The updated 5-seater Volkswagen Tiguan will be a petrol-only offering since VW Group has discontinued all its diesel engines in India
Although Volkswagen Tiguan couldn’t set any noticeable different to sales charts, it was a tempting buy for someone who was willing to shell out a extra bucks for some exclusivity. It was discontinued last year by the German carmaker and replaced by its larger sibling Tiguan All-space with a three-row configuration.
Now, VW is looking to bring back its flagship 5-seater offering to India as it has been spotted testing on Indian roads recently. In a video uploaded on YouTube by ‘The Fat Biker’, two test mules of the upcoming mid-size crossover sans any kind of camouflage are shown being tested.
Exterior & Interior Styling
A facelift to the 5-seater Tiguan was revealed internationally last year and going by the images, the India-spec model is likely to be in line with its international counterpart. Its updated exterior styling comprises signature pulled-back headlight clusters with bi-projector LED beams.
The new units get a sharper outline with more prominent integrated LED DRLs. It flaunts a traditional horizontal three-slat grille embellished in chrome and the VW logo taking centre stage. Take a look at the spy video below.
Other notable updates at front include a revised bumper and a sportier air intake design. It gets a similar looking side profile with straight lines which looks clean although it does get a fresh set of alloy wheels.
Rear-end of Tiguan receives a mildly redesigned pair of L-shaped LED taillights and a bumper with a diffuser plate and LED reflector strip integrated to it. It also gets a Tiguan badging written in bold lettering across its tailgate.
On a slight sneak peek of the cabin, we get to see a larger touchscreen infotainment unit which will probably come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other features expected on the new 5-seater Tiguan are a digital instrument cluster, connected car tech, wireless phone charging and more.
Engine & Transmission Options
Coming to its powertrain department, the German auto giant could offer two engine options for the 5-seater Tiguan – a 1.5-litre TSI turbo petrol unit for the lower-spec variants and a more powerful 2.0-litre TSI turbo petrol unit. Both these units are offered in multiple offerings of Skoda and Volkswagen. The former is able to return an output of 150 PS and 250 Nm of peak torque while the latter, offers 190 PS and 320 Nm.
A 7-speed DSG automatic transmission with paddle shifters is expected to be offered as standard. The base 1.5 liter engine option could also get a 6 speed MT. VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel-drive is expected to be offered on the 2.0-litre unit indicated by the badging spotted on the test mule’s boot lid. The erstwhile Tiguan was offered with a 2.0-litre TDI diesel unit but with VW Group completely ditching oil burners for the Indian market there is hardly any scope for it to return.
Expected Price
Tiguan 5-seater will be available as CKD product which will be locally assembled at VW’s Chakan-based facility near Pune in Maharashtra. This will help the company to cut down import duties and undercut its fully imported sibling T-Roc slightly. Despite that, it will be a steep offering with a hefty price tag starting northwards of Rs 22 lakh (ex-showroom). Upon its launch, it will lock horns with Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson and the upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross.
