After plenty of leaked information and imagery, the next-gen Volkswagen Tiguan has finally been revealed globally.
With a revamped suite of digital features and new drivetrain options, VW’s most popular model is set to enter the high-tech electrified car era, though it’ll be a while until we see the new Tiguan touch down here, likely from late next year.
While the Tiguan’s styling has clearly shifted towards a design language more closely shared with the brand’s I.D family of electric cars, the key changes to the mid-size SUV are inside the cabin where the new-gen car’s 15.0-inch multimedia screen is hard to ignore.
Behind the steering wheel is a new-to-Tiguan Digital Cockpit that might seem familiar to those who have spent time behind the wheel of a modern Audi, while Volkswagen has well and truly done away with the haptic ‘touchpad’ buttons on the steering wheel.
Touch sliders still remain for climate controls under the multimedia screen - and there doesn't appear to be any physical controls.
Underneath its “completely new design”, the new Tiguan rides on the updated Volkswagen MQB-Evo platform which allows the brand to add a plug-in hybrid drivetrain to the new-generation’s arsenal.
The Tiguan ‘eHybrid’ will, VW says, allow a range of up to around 100km of electric driving and be capable of “fast DC charging… as standard for the first time”.
In Australia, given slow uptake of electrification and plug-in hybrids in particular, petrol-powered Tiguans will likely be big on the agenda.
More key changes for the Tiguan include adaptive chassis control - the Tiguan is “equipped as standard with a Vehicle Dynamics Manager” - as well as comfort changes such as ‘ergoActive Plus seats’ with 10-chamber pressure massage function (don’t expect to see these in the entry grades) and “IQ.Light HD” matrix headlights.
The latter in that list appears on a VW model for the first time, and the light cluster contains 38,400 multipixel LEDs which the brand calls a ‘high resolution interactive lighting system’.
Importantly for a mid-size SUV, space inside has increased, with the boot’s luggage capacity up by 37 litres to 652 litres (when loaded up to the height of the rear seat backrests).
The Volkswagen Tiguan isn’t expected to land in Australia until at least 2024, with its local line-up, pricing and specifications yet to be determined.
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