The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan sheds the boxy, unremarkable skin of the last-generation vehicle for something that is more than little bolder.
The first thing you’ll notice is the larger lower front fascia, and the second thing you’ll pick up on, if optioned, is the light bar across the front — a piece of design that is fast becoming a Volkswagen signature.
The inside is also revamped thoroughly.
The 2025 Tiguan rides on a new platform — VW’s MQB Evo — and other changes include a boost in power, the loss of the available third seating row, and a larger infotainment screen.
Volkswagen is also claiming improved fuel economy.
I had the chance to check out the next Tiguan, though not drive it, ahead of the 2024 Los Angeles Auto Show.
(Full disclosure: Volkswagen flew me to L.A. and is hosting me throughout the show so that I could see the 2025 VW Tiguan up close and personal).
The redesign changes all the sheetmetal, shortens the rear overhang, and slightly lengthens the wheelbase. The roofline is sloping now and there’s a spoiler on the back.
There are new wheel designs and available sizes include 17-, 19-, and 20-inches. There are also three new available paint colors — Monterey Blue Pearl, Sandstone Uni, and Avocado Green Pearl.
Inside, walnut wood trim is available and the gearshift, uh, shifts to the steering column. That increases center-console space — and the center console is extendable. There’s now a big knob near the center console that controls audio volume, drive mode, and ambient lighting.
Wireless cell-phone charging is standard and uses a sleeve mounted in the center-console area. It seemed to work fine with my iPhone after a bit of finagling.
Digital gauges are now standard along with the 12.9-inch infotainment screen. The MIB4 system is akin to the one I just tested in the ID.Buzz — there’s still haptic touch, but I had the chance to play with it a little and it seems easier to use and faster than the buggy VW haptic-touch systems that have been so reviled.
Power continues to come from the EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, though it now makes 201 horsepower, up from 184. VW also says the Tiguan sheds 170 pounds through tricks like the use of aluminum in the suspension. EPA fuel-economy numbers are not yet available but Volkswagen says they will be better than the outgoing model.
Transmission and drivetrain options should remain the same.
Standard or optional features include tri-zone climate control, front-seat massagers, ambient lighting, Harman Kardon audio, cooled front seats, power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, heated outboard rear seats, and heated steering wheel.
For safety, the Tiguan adds four more airbags (driver knee, center, and rear sides) and the IQ.DRIVE suite of advanced driver-assist systems is standard. It adds Travel Assist (limited semi-autonomous driving, rated at Level 2), front assist (forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring), blind-spot monitor, rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane assist (lane-keeping system), emergency assist, light assist, park distance control, and exit warning. Park Assist Plus is an option.
I had the chance to crawl around the new top-trim Tiguan and I noticed a few things, good and bad. The good is that the infotainment system seems much improved, even if there’s still some dreaded haptic touch controls. The materials up front also felt and looked upscale.
The bad news is that some of the materials in the rear seat felt downmarket. But this is a static look at what was almost certainly a pre-production unit — I will reserve judgment until we drive it.
It’s hard to say exactly when that will happen, though VW is targeting a late spring/early summer launch. Pricing will be announced at launch.
[Images © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com, Volkswagen]
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Source: The Truth About Cars
