Blue-collar suburbanites and highway NPCs, rejoice! The new 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan has been revealed, and VW confirmed a version will be coming to the United States. Several years since its last big revamp, one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States is finally getting an all-new version, complete with hot new styling in line with the rest of the family along with fresh, high-tech powertrains.
Performance and exterior improvements
With engine choices of gas, turbodiesel, and mild-hybrid engines, the real star is the plug-in hybrid which is having a bit of a resurgence in the industry and making waves in cars like the Toyota RAV4 Prime, the Dodge Hornet, and the staff-favorite Alfa Romeo Tonale. Volkswagen has stated it will get up to 62 miles on battery alone before dipping into the gas reserve. With California requiring plug-in hybrids to be capable of at least 50 miles of all-electric range by 2035, it’s nice to see some manufacturers ahead of schedule.
You’ll find the safety tech you’d expect on a new vehicle including blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking. An extensive range of option systems will also be available including a park assist with remote parking capability while the driver is outside of the vehicle using a smartphone app.
The design has been updated which is especially noticeable at the front with its super flat LED headlights and a new horizontal LED strip on the rear.
Interior improvements
Sitting in the driver’s seat, you’ll be greeted with a slew of new features. Physical buttons (praise the car gods!) have been added to the steering wheel, with a rotary dial to the center console for command over stereo volume and more. The dial has its own mini-screen as a modern and upscale touch. The dashboard appears to be using the same 15″ touchscreen found on other current VWs, including the Mk8 Golf R, ID.7, and ID.4, which offers a great deal of information near the driver’s sightline but has been criticized for binding many controls to the touchscreen and touchpad. Seats are equipped with heating and, get this, a massage function, which will be a welcome addition for long hours in traffic.
Overall interior design can be perceived as somewhat derivative and unoriginal, but there’s no denying that ruthless German efficiency. The rear seats appear flat but spacious, while the front seats are greeted by an appreciable level of color and brightwork in the dash panels, which compliment the lighter-colored upholstery option nicely. How much of this will transfer over to the North American variant is yet to be confirmed.
Volkswagen confirmed the U.S. version of the upgraded Tiguan will be longer than what’s been unveiled here, likely to satisfy our desires for more cavernous interiors. This was expected as it was the case for the previous generation. We’ll be on the lookout for an official North American announcement sometime next year.
