Volkswagen unveiled the third-generation Tiguan in Europe last fall, and it's a two-row proposal. But America's upcoming Tiguan has nothing in common with it. Instead, it is based on the Tayron sold in Asia and will launch for the 2025 model year with seating for up to seven.
We first saw it recently, when Volkswagen took a prototype to Sweden for cold weather testing. Fast-forward to this month and another tester became the focus of the camera lens, with our vigilant spy photographer immortalizing it at the Nurburgring in Germany.
One may want to ignore that four-slat grille, as it is actually a sticker meant to trick bystanders into thinking they're looking at the old Tiguan. Beneath it lies the real grille, which has a different styling, and further down, we can see a wide mouth with sizeable vents to the side, and an apron-like piece integrated into the bumper.
The model may have a full-width light bar, stretching from one taillight to the other, similar to the one of the latest iteration Golf. The tester had additional stickers out back meant to resemble quad exhaust tips. Another sticker is visible right below the rear windscreen, and it is believed to cover a light bar connecting the two taillights together.
Photo: SH Proshots
Zooming in on certain pictures will reveal a pair of bucket seats, and these, together with some OEM attachments that give it a youthful vibe, make us believe we're looking at an R-Line. Don't confuse it with the full-blown R, which may or may not be in the pipeline. Instead, the R-Line pushes the visual sportiness buttons, being an all-show with no extra-go proposal.
As you can imagine, details surrounding the powertrain(s) are scarce at the moment, so we cannot put our finger on the selected assembly (or assemblies) for our market. However, certain outlets speak of a four-banger with a 2.0-liter displacement and forced induction, aided by the mild hybrid technology. The same reports also believe a seven-speed transmission will be on deck, and while more expensive grades will feature all-wheel drive, lesser models should launch with front-wheel drive.
There is a chance Volkswagen may give the upcoming Tiguan destined for America one electrified powertrain, and it could be a plug-in hybrid. After all, such models have become more popular these past few years, and it would allow the German car manufacturer to cater to the needs of those looking for such a product, which successfully bridges the gap between internal combustion units and fully electric powertrains.
VW should have the all-new Tiguan ready for the United States in a few months, and it will likely go on sale as a 2025 model. So, could this be your upcoming compact crossover?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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