Volkswagen reveals new Tiguan

So yes, at the front we have a rather large mouth, most of which is comprised of a fake vent with the actual breathing going on below the silver trim. We also have the ID-esque lights – with new Matrix HD multipixel LED guts – and a width-spanning element between them, bisected only by the VW badge. 

Around the side we have unfussy surfacing, with pinched creases over the wheels in place of arches. At the back, much like the Passat, a width-spanning light cluster in which the VW badge is again mounted. For something that’s meant to be a bit more upright and sturdy, the Tiguan wears this new styling language well. The new styling is also slipperier, with the drag coefficient dropping from 0.33 to 0.28. 

On the inside, it’s much the same as Passat again, which is to say, there’s a good bit borrowed from the ID.7, primarily that monster 15- inch infotainment screen that works in tandem with the new digital cockpit and HUD. The giant screen features the new menu structure and crisp graphics. 

The new wheel thankfully features buttons and the drive selector – like in the Passat and ID models – has moved from the central tunnel to a steering column switch. Where that used to be is a new rotary controller which also has its own OLED screen, that can be used to control the driving profile, radio volume or mood lighting.

The SUV also gets its own double-decker style of flanking air vents and – speaking of mood lighting – plenty of lit accenting in the interior trim. Like in the Passat, there are also new optional long distance seats with a massage function. The new Tiguan is dimensionally slightly longer than the car it replaces, though 3cm overall plays a fairly substantial 37-litre bump in luggage space, to 652 litres.

The big news under the skin for the new Tiguan is a versatile new plug-in hybrid variant, which can offer up to 62 miles of all-electric driving range depending on conditions and driving style. DC charging is now standard for the first time too, for when you need to fill it back up. Depending on the market, the Tiguan will be available with a selection of other four-cylinder powertrains, including diesels, petrols and mild hybrids. 

A new premium chassis control system, DCC Pro, allows drive mode selection to change parameters in the dampers and diffs – a first for the Tiguan, with Volkswagen claiming its addition is tantamount to ‘democratising high-tech developments’.

The new car will reach dealerships during the first quarter of 2024 at the earliest, with Volkswagen hoping it makes sturdy contributions to the Tiguan’s 7.6million-unit sales record to date, since the original’s launch in 2007. We do expect the price to go up a tad compared to the car it replaces, however.