America won’t get Europe’s new 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid (PHEV)

The third-generation VW Tiguan is now on sale in Europe, available with a range of mild-hybrid and plug-in powertrains. However, for the U.S. market, there is a twist, which I’ll come to later in the article. Last week, I checked out the 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid with one of its plug-in hybrid systems at the Paris Motor Show. Here are my first impressions:

Design

The 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid features a modern design that incorporates elements associated with pure-electric vehicles. This suggests that Volkswagen may be setting the stage for the pure-electric Tiguan in a few years.

Volkswagen’s new hybrid SUV features a sleek front-end without an upper grille and introduces new dual-element headlamps equipped with IQ.Light HD matrix technology, derived from the Touareg.
Sandwiched between the new headlights, which look flatter than those of the previous model, is a glass-covered horizontal bar with an integrated LED strip. A wide grille in the lower part of the front fascia gives the 2024 Tiguan Hybrid a more powerful appearance, with sporty air curtains and C-shaped surrounds at its flanks bringing sportiness to the styling mix.

On the sides, the 2024 Tiguan Hybrid has a curvier roofline, a new beltline that rises at a higher angle from behind the B-pillar, and sleeker mirrors. Like in the previous model, the charging port is located in the front wing on the left side. There are plenty of new wheel options for the redesigned model, in 18-, 19-, and 20-inch sizes. The rear overhang looks longer and more upswept.

At the rear, three-element combination lamps connected via an LED light strip lend the compact SUV a high-tech look. The bumper, like in the previous model, has a reflector that covers almost the whole width of the SUV. The exhaust tip has been kept out of sight.

Interior & Features

Dashboard

The 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid features a very modern interior with luxury SUV-like touches. The dashboard features a coast-to-coast upright panel in a gloss-black finish. It integrates side AC vents with two silver-colored, slim openings, a virtual instrument cluster on the driver’s side, and a scattered starfield-like pattern formed with white or silver thin horizontal dashes, along with Tiguan branding in the same color. A decor panel on the door replicates the look of the passenger-side dashboard on a sleek garnish panel right behind the handle.

Steering and selector

The steering wheel is nearly identical to the previous model, but it packs one of the most anticipated interior upgrades – physical buttons. Most customers prefer physical buttons over touch-sensitive buttons, as they are easier to use and much less likely to be operated by accident. The gear selector is not a lever in the center console but a steering column switch on the right side of the steering wheel.

Driving Experience Control

Thanks to the relocation of the gear selector, the center console offers more storage space. It houses a rotary dial, called the ‘Driving Experience Control,’ with a dedicated mini-screen. This rotary control can be used to control drive mode, speaker volume, or ambient lighting colors. A new acoustic package for reduced cabin noise and newly developed seats are also among the interior changes.

ergoActive front seats

The 2024 Tiguan Hybrid features ergoActive front seats, which include pneumatic 4-way lumbar support adjustment and a pneumatic 10-chamber pressure point massage function in the backrests. These functions are typically found in premium or luxury models. They are in addition to the basic heating, ventilation, and memory functions.

Bigger infotainment system

The touchscreen infotainment system is a brand-new, 15-inch free-standing unit. Going by its shape, size, and user interface, it’s either the same unit as the 1560×700 pixel infotainment system of the VW ID.7 or closely related to it. That is a substantial upgrade over the previous model’s dashboard-integrated 8-inch unit, which was small as per the latest industry standards. Lower trims feature a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, though, which is still a significant upgrade.

The temperature of the climate control system is adjustable via a touch slider located below the touchscreen. While we wish it was a knob, physical slider, or something else that’s simpler and more practical to operate, it’s at least worth noting that the touch sliders are illuminated.

Increased cargo space

The 2024 Tiguan Hybrid offers 37 liters (1.3 cu. ft.) more cargo space when loaded up to the height of the rear seat backrests – 652 liters (23.0 cu. ft.). Folding its rear seat results in 1,650 liters of total cargo space. Below are the measurements of the outgoing model for reference:

Configuration	Euro Tiguan Cargo Space	U.S. Tiguan Cargo Space
5-seat Tiguan NWB	615-1,655 liters	Not Available
5-seat Tiguan LWB	760-1,920 liters	37.6-73.4 cu. ft.
7-seat Tiguan LWB	700-1,755 liters	12.0-65.3 cu. ft.

Note: ‘NWB’ and ‘LWB’ are abbreviations of ‘Normal Wheelbase’ and ‘Long Wheelbase,’ the internal destinations used to differentiate the two wheelbase versions of the second-gen Tiguan. The U.S. only gets the LWB version.

Rechargeable Powertrains

Plug-in Hybrid

While demand for pure-electric vehicles has grown significantly over the last few years, plug-in hybrids will continue to rake in business in many markets in the coming years. Customers who need a higher driving range, live where there aren’t enough public charging stations or don’t have the budget for a second car, find PHEVs suitable.

The 2024 Tiguan Hybrid is available in two plug-in hybrid configurations, both employing a 1.5-liter TSI evo2 engine and the DQ400e evo 6-speed eDSG hybrid gearbox. The latter integrates the HEM80evo electric motor tuned to generate 85 kW (114 hp) and 330 Nm (243 lb.-ft.) of torque.

The base PHEV configuration will has a 110 kW (147 hp) version of the 1.5-liter TSI evo2 engine and the top-end configuration uses a 130 kW (174 hp) version of the same mill. The plug-in powertrain delivers 150 kW (201 hp) of system power and 350 Nm (258 lb.-ft.) of torque in the former. In the top-end configuration, these outputs are dialed up to 200 kW (268 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb.-ft.), respectively.

Range & Charging

Powering the electric motor of the 2024 Tiguan plug-in hybrid is a 19.7 kWh (net)/25.7 kWh (gross) battery pack located in front of the rear axle. That’s a massive upgrade from the previous model’s 10.6 kWh (net)/13.4 kWh (gross) battery pack. While the previous model could travel up to 50 km (31 miles) in EV mode, the redesigned SUV is able to cover a distance of up to 129 km (80 miles) in the WLTP metric.

The old battery pack supported charging only with alternating current, at up to just 3.6 kW. The new one allows charging with alternating current at up to 11 kW, and perhaps even with direct current, at up to 50 kW. Using a DC fast-charger, a 10-80% charging session takes just around 23 minutes.

My experience with the 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid

I am six foot tall, but getting into the 2024 VW Tiguan Hybrid, which was in the range-topping R-Line trim, was easy for me. The cabin greeted me with a sleek digital instrument cluster and a large center touchscreen, typical of the latest VW models, including the ID. line. However, I’m not a fan of the haptic touch controls—physical dials would be much more intuitive.

The center console, finished in piano black, looked good but easily attracted fingerprints. There’s a useful tray to cover the wireless charging area if you don’t want to charge your phone. The R-Line trim had sporty touches, like aluminum pedals, adding to its appeal. The front seats provided excellent back and thigh support, and headroom was more than adequate. Blue accents and ambient lighting gave the interior a fresh, sporty vibe.

In the rear, I found the ingress and egress effortless, and I had plenty of knee and legroom. The backrest was angled in a comfortable position, though it’s not adjustable. The panoramic sunroof and large windows flooded the cabin with light, enhancing the sense of space.

While the rear floor isn’t flat, making it hard to seat three adults comfortably, the rear passengers still benefit from air vents, USB slots, and a center armrest with cup holders. Overall, the Tiguan Hybrid strikes a good balance between sporty design and practicality, though the rear space is best for two adults.

A different next-gen Tiguan for the U.S.

The third-gen Tiguan line-up doesn’t include an Allspace long-wheelbase version. In its place, Volkswagen has introduced a bigger SUV with a similar design – the second-generation VW Tayron. Additionally, it is working on a long-wheelbase version of this new model, and that’s the one it will launch in the U.S.

Volkswagen says that in addition to the wheelbase, the U.S.-spec VW Tayron’s “sheetmetal, powertrain options, and equipment set will differ markedly.” The company plans to release more details by December 2024. A Wards Auto report released on June 15, 2023, said the German automaker will manufacture the long-wheelbase Tayron in Puebla, Mexico.

“I can confirm Tiguan will have a successor (in the U.S.),” Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President of Product and Strategy at Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA), had told CarBuzz in July 2022. Little did we know back then that he was talking about the new Tayron. Schafer also confirmed that it will have a performance variant, and while he didn’t reveal whether it will be ‘R’ or something else, we think it may feature visible exhaust tips.