It seems like everyone and their moms are in on the compact SUV craze these days, with a hefty chunk of the market as well as the automotive landscape being filled with these small SUVs. It’s no wonder as SUVs offer great visibility, safety, as well as the utility that many families need. The smaller size and lower price point also make the compact SUV a darling among young families and city dwellers alike. More and more car companies are either beefing up their compact SUV portfolio or jumping into the market to take a slice of that pie.
Volkswagen introduced the new VW Tiguan at the Frankfurt Motor Show, a complete redesign of their popular compact SUV. Apart from its sharper exterior design that favors straight lines instead of the more rounded edges of the current version, the real significance comes from the fact that it is the first SUV from VW Group that is based on their MQB platform that underpins everything from the Golf to the Audi A3.
What’s interesting about the new Tiguan is that VW also showcased a VW Tiguan GTE Concept, a plug-in hybrid version that also has a solar roof module to increase its range.
The new Tiguan is set for a world debut in April 2016, while certain markets (read China) will also be receiving a “long” version in the fall of 2016.