Motoring

First look: What Volkswagen has put on new Tiguan’s spec sheet

What South Africa can expect from the new Volkswagen Tiguan

Although confirmed for introduction in 2024 at the end of last year, Volkswagen provided the first official glimpse of the all-new Tiguan at its maiden product Indaba held at its factory in Kariega, formerly Uitenhage, last week.

Model of importance

One of four key models showcased in the metal of which it, the facelift T-Cross and updated Touareg will be the only ones to go on-sale, the first ground-up new Tiguan in eight years will become a reality in the second half of the year with pricing to be announced then.

Locally and globally one of Wolfsburg’s most important models with combined sales of 7.6-million units since 2007, 50 832 in South Africa, the Tiguan is again based on the MQB platform, but this time the upgraded MQB Evo that also underpins the revised Golf 8.5.

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Styled to resemble the new Passat as well as the Chinese-market Lamondo, the Tiguan is both longer and taller than the model it replaces, in addition to being more practical with 652-litres of space available behind the second row.

No more Allspace

Unlike the outgoing model, the seven-seat Allspace will no longer be available as its position will be taken by a Europeanised version of the Tayron until now marketed solely in China.

*_{China’s Tiguan L Pro replaces the Tiguan Allspace and could still be called Tayron in export markets as it previously did in the People’s Republic. Image: autocar.co.uk}*

Revealed as the renamed Tiguan Pro L in the People’s Republic last month, Volkswagen has so far remained mum on confirming it for South Africa, previously telling The Citizen it will only make an announcement at a later stage, more than likely only once the Tayron bows in the Old Continent in 2025.

Confirmed spec

Shown at the Indaba as a left-hand-drive prototype, Wolfsburg’s local division had unsurprisingly opted to keep locked, spotted, and then subsequently confirmed, was the new infotainment system that will be offered in both standard 12.9-inch and optional 15-inch configurations as in Europe.

Also on the local sheet spec is the 12.3-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument cluster, the new steering wheel with physical buttons, an optional Head-Up Display, upgraded materials, ambient lighting and for the first time, massaging seats as part of the optional ergoActive Seat Plus package.

*_{South Africa will be privy to both the 12.9-inch and depicted 15-inch infotainment systems. Image: Volkswagen}*

Along with alloy wheel sizes up to 20-inches on the flagship R-Line, the Tiguan will also get the latest Matrix I.Q. LED headlights as an option.

Comprising 19 200 megapixels diodes in each cluster, setup provides illumination up to 500 metres on full beam and will be supplemented by an illuminated grille bar, but not a rear logo as on the Touareg.

So long 1.4 TSI?

Already sold in South Africa without the optional of a manual gearbox, now phased-out globally in favour of a column-shift DSG, the Tiguan is not expected to continue with the current 1.4 TSI engine it has used since the first generation.

As such, the local market could finally get the 1.5 TSI Evo powerplant, but not in mild-hybrid eTSI form as a result of the country’s less than adequate fuel quality, according to Volkswagen.

*_{With the end of the Allspace, the new Tiguan will revert to a five-seat only model. Image: Volkswagen}*

Also a non-starter is the plug-in hybrid eHybrid that combines the mentioned TSI with a 19.7-kWh battery pack and 85 kW electric motor in two states of tune; 150kW/350Nm and 200kW/400Nm.

A version of the stalwart 2.0 TDI is, however, expected possibly along with the 2.0 TSI, while the still-to-be-revealed second generation Tiguan R remains a mystery for now.