It’s a case of evolution, not revolution for the latest version of this big-selling family SUV On sale June 2024 Price from £37,000 (est)
Stuart Milne stuart.milne@haymarket.com
DON’T THROW THE baby out with the bathwater, they say; it’s a maxim that car manufacturers are wise to remember when updating cars that have a strong following.The Volkswagen Tiguan, for example, is VW’s biggest-selling model globally, and third only to the Golf and T-Roc in the UK, so rash changes would be risky.
Fittingly, while the new Tiguan looks new, there’s still much of the current car’s DNA left, with incremental changes across the board to strengthen the areas where it was needed.
The exterior has a similar styling treatment to the recently announced 2024 Passat estate, with new, slimmer headlights, a large lower grille and a rear lighting strip that stretches the full width of the car.Yet for all those revised looks, the car’s approximate size and shape haven’t really changed.
Under the surface, the new Tiguan’s underpinnings are a development of the current car’s, tweaked to bring a raft of new tech that’s intended to change the way the Tiguan drives.Volkswagen’s Dynamic Chassis Control system, for example, continually reacts to the road conditions and tweaks steering, braking and acceleration accordingly. An optional DCC Pro system takes this a step further, introducing more sophisticated suspension with the aim of improving ride comfort and agility.
Two 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models will be offered. Badged eHybrid, they develop 201bhp and 268bhp. As well as a raft of internal modifications and a revised turbocharger, these PHEVs feature a new, larger (19.7kWh) battery for a range of around 60 miles – an improvement over the current Tiguan’s 30-50-mile range and substantially beating the Ford Kuga’s 39 miles.
Charging speeds have increased, with the new battery able to accept 11kW rather than 3.6kW from an AC connection. That cuts the time taken for a full charge at home from three and a half hours to around two hours.The car can also handle a DC charge at up to 50kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up via a public rapid charger could take as little as 25 minutes.
That 1.5-litre engine is also available as a mild hybrid. Badged eTSI, it uses a 48-volt electric motor to boost power, improving efficiency when pulling away, and unlike some rivals, it enables the Tiguan to travel on electric power alone for short distances. It can shut down two of its f
