Following on the heels of its three-row midsized Atlas SUV, unveiled last fall, Volkswagen debuted the all-new Tiguan compact SUV at the Detroit auto show, also featuring an available third-row seat to provide 5 + 2 seating.
Compared with the original, outgoing Tiguan, the new model is 10.7-inches longer overall. Cargo room is also up, at a claimed 57 percent over the old Tiguan. Like many small SUVs, the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan's second-row seat can slide fore/aft seven inches, in order to provide more room for second-row occupants, more cargo room for gear, or space for kids in the small third-row seat. The third-row seat is standard on front-wheel-drive Tiguans and optional on all-wheel-drive versions. Not surprisingly, we found the rear row to be suitable only for children when inspecting a Tiguan at the auto show. Overall, the size feels akin to the Nissan Rogue, making it notably bigger than the first-gen Tiguan.
Power comes from a 184-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which drives the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic. Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is optional.
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan offers a variety of safety features. While a rearview camera is standard, other advanced safety gear is optional, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and lane departure warning. The new Tiguan also offers an automatic post-collision braking system, which slows a vehicle to six miles an hour after it has been involved in an collision.
The redesigned Tiguan's interior features Volkswagen's optional Digital Cockpit, which lets drivers reconfigure how key data and navigation details are positioned for easy viewing. Volkswagen calls its connected vehicle service system Car-Net, and it includes compatibility with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink. Optional convenience features include a panoramic sunroof and a foot-activated power liftgate.
The 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan will go on sale in summer 2017.
