They're calling it "the most spectacular Volkswagen yet made for the American market." It's the Teramont, and there's an official video about it.
Whether you describe it as a midsize SUV of a fullsize crossover, it doesn't really matter. The bigger brother of the Tiguan is a substantial 3-row vehicle that will compete with the Mazda CX-9 and the Honda Pilot.
We've shown you plenty of spy images and videos already. But this one is special because it's official. Within a little over a minute of footage, we learn that the Teramont will be slightly longer than the CrossBlue preview concept and that it packs seven seats in three rows.
To be honest, we already had the precise dimensions of the 4x4, which will be 5,039mm (198.4 in) long, 1,989mm (78.3 in) wide, 1,773mm (69.8 in) tall, with a 2,980mm (117.3 in) wheelbase.
Leaked interior photos (check adjacent photo gallery) also suggests there will be a 5-seat version offered as well for the people who got a vasectomy after their third child.
Something else we've learned from the video is the range of powertrains that will be available. Just as expected, the base Teramont will come with a 2.0 TSI turbo engine. However, VW now reveals its maximum output will be 238 hp (US-spec). That's slightly more than you get in the Golf GTI.
By comparison, the Mazda CX-9's brand new 2.5-liter turbo engine makes 250 hp on premium gas and 227 hp on regular.
The other engine option for the Teramont will be a V6. Unfortunately, the fact that it's a 3.6-liter and makes 280 hp suggests this is a revised version of what you get in the Passat. We know the Germans have developed a 3.0 TSI with at least 300 horsepower specifically for the MQB platform. So why not offer it?
Later on, a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder variant will be available as well, as previewed by the CrossBlue. Both front- and all-wheel-drive versions should be offered straight away, but we don't yet know what gearboxes will be matched to those engines.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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