The facelifted 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan will arrive during the second quarter of the year, bringing a refreshed design, new engines, and more tech as standard equipment across the line-up.
Volkswagen Australia confirmed a six-strong model family for the upgraded five-seat Tiguan (Allspace details TBA), with a new naming structure more in line with the wider range – Life, Elegance and R-Line.
Each trim level will have two powertrain choices, though all but the base model will feature 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard.
Pictured: 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line (EU model)
Volkswagen’s local division has confirmed all models will include the full suite of its IQ.Drive assistance features – no longer will Trendline and Comfortline buyers need to opt for the Driver Assistance package – as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto courtesy of its new MIB3 infotainment platform.
The German automaker will confirm full pricing and specifications closer to launch, but we gather the IQ.Drive features will include low- and high-speed autonomous emergency braking, Highway Assist (adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam Assist and lane centring), blind-spot and rear cross-traffic assists, driver attention monitoring, Emergency Assist (brings the car to a stop if the vehicle detects the driver is incapacitated), and proactive occupant protection.
Further, high-end features like IQ.Light Matrix LED headlights and a Harman Kardon premium audio system will be offered for the first time, likely optional on Elegance and R-Line grades.
As for engines, the headlining change is the introduction of a new 147TDI turbo-diesel, a development of the outgoing model’s 140kW 2.0-litre TDI four-cylinder oiler.
This motor will be available as an option with Elegance and R-Line grades, and will come standard with 4Motion all-wheel drive. Volkswagen is yet to confirm the transmission, but a seven-speed DSG is almost certain.
Meanwhile, the base Life will come as standard with the existing 110TSI 1.4-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive, with a more powerful 132TSI 2.0-litre petrol with 4Motion all-wheel drive available as an option.
It’s unclear whether the 110TSI model will get an eight-speed torque converter automatic like the upcoming Mk8 Golf hatchback, or stick with the current model’s six-speed DSG that’s also shared with the Audi Q3 35 TFSI.
Both the Elegance and R-Line models will be fitted as standard with the 162TSI 2.0-litre turbo petrol shared with previous versions of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia RS, again driving all four wheels as standard.
The hi-po Tiguan R is high on the local arm’s priority list and tentatively pencilled in for an early-2022 launch Down Under – complete with a 235kW/420Nm 2.0-litre turbo – though Australia will continue to miss out on the eHybrid PHEV models offered abroad.
Further details will come to hand in the lead-up to the new Tiguan’s second-quarter launch, so stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
As for the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace, it appears we may need to wait some months for the five-seat model’s changes to be reflected for the longer version, as the global model is yet to be revealed. It’s likely the Allspace will need to wait for the updated versions of the long-wheelbase Tiguan to be revealed for China and the US.
Currently, Australian-market Tiguans are sourced from Germany while the Allspace hails from Mexico.
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