VW to grow next Tiguan
Next-generation Volkswagen Tiguan to spawn seven seats; Australian future unclearVolkswagen has confirmed the replacement for its seven-year-old Tiguan will be available with seven seats, but it remains to be seen whether it will be built in right-hand drive guise for Australia.
Due to emerge next year, the new Tiguan will reportedly be built in three configurations – all based on the modular MQB platform for the first time -- including a short-wheelbase five-seat version for Europe, a four-seat 'coupe' model and a long-wheelbase seven-seater.
Aimed primarily at the North American market, where current Tiguan is not a strong seller, the near-five-metre three-row Tiguan will enter production in Mexico from late 2016, confirmed Volkswagen de Mexico in a statement.
Volkswagen will invest $US1 billion ($A1.3b) at its Puebla factory, which currently produces the Beetle and Jetta for Australia, and where 2000 people will produce up to 500 LWB Tiguans a day from 2017.
Volkswagen Group of America CEO Michael Horn said the Mexican-built Tiguan will be shipped to North and South America and other markets, but not Europe or China.
Meantime, Europe's new five-seat Tiguan is due to make its world premiere at the Frankfurt show in September and is again expected to be built in Germany.
It could reach Australia by the end of 2016, but it's unclear if the seven-seat model — or the 'coupe' — will be sold here. Volkswagen Group Australia has ruled out the smaller Taigun crossover for local release.
The stretched, three-row Tiguan will join a growing number of mid-size SUVs to be available with seven seats, including the Nissan X-TRAIL and, soon, Mazda's CX-5.
Volkswagen, which also revealed the Cross Coupe GTE concept (pictured) at January's Detroit show has also confirmed it will build an all-new large seven-seat SUV in Tennessee from late 2017, but that vehicle has been ruled out for Australia.
Before the new Tiguan arrives here in about two years, Volkswagen Group Australia will introduce the all-new Golf Alltrack crossover wagon in October and the new Passat Alltrack next year.
A revised MY15 version of the current Tiguan, which dates back to 2008 and is the fifth best seller in its class behind the Hyundai ix35 and Subaru XV, was released last October. Volkswagen's only other SUV – the Touareg – was updated for 2015 last month.
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