The third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan makes its debut: What do you think?
After fifteen years in the compact CUV market, VW just debuted its third-generation Tiguan for European consumption. We will get the longer version sometime next year at a 2025 model, but today’s reveal gives us a clearer idea of what to expect when the automaker’s most popular model lands stateside.
This fully overhauled Tiguan uses the “MQB Evo” platform, an evolution of what’s underpinned VW’s models throughout the past several years. While you can still definitely recognize the car as a Tiguan, there’s some bolder styling at play both inside and out to set it apart from its relatively understated predecessor. Gasoline engines will still dominate the lineup and Europeans will get a turbodiesel variant, but the most interesting addition to this lineup is a plug-in hybrid model. The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan actually claims up to 62 miles on electric power alone, though that is using the optimistic WLTP cycle. EPA figures tend to skew far lower, so we’d expect a figure closer to the 40-45-mile ballpark when it’s ready to hit U.S. streets — a range that would be competitive with the Toyota RAV4 Prime.
Other than noting the range of powertrains available for the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan, the company did not go into great detail on technical specs just yet. However, the changes continue underneath for both the adaptive suspension (which VW calls “DCC” or Dynamic Chassis Control) and the electronic limited-slip differential.
Looking inside the thir-gen Tiguan
If “bigger screen” was on your wishlist for the new Tiguan, then you’re in luck: The new model gets a far larger 15-inch unit that utterly dominates the center stack. Basically, it’s the same style unit as you’ll see in the new electric ID.7 sedan. While you do still get touch-sensitive sliders for the climate and media controls, they are at least backlit this time so you can actually operate them at night. The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan also loses its console-mounted shifter, instead getting a column-mounted unit, again like the electric ID models. In its place, you get a bit more storage space, what looks like dual-phone wireless charging and a large volume knob between the engine start/stop and parking brake buttons.
Sticking with the tech updates, the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan gets the brand’s IQ.Light matrix LED headlights, a host of driver assistance systems including Park Assist Pro remote park capability (similar to Hyundai’s Smart Park) and even massaging seats with an automatic heating function up front.
Even in this short-wheelbase model, VW says the new Tiguan gets an extra 1.3 cubic feet of cargo space. That brings the total volume behind the rear seats up to 23 cubic feet (652 liters), and I’d expect the longer version we’ll get in the U.S. will be get even more room. We obviously don’t see the three-row version here, but VW will most likely continue to offer that as an option for North American customers who don’t want to jump up to an Atlas to get those extra seats.
We’ll have more information on the new Tiguan next year, when VW actually shows us the longer version.
Through the first half of 2023, dealers shifted some 38,785 Tiguans, making it the brand’s most popular seller by a wide margin. It’s also long been a steady seller for VW, so it’s important for the company to get any updates right to maintain that customer base. Adding a plug-in hybrid to the mix may also bring in folks who aren’t necessarily ready to go fully electric and grab something like an ID.4 just yet.
