VW Tiguan Is Bigger, More Mature And More Premium

The Tiguan GTE concept can travel 31 miles on electricity alone, returning the equivalent of 123 mpg in hybrid mode, and can hit 62 mph in as little as 8.1 seconds with the gas engine and motor working in tandem.

The compact SUV now sits on the VW Group’s latest MQB platform architecture, which underpins the majority of models in the VW’s range.

The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s mass-market SUV, and a rival for the likes of the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The 2016 VW Tiguan is expected to go on sale in the United Kingdom by the end of 2015. The drama around the strategy in North America got so intense the Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand K. Piëch was actually ousted after challenging CEO Martin Winterkorn for his seat. To put that into perspective, the new Tiguan is replacing a model as old as the first iPhone. And, of course, more square license plate niche. Overall, the new Tiguan is clean, conservative, and thoroughly modern, a hallmark of Volkswagen design. It stretches 176.6 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 64.3 inches tall, dimensions that make it slightly longer, wider and shorter than its predecessor.

The sporty-looking R-Line package (top and in white) is equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, while 20-inch rims are optional. The company is showing an entire lineup of its small crossover, including the GTE Concept version as well.

But the design and technology is pretty much what you see here.

Eight powertrain options will be available initially in the new Tiguan.

A plug-in hybrid variant, dubbed the GTE, was also shown in concept form at the Frankfurt show. Typically, there’ll be front-drive (2WD) and all-wheel drive (4WD or 4MOTION) versions and it’s believed a hybrid version is also in the works. Another high-riding VW that we know of is a subcompact crossover, and then there could be at least two crossovers with coupe-like styling: one Tiguan-basedand the other based on the U.S.-built model. A 154-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-four engine and 6-speed dual-clutch automatic provide the primary motive force for the front wheels, while a 13.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a motor integrated into the transmission provide more assistance. If it sports a 200-plus mile electric range and keeps its costs below $40,000, Volkswagen’s Tiguan will find itself at a great disadvantage without some EV-inspired help.