2019-08-01 11:00
The Volkswagen Tiguan is now the German manufacturer’s best-selling nameplate globally – with more than 850,000 examples sold in 2018 alone. But with pure-electric ID. SUVs on the horizon, the company is taking a different approach with the next generation of the car that will arrive in showrooms in 2022.
Keeping SUVs relevant when they’re powered by combustion engines is no small task, not least because of social pressures and the likely costs (more than £2,000 per vehicle, according to some estimates) of making Euro 7-compliant diesel engines.
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So VW design boss Klaus Bischoff and his team have been allowed to take a radical approach with the next Tiguan’s styling. As previewed here by our exclusive images, the Mk3 car will take on a different profile, swapping the current model’s relatively boxy shape for a more aggressive roofline.
The idea of a Tiguan coupé has been mooted for some time; indeed, it’s believed that the forthcoming Formentor from sister firm SEAT’s Cupra offshoot ‘stole’ several elements from an abandoned Tiguan project. But VW’s decision to give the regular model a more swoopy look is down to a desire to make it a more ‘emotional’ purchase.
Despite this, our sources say that the Tiguan’s seats-up boot capacity will be relatively unchanged, at around 470 litres. And as with the current car, a more practical Allspace edition will be offered, extending the Tiguan’s overall length by around 25cm.
Up front, the Tiguan will use an evolution of the newly facelifted Passat’s cabin, with more large screens and only minimal switchgear to comply with regulations.
Underpinning it all will be the VW Group’s MQB platform – although the architecture will have evolved by the time the next Tiguan arrives.
That process will introduce extra 48-volt-based technologies that will allow the car to have Level Four autonomous capability from the outset – tech that will permit hands-off driving in selected situations. VW has already been trialling its systems in Hamburg, using modified Golfs on a city-centre route.
The new Tiguan will benefit from fresh engine developments that are to be introduced by the Mk8 Golf when that model arrives at the end of this year. As such, expect all motors to have 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, which will help to narrow the gap between the efficiencies of the petrol and diesel versions of the car.
VW is already planning to introduce a high-performance Tiguan R – following the hot version of the current car that’s due to arrive this autumn. Expect the next-generation Tiguan R to have up to 350bhp from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol motor, and 4MOTION four-wheel drive.
For those who want their Tiguan to get closer to the ID. SUVs on efficiency, at least two plug-in hybrid editions of the car are being lined up. The leanest should have around 170bhp, while a more potent PHEV will also be offered with about 250bhp.
Do you like the look of the new Volkswagen Tiguan in our exclusive images? Let us know your thoughts below…
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