Whether you love or loathe the Volkswagen Tiguan, it’s impossible to deny that this compact crossover is a huge hit for the German brand in America. It was Volkswagen’s best-selling model for the American market for the first half of this year and shows no indication of slowing down soon despite having been around since 2017. Still, its seven-year model cycle is coming to an end, and a new Tiguan based on an evolved MQB platform is on the horizon. While the next American Tiguan will carry considerable length over the European model, consider this a preview of things to come.
In an age where even the Nissan Rogue has gone boxy, Volkswagen has curved the latest trends. The new European-market Tiguan adopts a soft silhouette and complex detail work that pushes back against macho posturing. Sure, the grille on the front bumper is roughly the size of Rhode Island, but nobody’s perfect. Well, perhaps nobody except Mazda’s stylists, but I digress. The big benefit of this new look is a reduced drag coefficient of 0.28, a figure in line with many passenger cars that don’t have the same frontal area as a family crossover.
That drag coefficient undoubtedly plays a role in the most interesting powertrain the new Tiguan has to offer, a plug-in hybrid affair claiming a great-for-a-PHEV 62 miles of range. Granted, that’s likely WLTP range, and there’s no indication that this flexible powertrain will make it to America. Still, imagine what you could do with a buttload of range for in-town travel. Chevrolet Volt owners already know what I’m talking about.
[Editor’s Note: The reason why this is a big deal is that many of us here at The Autopian believe that the perfect car for 2023 isn’t necessarily a high-range EV, but rather a high-range PHEV, with “high range” being anywhere between about 60 and 120 miles. This is enough to allow the average person to drive in pure EV mode most days, without having any concern about range anxiety. It’s a fantastic gateway into EVs for those who aren’t quite ready, and it is possibly also cheaper since batteries needed for high range driving tend to be costly. -DT].
Regardless of fuel source, every third-generation Tiguan gets a dual-clutch automatic gearbox with a nifty electronic selector on the column. Mercedes-Benz was ahead of the curve on the column shifter revival, but it’s pleasing to see other manufacturers making the switch to free up center console space. In addition, the Tiguan is available with new two-valve adaptive dampers, hardware that should let engineers dial in superior body control and outstanding ride comfort.
Sliding into the interior, the new Volkswagen Tiguan seems to be moving up in the world. Hey, is that a volume knob? And real buttons on the steering wheel? Oh hell yeah, look at Volkswagen making good on its promise to bring back some physical controls. Sure, the climate controls still use touch-sensitive sliders, but how often are you adjusting automatic climate control anyway? As a bonus, that volume knob serves three purposes. According to Volkswagen, “This new rotary control with its own mini screen can be used to control the driving profile, radio volume or also the background lighting colours.”
That’s all well and good, but something big seems to be missing: Physical heated seat controls. For drivers in northern climes, hunting through a touchscreen to activate heated seats is unacceptable. Sure, some people will say that heated seats are unnecessary, but if you’re paying serious money for a new car amid high inflation, high cost of living, and high interest rates, it better warm your ass. However, Volkswagen seems to have a workaround of sorts. According to the press release, “there is a programming function for automatic activation of the seat heating or seat ventilation at certain outside temperatures.”
With more physical controls, a solid coefficient of drag for a combustion-powered crossover, and styling that bucks the boxy trend, the new European-market Volkswagen Tiguan is an exciting preview of the longer sausage destined for an American debut next year. If the two cars end up alike — which I have no doubt they could — the Tiguan should get a new set of wings to compete with a fresher, more upscale set of compact crossover competitors.
(Photo credits: Volkswagen)
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Which is irrelevant since drag coefficient doesn’t factor in frontal area. That’s why you’ll see massive vehicles advertising surprisingly low Cd values.
Nope, not a solution. I turn this off in all of my vehicles where it’s an option. When I do winter sports I often get in the car sweating and do not want the seat heaters on. In the summer I often want ventilation even if the temperature isn’t above the semi-arbitrary threshold they set. The only correct answer here is physical buttons to turn them on when I want them.
I also still see a bunch of capacitive sliders under the screen, so at best they get partial credit for adding a volume button. I guess that’s the best they could do as an emergency redesign without changing the whole interior.
Re: the range, I assume 62 miles on WLTP is, what, 45 or 50 EPA? Still not bad for a crossover.
I just realized I completely skipped the paragraph about the column-mounted shifter. That is excellent! Not sure it would convince me to buy one in spite of the other UX nightmares, but happy to see the column shifter make a comeback.
You know what’s mad?
VW retaining the mirror heater as a latching dial on the door card.
It’s absurd this functionality hasn’t changed in near 20-years, and retains its biggest weakness that you can accidentally forget the heat on for days-weeks-years on end, burning out the mirror heaters entirely.
Nah, I’ve left the mirror heaters on for the entire winter in 3 different Volkswagens and they didn’t burn out. They’re not the coils on your toaster getting red-hot, they just get luke-warm to melt the frost.
My friend had a 2022 Tiguan, what a POS. Huge suspension knocks from new, the interior plastic and materials make my Tercel feel like a Bentley. Very loud inside while driving, the whole vehicle just felt thin and flimsy. If VW was dirt cheap I can see the appeal but for the premium they command in NA I can’t understand why people buy them (outside of say the GTI or R for simple lack of competition)
“Huge suspension knocks from new”
Was that fixed? If not and the mystery lingers tell “your friend” to check the torque on the strut rod nuts. I had the same problem, replaced a bunch of stuff to no avail and finally read a chat where retourquing these nuts was suggested. At rest the nuts might seem fine but if they are a bit loose they will unload under compression allowing the rod to knock. It should cost nothing and only take a few minutes so why not try?
She sold it (for a loss) as she couldn’t afford the $600+ payments lol. I suggested the strut nuts (seems obvious/easiest thing to check) but you know how non-car people are; the noises they put up with would drive me crazy.
“but you know how non-car people are”
Yep.
“She sold it (for a loss)”
Folks like those are how folks like us car people get to (maybe) score a deal that’s only a couple of no cost turns of a wrench or electrical contact cleaning from perfection.
Forgotten in the “well they can turn on automatically” suggestion: Some of us are old and turn on seat heaters so our backs get soothing heat.
Also, why does VW insist on using the optical illusion on the transmission selector? It’s actually clearer if they take that icon off.
I can’t see how a VW with even more electrical system could become a problem.
What is up with this “colored specs” trim on the passenger side and door? BMW has something similar going on. I don’t think it is necessarily terrible, but find it interesting both VW and BMW are rolling out something so similar.
And a reasonable sized SUV with 62 miles of EV range would be great. It’d be even greater if VW didn’t build it. People attempt to knock hybrids and PHEVs as “more to break”. Toyota hybrids certainly don’t reflect that, but if anyone would, I’d bet on VW.
I despise automatic controls like they mention for the seat heater. I don’t need a computer to decide if my ass is cold. I’m a big boy. I can do that for myself. Just give me a damn switch to push.
Give us the choice. It really annoys me that I have to turn on the seat heater when it’s below 35F, or the seat cooler when the cabin is over 80F. Should have the option to be automatic.
I just had a new Audi Q3 as a rental. They should just copy that interior, it was nice and simple with a nice integrated screen and buttons and switches to control most things that I cared about.
“there is a programming function for automatic activation of the seat heating or seat ventilation at certain outside temperatures.”
None of which would be necessary if you just gave me a button to tell the car when I need the feature
In true VW fashion, they’ve already said the USA isn’t getting this new Tiguan – with its awesome PHEV range and proper size. They never send us the good stuff. Instead, we are going to get whatever the next gen “Tayron” which at least was a Chinese market MQB based SUV. Let’s hope it isn’t a piece of garbage. The Taos sure is, as is the Atlas (and I’m not specifically trying to be a hater, I currently own two VAG products including the 2022 Tiguan which has the terrible capacitive steering buttons and dysfunctional GPS/MIB system).
Yeah, this would be a huge hit in the US which is why I knew they weren’t going to bring it over
I’m a card carrying VW Hater and I still don’t think they’ll ever get my money again, but there’s a lot to like here compared to their recent steaming piles. I see physical buttons on the steering wheel and physical window switches. On any other car those are a given but VW’s haptic hell world interiors inexplicably did away with them.
Also, 62 miles of all electric range for a PHEV is amazing and as you all know I am team PHEV all the things. You could probably go days between charging this and still do your commuting/errands on electric alone. That’s cool and good.
Would I buy one? Hell to the no. But I think there’s some good stuff here, even though I’m grading VW on a curve. They deserve brownie points for not shooting themselves directly in the dick at this point because they’re amazing at it.
forgive me while I yawn and fade into the ether.
“The big benefit of this new look is a reduced drag coefficient of 0.28, a figure in line with many passenger cars that don’t have the same frontal area as a family crossover.”
This is a friendly blood-curdling scream from the back of the peanut gallery that drag coefficient and frontal area have nothing to do with each other.
If this Tiguan has the same CdA as a Jetta, then you have my full attention.
“We freed up all this console space with our column shifter, what should we do with it?”
“How about a wireless charging pad that will do nothing but overheat, and an enormous volume knob?”
We created a ton of space with electronic shifters that only have to move an inch vs. mechanical shifters that had to move six inches, and now we’re completely removing the shifter from the console, but I have yet to see anyone do anything interesting or useful with all that space.
I’m sure the American spec needed the space for cup holders large enough for our Gallon sized Big Gulps and oversized Starbucks
morning milkshakescoffeesEveryone who is trying to do push button transmissions taking up valuable console real estate should follow the column shifter lead.
VW interior engineer 1: Well now that we brought back some buttons how do we piss people off when they are just trying to drive?
VW IE 2: I don’t know, maybe we should try to make people happy when they drive.
VW IE 3: RED LIGHTS, people hate red lights
VW IE 1: I’ll put them EVERYWHERE
VW IE 2 : But not everywhere, everywhere right? Like we wont use red lights on the giant screen right?
VW IE 1 & 3 : You are a genius! Red lighting on the screen too! Check you email for promotion notification.
The red was cool back when they had blue lighting on the gauges to offset it (pre-2010ish I think). But not a fan of how they’ve done it here.
I’ve owned too many cars with red dash lights (Pontiacs, and Mazda3) that it’s a complete no for me. In cars with all the selectable colors/mood lighting I just leave it off. I want my 97 Maxima dash back, now get off my lawn.
I pretty much always set controllable colors in gauges to 90s green. Even when I install an aftermarket stereo with all those fancy colors, I go with that green. And outside of the gauges, I keep all accessory lighting off. I don’t even leave my cigarette lighter 12V adaptor plugged in because the LED pisses me off.
True. That image of the dashboard/front interior looks like it was puked out of a carnival. I immediately started hearing calliope music in my head and chanted blinky blinky beep beep.
Goddamn is that center screen imposing in that interior. That thing is Billy Fucillo levels of HUGE (RIP).
Looks like they’ve walked back the window switch nightmare? But climate control sliders and screen controls vents are here to stay. Yuck.
It’s disappointing how reluctant automakers are to bring us any sort of variety of PHEVs. We’ve been beating the PHEV vs EV horse to death here but come on guys, put those battery resources to actual good use and stop jamming them into F-150s would you?
Hot damn, a Billy Fucillo reference on a car blog?! Man, that’s something I wouldn’t expect to see!
May he definitely RIP.
As a long time upstate NYer, and my parents an odd brand of Hyundai loyalists, Billy made my parents HUGE a few times.
I grew up in the area. Billy was non-stop for a period of time. Just constant advertising. Dude flooded the area with Hyundais though on horrible credit terms.
Oh absolutely. But hey, at least those 00’s Hyundais were cheap, so a bad loan on an Elantra was something you can get out from under. Now the area is flooded with 50k Palisades at 12%. Yikes.
That’s all well and good, but I still want the button to heat or cool my butt. The outside temp, especially on longer drives, may not have as much direct relation to my temperature as they expect.
Yeah, I’ve seen this programming as a work around to annoying touch screen controls, but how exactly is this supposed to know what my preference is for ass-temperature? I’d like to make that decision on my own, please. Preferably with a damn button.
After you subscribe and share your personal health data, they’ll keep your ass in perfect(ish) comfort.
Just insert the rectal probe and drive 100 miles, and we will fine tune the seat to your optimal ass temperature! 100% guaranteed comfort (except for the thing in your bum)!
Pretty certain this describes Mr. Garrison’s “It”.
Sure beats dealing with the airlines though.