Auto Express – July 30, 2019

8 SpecialIssue

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John McIlroy

[email protected]

@johnmcilroy

TOPSTORY

Visitautoexpress.co.ukforyour daily news updates

THEVolkswagenTiguanisnowthe
Germanmanufacturer’sbest-selling
nameplateglobally–withmorethan
850,000examplessoldin2018alone.But
withpure-electricID.SUVsonthehorizon,
thecompanyistakingadifferentapproach
withthenextgenerationofthecarthat
willarriveinshowroomsin2022.
KeepingSUVsrelevantwhenthey’re
poweredbycombustionenginesisnosmall
task,notleastbecauseofsocialpressures
andthelikelycosts(morethan£2,000per
vehicle,accordingtosomeestimates)of
makingEuro7-compliantdieselengines.
SoVWdesignbossKlausBischoffandhis
teamhavebeenallowedtotakearadical
approach withthenextTiguan’sstyling.
Aspreviewedherebyourexclusiveimages,
theMk3carwilltakeonadifferentprofile,
swappingthecurrentmodel’srelatively
boxyshapeforamoreaggressiveroofline.
TheideaofaTiguancoupéhasbeen
mootedforsometime;indeed,it’sbelieved
thattheforthcomingFormentorfromsister
firmSEAT’sCupraoffshoot‘stole’several
elementsfromanabandonedTiguanproject.
ButVW’sdecisiontogivetheregularmodel
amoreswoopylookisdowntoadesireto
makeitamore‘emotional’purchase.
Despitethis,oursourcessaythatthe
Tiguan’sseats-upbootcapacitywillbe
relativelyunchanged,ataround470litres.
Andaswiththecurrentcar,amore
practicalAllspaceeditionwill
beoffered,extendingthe
Tiguan’soveralllength
byaround25cm.
Upfront,theTiguan
willuseanevolution

●Sportier look but same practicalityfor nextTiguan SUV

●Mild-hybrid, plug-in and performanceversions on the cards

CURVY

Next-gen

Tiguan looks

set to ditch

boxy styling

of current car

in favour of a

sportier look

BOLD

Light bar right

across the tail

is similar to

that seen on

T- Cross small

SUV,and adds

to the racy look

Sportier design

EXCLUSIVE Popular compactSUV ditches

ofthenewlyfaceliftedPassat’scabin,

withmorelargescreensandonlyminimal

switchgeartocomplywithregulations.

UnderpinningitallwillbetheVWGroup’s

MQBplatform–althoughthearchitecture

willhaveevolvedbythetimethenext

Tiguanarrives.Thatprocesswillintroduce

extra48-volt-basedtechnologiesthat

willallowthecartohaveLevelFour

autonomouscapabilityfromtheoutset

–techthatwillpermithands-offdrivingin

selectedsituations.VWhasalreadybeen

triallingitssystemsinHamburg,using

modifiedGolfsonacity-centreroute.

ThenewTiguanwillbenefitfrom

freshenginedevelopmentsthatareto

beintroducedbytheMk8Golfwhenthat

modelarrivesattheendofthisyear.As

such,expectallmotorstohave48-volt

mild-hybridtechnology, whichwillhelpto

narrowthegapbetweentheefficiencies

ofthepetrolanddieselversionsofthecar.

VWisalreadyplanningtointroducea

high-performanceTiguanR–following

thehotversionofthecurrentcarthat’s

duetoarrivethisautumn.Expectthenext-

generationTiguanRtohaveupto350bhp

froma2.0-litrefour-cylinderturbopetrol

motor,and4MOTIONfour-wheeldrive.

ForthosewhowanttheirTiguantoget

closertotheID.SUVsonefficiency,atleast

twoplug-inhybrideditionsofthecarare

beinglinedup.Theleanestshouldhave

around170bhp,whileamorepotentPHEV

willalsobeofferedwithabout250bhp.

EXCLUSIVEIMAGES