VW U.S. Plans Include Long-Wheelbase, Hybrid Tiguan

FRANKFURT – Look for a long-wheelbase model followed by a plug-in hybrid when the Volkswagen Tiguan arrives in the U.S. market in 2017, VW officials say at the Tuesday premiere of the second-generation small CUV at the Frankfurt auto show.

European version of VW Tiguan GTE.

The new Tiguan goes on sale in Europe in April 2016, riding on the German automaker’s flexible MQB platform and sporting a more dynamic and crisper appearance compared with the original that launched in 2007. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, head of development for the VW brand and VW powertrain chief, says the redesigned Tiguan’s features, styling and powertrains should make it highly competitive in the hot CUV segment.

For the U.S. and China markets, VW in spring 2017 will introduce a long-wheelbase Tiguan stretched 3.9 ins. (100 mm) to provide additional passenger room. That’s in addition to the standard model’s 3-in. (76-mm) longer wheelbase and overall growth of 2.4 ins. (61 mm) in length and 1.2 ins. (30 mm) in width. A 7-seat, 3-row concept also is in the works for a 2017 debut, Neusser says.

Finally, a plug-in hybrid GTE model will debut in 2017, taking its cues from a concept version shown at Frankfurt. The GTE concept ties a 1.4L gasoline 4-cyl. with an electric motor to produce 215 hp and up to 31 miles (50 km) in pure EV mode. A rooftop solar panel generates enough power to provide more than 621 miles (1,000km) annually of electric driving range.

[email protected]