Following the debut of the new Volkswagen Arteon last week, the German carmaker has now given the second-generation Tiguan its first facelift, which includes updates to the SUV’s styling as well as list of available equipment.
The mid-cycle refresh sees a redesigned front-end featuring a larger grille with an arched lower half, and this is flanked by new LED headlamps (IQ.Light matrix LEDs are optional) with daytime running lights that mimic the look of latest Golf Mk8. The rear now comes with the Tiguan script on the tailgate – something we’ve seen on recent Volkswagen models – and there is an updated and more modern light signature for the LED taillights.
Pictured here is the Tiguan with the R-Line trim package, which gets a more aggressive front bumper with a full-width lower apron that is largely covered up save for the middle intake. The bumper also gets contrasting-coloured trim at its edges to help frame the “mouth” of the SUV as well as vertical slits at the corners that appear to serve some aerodynamic purpose.
Other cues include a simpler design for the side gills that integrates neatly with the side character line and sports the (now) current R logo, which is also applied to the grille. Like the Arteon, the R-Line package for the Tiguan also comes with two trapezoidal-shaped “exhausts” at the rear that are further divided into four sections.
On the inside, the SUV’s design remains largely unchanged from before, although many of the revisions found in the Arteon have made their way to the Tiguan. This includes touch-based controls that have been applied to the new steering wheel and Climatronic system, while the infotainment system has been upgraded to the latest Modular Infotainment Matrix (MIB3).
The infotainment system comes with an eight-inch display as standard, but is upsized to a 10.25-unit for variants higher up the range. Also available is the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit (digital instrument cluster), a 15-colour ambient lighting system and a 480-watt Fender (US market) or Harman Kardon (European market) premium audio system.
Safety-wise, Travel Assist makes its way to the Tiguan that allows for partly automated driving within a speed range from zero to 210 km/h, utilising the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist functions.
In terms of engines, the United States market will get an EA888 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit that makes 186 PS (184 hp) and 300 Nm of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
European customers will get a first of its kind Tiguan R that uses the same powertrain found in the Arteon R: an EA288 2.0 litre turbo-four with 320 PS (316 hp) and 420 Nm, with a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox handling power delivery to all four wheels through an all-wheel drive system.
The latter comes with R-Performance Torque Vectoring that varies the torque split between the front- and rear-axles as well as between the two rear wheels. Visual identifiers of the Tiguan R include beefier brakes, quad Akrapovic exhaust tips, silver side mirror caps, the R badge in place of the Tiguan script (like on the Touareg R), a dedicated R button on the steering wheel as well as blacked-out front and rear aprons.
The region also gets a new plug-in hybrid variant called the eHybrid with 245 PS (241 hp), which uses the same powertrain found in the latest Golf GTE, consisting of a EA211 1.4 litre four-cylinder TSI engine, an electric motor and a six-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox. Volkswagen says the Tiguan eHybrid is capable of travelling at speeds of up to 130 km/h when running on pure electricity, but didn’t provide more detailed information in its release.
Sales of the Tiguan is set to commence in Europe later in 2020, with a standard wheelbase (2,681 mm) version being offered in the region. The US will continue to get the long-wheelbase (2,791 mm) model with optional third-row seating (up to seven people), but an official launch is only set to take place in the fall of 2021 for the 2022 model year there.
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan R
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line
2020 Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid
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Nice rims. Bet we gonna get the same 1.4TSI engine.
We will never get 2.0 turbo engine here.so sad
It’s pretty though.