Next-Gen Volkswagen Tiguan Spied Testing In United States

The engineering team tries to make the new model look like the existing one.

By: Chris Bruce

Mar 30, 2023 at 2:29pm ET

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This gallery of spy shots is our first time seeing the next-gen Volkswagen Tiguan testing in the United States. The automaker's engineers cover up the crossover's exterior more thoroughly than things initially appear.

VW uses a covering between the headlights to conceal the upper grille. Some of the lower section also has a panel over it. Radiators are visible behind this section, and there are vertical inlets on each outer edge. A small splitter is at the very bottom.

Gallery: Next-Gen Volkswagen Tiguan Spy Shots

Judging from this vehicle, VW isn't making major changes to the new Tiguan's profile in comparison to the existing model. The front fascia appears to be blunter. The creases along the flanks are not as distinct.

At the rear, the developers cover the taillights in decals that make them look like the current design. A panel covers the exhaust pipes to make the lower part of the bumper have the same appearance as the existing Tiguan.

Earlier spy shots gave us a glimpse inside the new Tiguan. A big, tablet-like display sticks out from the center stack. The instruments also seem to have a digital screen.

The new Tiguan will reportedly use an updated version of the model's existing platform. VW is making significant investments into electric vehicles, and combustion engines appear to have a limited future. These factors mean that the company doesn't want to put the money into new underpinnings for the crossover.

There are no powertrain details available yet. Using an evolution of the current platform could allow the engines to carry over. An earlier report indicates a more powerful version is coming but not a full R model. A plug-in hybrid would be available, too.

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A report from Germany claims that the next-gen Tiguan is also coming as a fully electric model. However, this one would ride on VW's MEB-Plus architecture that is specifically for EVs. Production of this variant begins in 2026 at the brand's primary factory in Wolfburg, Germany.

Volkswagen already has the 2023 model year Tiguan available in the United States. This means we wouldn't see the new one until the 2024 model at the earliest.

Source: Automedia