arch extensions, body-colored side skirts with chrome trim, black roof rails, and 20-inch wheels, and lowered suspension.

Interior & Features

Dashboard

The next-gen VW Tiguan features a very modern interior with luxury SUV-like touches. The dashboard features a coast-to-coast upright panel in a gloss-black finish. It integrates side AC vents with two silver-colored, slim openings, a virtual instrument cluster on the driver’s side, and a scattered starfield-like pattern formed with white or silver thin horizontal dashes, along with Tiguan branding in the same color. A decor panel on the door replicates the look of the passenger-side dashboard on a sleek garnish panel right behind the handle.

Steering and selector

The steering wheel is nearly identical to the current model. It packs one of the most anticipated upgrades of the interior – physical buttons. Most customers prefer physical buttons over touch-sensitive buttons, as they are easier to use and much less likely to be operated by accident. The gear selector is not a lever in the center console but a steering column switch on the right of the steering wheel.

Driving Experience Control

Thanks to the relocation of the gear selector, the center console offers more storage space. It houses a rotary dial, called the ‘Driving Experience Control,’ with a dedicated mini-screen. This rotary control can be used to control drive mode, speaker volume, or ambient lighting colors. A new acoustic package for reduced cabin noise and newly developed seats are also among the interior changes.

ergoActive front seats

The next-gen Tiguan features ergoActive front seats, which include pneumatic 4-way lumbar support adjustment and a pneumatic 10-chamber pressure point massage function in the backrests. These functions are typically found in premium or luxury models. They are in addition to the basic heating and ventilation functions.

Bigger infotainment system

The touchscreen infotainment system is a brand-new, 15-inch free-standing unit. Going by its shape, size, and user interface, it’s either the same unit as the 1560×700 pixel infotainment system of the VW ID.7 or closely related to it. That is a substantial upgrade over the current dashboard-integrated 8-inch unit, which is small as per the latest industry standards. Lower trims feature a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, though, which is still a significant upgrade.

The temperature of the climate control system is adjustable via a touch slider located below the touchscreen. While we wish it was a knob, physical slider, or something else that’s simpler and more practical to operate, it’s at least worth noting that the touch sliders are illuminated.

Increased boot space

The Euro-spec next-gen Tiguan offers 33 liters (1.2 cu. ft.) more cargo space when loaded up to the height of the rear seat backrests – 648 liters (22.3 cu. ft.). Below are the measurements of the outgoing model for reference:

Configuration	Euro Tiguan Cargo Space	U.S. Tiguan Cargo Space
5-seat Tiguan NWB	615-1,655 liters	Not Available
5-seat Tiguan LWB	760-1,920 liters	37.6-73.4 cu. ft.
7-seat Tiguan LWB	700-1,755 liters	12.0-65.3 cu. ft.

Note: ‘NWB’ and ‘LWB’ are abbreviations of ‘Normal Wheelbase’ and ‘Long Wheelbase,’ the internal destinations used to differentiate the two wheelbase versions of the second-gen Tiguan. The U.S. only gets the LWB version.

Rechargeable Powertrains

Plug-in Hybrid

While demand for pure-electric vehicles is surging, plug-in hybrids will continue to rake in business in many markets in the coming years. Customers who need a higher driving range, live where there aren’t enough public charging stations or don’t have the budget for a second car, find PHEVs suitable.

The next-gen Tiguan eHybrid (plug-in hybrid) has been confirmed with more than one powertrain option, and it’s safe to assume there’ll be two configurations. They should employ a 1.5-liter TSI evo2 engine and the DQ400e evo 6-speed eDSG hybrid gearbox. The latter should integrate the HEM80evo electric motor tuned to generate 85 kW (114 hp) and 330 Nm (243 lb.-ft.) of torque.

The base PHEV configuration will likely have a 110 kW (147 hp) version of the 1.5-liter TSI evo2 engine and the top-end configuration may use a 130 kW (174 hp) version of the same mill. The plug-in powertrain may deliver 150 kW (201 hp) of system power and 350 Nm (258 lb.-ft.) of torque in the former. In the latter, those outputs could be dialed up to 200 kW (268 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb.-ft.), respectively.

Range & charging

Powering the electric motor of the next-gen Tiguan plug-in hybrid could be a 25.7 kWh battery pack located in front of the rear axle. That’d be a massive upgrade from today’s 10.4 kWh battery. While the outgoing model can travel up to 50 km (31 miles) in EV mode, the redesigned SUV would be able to cover a distance of up to 100 km (62 miles) in the WLTP metric.

The 10.4 kWh battery pack supports charging only with alternating current, at up to just 3.6 kW. The 25.7 kWh battery pack should allow charging with alternating current at up to 11 kW, and perhaps even with direct current, at up to 50 kW. Using a DC fast-charger, a 10-80% charging session could just around 30 minutes.

VW Tiguan Electric

Volkswagen Group and Volkswagen Passenger Cars are dropping hints for the VW Tiguan EV, stirring speculations in the media a few years ahead of the possible launch. At the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting 2022 on December 16, 2022, CEO Oliver Blume said the Volkswagen brand (Volkswagen Passenger Cars) is “examining” how to take icons such as the Golf and Tiguan into the electric future. Later, in an interview with Swiss publication Blick, Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer built on that statement with a rhetorical question:

Golf and Tiguan are iconic models, almost separate brands within the VW brand. Does it make sense to throw away these two assets? Definitely not. With the Trinity delay, we may well need some products that build a bridge between the two ages.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO, Volkswagen Passenger Cars (Blick interview published on February 8, 2023)

On March 14, 2023, Auto Zeitung reported that the model strategy department led by Schäfer has become clear that a Tiguan-class EV should see enough demand. Customers who find the ID.4 to be large or distinctive in terms of design would prefer a smaller or simpler SUV, and this is where the Tiguan-e/E-Tiguan/ID. Tiguan steps in. The all-electric Tiguan will be based on the MEB+ platform, as per the report.

Volkswagen “will not give up iconic names like the Golf, Tiguan, and GTI, but rather transfer them to the electric world,” Schäfer said in an interview with Automobilwoche, the German publication revealed on April 2, 2023. Asked whether the ID. Tiguan could be the Wolfsburg-built electric SUV planned for 2026, he said that is a possibility. The company can launch an ID. Tiguan “very well with the MEB+ platform,” Schäfer added.

If approved, the VW ID. Tiguan (all-electric Tiguan) can be expected to arrive during the second half of this decade. As with ID.4 and ID.5, it will be a bespoke EV, not a conversion.

First impressions

The diesel and mild-hybrid gasoline configurations of the next-gen Tiguan have been driven by the international media. While it’s too early to make predictions, the next-gen Tiguan eHybrid plug-in hybrid should offer a similar experience in certain aspects.

The general observations are that the next-gen Tiguan mild-hybrid is quieter and has fewer vibrations, and along with the ergoActive front seats, customers are likely to be impressed with the vehicle comfort. The steering has a little more weight to it and it feels responsive and accurate, which should make it more confidence-inspiring on highways.

In the redesigned Tiguan, there is a fair amount of body roll, and although it doesn’t wallow, it lacks the dynamic performance that would encourage enthusiastic cornering. For driving enthusiasts who prioritize dynamics above all else, the Mazda CX-5 would likely provide a more fulfilling experience.

A different next-gen Tiguan for the U.S.

The new Tiguan line-up won’t include an Allspace long-wheelbase version. In its place, the company plans to launch an all-new, global-spec ‘VW Tayron,’ not to be confused with the China-only model that’s currently on sale. In the previously cited interview with Automobilwoche, Schäfer had said that Volkswagen will introduce the global VW Tayron in 2024. The company has nothing more to add, but it is expected that the Tayron will be wider and longer than the Tiguan, while adopting the same design language.

According to a Wards Auto report released on June 15, 2023, Karl-Heinz Hell, head of engineering for Volkswagen’s mid-to-full-size models, has said that Volkswagen plans to launch the global Tayron as the next-gen Tiguan in North America. The company will manufacture the North American-spec SUV in Puebla, Mexico. Wards Auto says the launch of the new North American-spec Tiguan will take place in 2025.

“I can confirm Tiguan will have a successor (in the U.S.),” Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President of Product and Strategy at Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA), had told CarBuzz in July 2022. Little did we know back then that he was talking about the new Tayron. Schafer also confirmed that it will have a performance variant, although he didn’t reveal whether it will be ‘R’ or something else.

Release Date

The all-new VW Tiguan has been officially confirmed to make its world debut on September 19, 2023. The redesigned compact SUV should arrive first in Germany, followed by Germany and a few other Western European countries, beginning in Q4 2023.

Volkswagen showcased a camouflaged unit of the next-gen Tiguan at IAA 2023 in Munich, Germany, kick-starting the promotional campaign. It featured a sportier front fascia with a unique grille and distinctive side air inlets, both featuring a darker, gloss black finish, as well as big, 20-inch wheels and sports seats (front) with the R logo. The various features indicate that this example was in the R-Line trim.

TopElectricSUV says

The third-gen Tiguan packs extensive changes in all aspects influencing the purchase decision, including design, comfort, space, convenience, and safety. Expecting it to be the final generation with an internal combustion engine, Volkswagen may throw everything at it, offering the highest performance and efficiency to date on its compact crossover.

Next-gen VW Tiguan FAQs

Featured image: Volkswagen Group