Tiguan

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
SUV

The Tiguan is not the most exciting model in Volkswagen's lineup but it is one of the few compact SUVs to offer three rows of seating. Early in 2019, VW sold its five millionth Tiguan of all-time, capping off a massively successful sales year in 2018 with just under 800,000 units delivered around the world, making it the company's best-selling model. With the enormous popularity of SUVs, VW needs to capitalize on the Tiguan's success when the next-generation model arrives.

Speaking with Auto Express, VW design boss Klaus Bischoff said VW will take a radical design approach to the new Tiguan even though the current model is selling so well. As with the upcoming Atlas Cross, the Tiguan will receive a more coupe-like roofline and ditch the boxy proportions of the current car.

This change is supposed to make the Tiguan a more emotional purchase rather than a purely practical one. But even with a more coupe-like roofline, sources say the Tiguan's trunk space will remain virtually unchanged, meaning it will still be extremely practical within the compact SUV segment. Sources also confirmed there will continue to be a larger Allspace model, which will increase the Tiguan's overall length.

On the interior, the new Tiguan is set to borrow heavily from the recently-revealed European Passat, which is much nicer inside than the current US-spec car. This means the Tiguan will have multiple screens and minimal switchgear, adding a futuristic element to the cabin. We hope VW won't skimp on the US-spec car as it did with the Passat.

Power will likely come from the same engines set to be used in the eigth-generation Golf, meaning the Tiguan could use a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. VW has also been rumored to be working on a hot Tiguan R model, though it remains to be seen if such a model would be available in the US. The next-generation Tiguan is set to arrive in Europe in 2022, meaning it won't come stateside until at least 2023.