Volkswagen says 'be excited' for fast version of its new 2020 Tiguan
While Volkswagen will release its new-for-2020 Tiguan later this year, the model will go on sale in SA during the first quarter of 2021.
This was stated by the local arm of the company after an online presentation, to which selected national and global media members were invited, including TimesLIVE Motoring. The regular wheelbase variant arrives first, to be joined by the roomier Allspace further along the timeline.
Hendrik Muth, head of product marketing for the German automaker, chaired the digital briefing via Skype. He outlined the sales performance of the model since inception and provided a preview of what could be expected from the successor to the current offering. The 2020 car is an updated version of the second-generation vehicle presently sold, rather than an all-new model.
We asked Muth if a Tiguan R derivative is on the cards. He responded: “We are going to do something on the performance side, it will come soon in the life cycle. What exactly our performance version [will entail] will be announced at a later time, but be prepared, be excited.”
Buyers can expect revised frontal and rear styling, as imagined by a sketch that featured in the slides that accompanied the preview. Muth promises “it will become more dynamic and masculine”, adding that the Tiguan “will have 100% LED lighting and will get a very expressive R-Line version”. He explained, “we will also clean out our line-up configurations and reduce complexity”.
Referencing the 200mm ground clearance of the vehicle, he said that though customers in most markets use their vehicles primarily on road, the Tiguan will continue to “fulfil sport-utility vehicle capabilities”.
Additional drive systems are in the works, incorporating “twin dosing, among other things” with a plug-in hybrid derivative being confirmed for now. It purports an electric range in excess of 50km, with a powertrain employing a TSI engine and DSG transmission. “Our drivetrains will be more efficient”.
Inside, the enhanced Tiguan will incorporate the third expression of the Volkswagen Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB) and pack more in the area of driver assistance systems. The marketing head reiterated that the Tiguan occupies a key position in the Volkswagen product portfolio. “Though it is one of our younger nameplates, it became our best-seller in the year 2019.”
In the sales figures for last year, it accounted for 910,926 units, eclipsing the Polo and its Virtus twin (706,052) as well as the Golf (679,351). In its first year of existence, 2007, the Tiguan registered 16,272 on the global tally. The after year, that number increased to 150,416. Muth expects the Tiguan to cross the million mark, as “the demand for sport-utility vehicles is growing worldwide”.
The Tiguan is produced in four factories: Wolfsburg (Germany), Kaluga (Russia), Puebla (Mexico) and Shanghai in China. It is also assembled in Thika, Kenya, in a semi knocked-down (SKD) process at a facility that was established in 2016. According to the latest pricing on the Volkswagen South Africa website, outlay for the Tiguan currently ranges between R449,800 and R601,500, before options.