The Volkswagen Tiguan is the most successful Sports Utility Vehicle in Europe and one of the top-selling SUVs in the world. More than six million units have been produced to date. In 2019, it was again the most popular model of the brand and entire Volkswagen Group, with around 911,000 units produced. The top-selling vehicle is now about to receive a comprehensive update. Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer and designated CEO of the Volkswagen brand: “We launched our global SUV strategy with the second-generation Tiguan in 2016. It served as the basis for many successful models worldwide. Volkswagen is now taking the next step by electrifying, digitalising and networking the new Tiguan. This will equip the compact SUV to handle the challenges of the modern era.”

New Tiguan evolutionary stage. All key technology on board the best-seller is set to take a significant step forward. A new feature is the 480-watt sound system³ from the audio specialists Harman/Kardon. Volkswagen has also digitalised the climate control functions by means of touch sliders³ and touch buttons³. And last, but by no means least, the Tiguan’s new IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlights³ guide the driver through the night with enhanced comfort and safety.

The most versatile SUV. Like its predecessors, the new Tiguan is extremely versatile. It is a genuine SUV capable of towing loads of up to 2.5 tonnes – a Volkswagen that can handle every motoring situation with aplomb. This is truer than ever, thanks to the new range of drive, assist and infotainment systems on board the Tiguan.

All-new front end. The new front end is one of the key visual features of the updated Tiguan. Klaus Zyciora, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group and Chief Designer at Volkswagen Passenger Cars: “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 Sport sold in North America. It really lends the new Tiguan a significantly more confident appearance.” The bonnet is higher and the new radiator grille with LED headlights is wider, with the new Volkswagen badge positioned centrally at the front. The eye-catching bumpers have also undergone a makeover. At the rear, the “Tiguan” lettering is now in a conspicuous central position below the VW badge. The “4MOTION” lettering on the rear of all-wheel drive models has also been redesigned.

New controls and infotainment systems

Digital touch panels instead of buttons and controls. Inside the vehicle, Volkswagen has added an all-new touch module³ for the climate control functions. In addition to touch buttons, generously sized and illuminated touch sliders are used for fan and temperature control. The touch buttons can also optionally be used to operate functions such as the seat, rear window and windscreen heating, and to open the air-conditioning menu. A digital version of the new multifunction steering wheel featuring illuminated touch islands and sliders is also available as an option. Illuminated USB-C ports are located under the air-conditioning module.

MIB3 and App-Connect Wireless³. Another of the Tiguan’s technical highlights is the new range of infotainment systems (MIB3) available in the latest models, alongside the new feature of wireless integration apps via App-Connect Wireless³ for Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™.

Harman Kardon sound system. Volkswagen has worked with audio specialist Harman/Kardon to develop a new, optional premium sound system for the Tiguan. It features ten high-performance loudspeakers and a 480-watt amplifier. The sound can be configured individually using four preset audio profiles. The blend of rich basses, crystal-clear trebles and razor-sharp speech reproduction makes for a fascinating audio experience.

New light systems

New IQ.LIGHT³. A new evolutionary stage of vehicle lighting is now available for the first time in the Tiguan – the IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlights. Volkswagen first used this headlight system in a similar form in the Touareg, the Tiguan’s larger cousin. Following in the tracks of the Touareg, Passat and Golf, the new Tiguan is the fourth Volkswagen to feature this LED lighting system, which is considered one of the best of its kind in the world. A matrix of 24 LEDs in each headlight module is used to activate various lighting functions, some of which are interactive, and to project them onto the road. Another first for the Tiguan is the “wiping” animation of the LED turn signals integrated into the IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlights module. The LED tail light clusters have also been redesigned. The top versions³ now also feature a “wiping” turn signal function; other new features here are the visually striking click-clack switchover between the tail light and brake light function, and also the animated coming home / leaving home functions when unlocking and locking the Tiguan.

New equipment lines

Tiguan, Life, Elegance, R-Line. Volkswagen has also reconfigured and renamed its equipment lines. The next level up from the basic Tiguan model is the Life version, with more comprehensive features. In the next equipment level, the lines fork into the more luxurious Elegance and sportier R-Line models. All versions of the Tiguan come with LED headlights, the proactive occupant protection system² in combination with Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist², the new leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel, an infotainment system with an at least 6.5-inch display. The standard features of the Life package include automatic air conditioning system (Climatronic) and 17-inch aluminium wheels. The range-topping Elegance and R-Line lines also share standard details including the IQ.LIGHT – LED matrix headlights, the Digital Cockpit featuring digital instruments and a 10-inch screen diagonal, adjustable multi-coloured background lighting.

Further details and specifications for the Middle East market introduction will be communicated at a later date.

The Tiguan – a global success story

Top-selling SUV in Europe. On average, a brand new Tiguan rolled off the production line every 35 seconds in one of four factories across the globe last year – a total of 911,000 units. This fast rate of production reflects the rapid development of the product line. The world premiere of the first generation of the SUV took place at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt back in 2007. Later that year, the first Tiguan came onto the market, initially with all-wheel drive (4MOTION). Since then, the newcomer has enjoyed a meteoric rise. In 2008, Volkswagen manufactured more than 150,000 units of the Tiguan, which was now also available with front-wheel drive. In Germany, it claimed the title of the most successful SUV from a standing start. And, from the outset, the new model was also in demand worldwide. This was because Volkswagen’s ground-breaking Tiguan redefined the boundaries between an SUV and a passenger car thanks to its active driving and technical features. It achieved a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test, which made it a valuable addition to the A-SUV segment as one of the safest vehicles in the class. It was also the first Volkswagen to be powered entirely by efficient turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. Some six million Tiguans had been manufactured by spring 2020.

Generation I – the first Tiguan updated. In spring 2011, Volkswagen unveiled a major technical and visual update at the Geneva Motor Show. By then, 700,000 units of the Tiguan had already been produced. The revamped design moved the Tiguan closer to the Touareg. The turbocharged engines became even more fuel-efficient, due in part to a start/stop system. Safety and comfort were enhanced with new technologies including the Lane Assist² lane keeping system, the Dynamic Light Assist advanced main-beam control, and the XDS electronic differential lock. This update enabled the SUV to conquer the world with a vengeance, as the annual Tiguan volumes broke the 500,000 barrier for the first time. Some two million units of the second generation were manufactured between 2011 and late summer 2015 – production had almost trebled by comparison with the same period for the first generation.

Generation II – the all-new second Tiguan. The IAA in Frankfurt in September 2015 provided the stage for the world premiere of the new second-generation Tiguan. However, it was a case of revolution rather than evolution, as the Tiguan was now constructed using the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB) for the first time. And this technical platform changed everything. Increased dynamic proportions with axles moved further towards the outside provided the template for an authentic and dynamic SUV design. The interior offered significantly more space due to the lengthened wheelbase while, on the technical front, new assist systems including Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist² and City Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring² heralded the dawn of a new era in active safety. The second generation of the Tiguan arrived on the market in April 2016. At the same time, Volkswagen launched a global SUV campaign with the Tiguan as its centrepiece.

Four factories in four time zones – no barriers for the Tiguan. One in seven of the 6.18 million Volkswagen cars manufactured in 2019 was a Tiguan – 910,926 vehicles, to be precise. The annual Tiguan volumes have increased almost eightfold since the first full year of production. The top three markets for Tiguan deliveries to customers in 2019 were China (approx. 255,000 units), the USA (approx. 110,000 units) and Germany (approx. 85,000 units). The Tiguan is currently manufactured at four Volkswagen plants spread across four time zones, thus ensuring almost round-the-clock production of the versatile SUV. The version with a normal wheelbase (NWB) – and now also the imminent updated version – is manufactured at Volkswagen’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, for the markets in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Kaluga plant, situated 170 kilometres south-west of Moscow, produces the Tiguan NWB⁵ for the Russian market and for neighbouring Central Asian countries. In Shanghai, SAIC Volkswagen manufactures the Tiguan L⁵ (LWB) for the Chinese market. In the Mexican city of Puebla, the LWB versions of the Tiguan are produced for North⁵ and South America⁵ and – as the Tiguan Allspace – for countries in Europe, Africa⁵, Asia⁵ and Oceania⁵.