By having such a vast lineup, it constantly feels like Volkswagen is about to give a car a mid-cycle facelift or transition it to the next generation. 2023 will usher in a new Tiguan, but in the meantime, the compact crossover is undergoing cold-weather testing to work out the kinks ahead of its market launch. A cleverly camouflaged prototype was spotted by our spies, trying (but failing) to look like the current model.
Those stickers you see on the headlights and taillights were put there to give the illusion it's nothing more than the Tiguan on sale today. In addition, the silver strips on the front grille serve the same purpose, as do the C-shaped accents on the front bumper. More of the same fakery can be found running along the bottom of the doors as well as on the rear bumper. It looks as though VW wants us to believe we're looking at an eHybrid version of the current crossover, specifically an R-Line with its faux quad exhaust.
2024 Volkswagen Tiguan spy photos
Ignore the deceiving disguise and you should notice the prototype seems larger than the Tiguan we're all familiar with. In addition, the boxy shape is largely gone, replaced by a more curvaceous appearance akin to the purely electric ID.4. It's too soon to say whether VW will release another Allspace derivative or will build the vehicle in only one size. This test vehicle has the full production body, which tells us the third-gen model is inching closer.
Images of the interior are not available in this set, but a different prototype was caught by car paparazzi in September with an ID-esque touchscreen. The infotainment is no longer neatly integrated into the center console like on the current model, but the silver lining is that it's not sticking out from the top of the dashboard like a sore thumb. It's a compromise we're ok with, provided we're looking at the final layout.
Despite the significant design changes planned inside and out, the 2024 Tiguan should be more of the same in terms of underpinnings. Volkswagen is putting all its eggs in the electric basket, which means the development of hardware for cars with combustion engines is slowing down. The new crossover is expected to use an evolution of the MQB platform along with cleaner gasoline and diesel engines to comply with upcoming Euro 7 regulations.
Logic tells us mild-hybrid tech will be used across the range, and VW'’s engineers have likely figured out a way to boost the electric range of the plug-in hybrid model. A purely electric Tiguan doesn't make sense considering it would clash with the ID.4 and a recently announced high-riding derivative of the ID.3. A more powerful US-bound Tiguan has been promised, but it's unclear whether it’ll be the fully fledged R model.
The wraps could come off in the second half of 2023.
