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VW Debuts Refreshed Tiguan, Complete With R And Plug-In eHybrid Options

Volkswagen has no room for error with the Tiguan update – it needs to keep client satisfaction in the SUV segment just as high as it does with the Golf in the compact sector. And this mid-life cycle facelift is proof enough: it comes with familiar styling and a host of technological enhancements that will keep it relevant for years to come.
VW Tiguan Facelift 24 photos
Photo: VW AG
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The brand likes to brag a lot about the model’s success – but it’s within its rights. The automaker has been churning out more than six million units (911,000 examples in 2019 alone) since production of the first-generation Tiguan began almost 13 years ago (winter of 2007).

Now it’s time for the second iteration to go through the usual refresh, bringing a host of design changes and numerous innovative technologies. Volkswagen’s compact crossover SUV holds no surprises in the styling department – no one was expecting major changes.

On the other hand, the designers did integrate quite a bit of cues from the latest Golf – just to make sure the family resemblance is well in place. Not only that, but the Tiguan also has common traits with the US-born Atlas Cross Sport or the flagship Touareg.

At the front, Volkswagen’s new SUV radiator grille forges a visual link between the Tiguan and models such as the larger Touareg and the Atlas Cross Sport05sold in North America. It really lends the new Tiguan a significantly more confident appearance,” comments Klaus Zyciora, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group and Chief Designer for the Volkswagen brand.

Other obvious changes are visible inside, where the facelifted Tiguan will arrive with the latest MIB3 infotainment systems, a completely new steering wheel that features premium touch controls and a digital climate control cluster that includes – also for the first time - touch sliders and touch buttons.

On the technology front the engineers introduce the Tiguan to the automaker’s IQ.Light (LED matrix) headlight technology and incorporate the semi-autonomous Travel Assist system that enables assisted driving at up to 210 km/h. Meanwhile, audiophiles might rejoice when hearing of the new optional 480-watt premium sound system provided by partner Harman Kardon.

But, of course, the most important changes to the refreshed Tiguan lineup have to do with the elements ticking under the hood. For the first time VW is introducing a dedicated Volkswagen R division-tuned Tiguan R. We don’t know all the hot details just yet, but the automaker also promises the addition of a new 4Motion AWD system with so called “R-Performance Torque Vectoring” to go along.

And let’s not forget about the premiere of the Tiguan eHybrid, with the plug-in hybrid option enabling the SUV to go emissions free up to 130 kph (81 mph). No specifications have been delivered just yet, but we can expect the system to mirror the one present inside the Golf eHybrid.

For more information you can refer to the attached press release below.

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press release
About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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