First look at the new VW Tiguan in South Africa – Photos

The wait is nearly over, as the next-gen VW Tiguan recently made its public debut in South Africa.

The SUV was on display at the 2024 Festival of Motoring (FoM) in Gauteng, giving motorists their first look at its fancy new design ahead of its revised launch window this September.

A premium appearance

The Tiguan is arguably VW’s most important launch of the year, as the Polo Vivo, T-Cross, and Touareg have only received facelifts while the Tiguan is shifting to its third generation.

This is evident from the new car’s design, which appears to be taking a few cues from the brand’s ID.4 electric model with a much sleeker front profile.

There’s a cross-hatch pattern on the lower grille, and a light bar running across the front façade connecting the new headlights.

Speaking of, the Tiguan is the latest vehicle to be offered with Volkswagen’s IQ.Light HD Matrix LED headlights, which contain 19,200 multipixel LEDs per cluster that can adjust their projection to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.

The midsize SUV has also grown in length and width by 30mm and 3mm, respectively, reaching a new total of 4,539mm and 1,842mm.

That being said, it’s actually slightly shorter this time around as the roofline has been lowered by 24mm to 1,660mm.

It’s when you open the doors that the VW really gets to show off, as you’ll be greeted by a reimagined interior with colourful graphics and lighting additions.

The display model at FoM carried a purple aesthetic throughout the cabin from the lining on the perforated leather seats to the ambient lighting, and the digital graphics on the doors and the passenger-side dashboard.

The same theme can be seen on the 10.25-inch digital driver display and the 15-inch infotainment system, the latter of which now features digital controls for the climate system.

Standard equipment on the Tiguan now comprises keyless entry and start, a leather multifunction steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, a reverse camera, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, autonomous emergency braking, a driver drowsiness monitor, and dynamic road sign display.

The top-spec R-Line model at the event also showcased more exclusive features like paddle shifters, heated and ventilated seats, and a wireless charger.

VW has yet to announce the pricing and model line-up for the SUV, but a representative at FoM confirmed that it will initially only be sold with a turbocharged petrol (TSI) engine.

As a reminder, the current-gen Tiguan is available with a turbo-diesel (TDI) plant, but this will be added to the new units at a later date.

The last Tiguan also received a high-performance “hot SUV” R flagship, but the company does not have plans to release a new one anytime soon, according to a spokesperson.

The automaker has not yet disclosed the specifications for the new TSI engine, but as a point of reference, the current models employ a 1.4-litre, turbo-petrol drivetrain with 110kW and 250Nm.

Something else worth highlighting is that other markets will be getting a hybrid version of the SUV, but Volkswagen is hesitant to introduce these derivatives here owing to South Africa’s poor fuel quality, which their hyper-efficient powerplants are not engineered to run on.

More information about the next-gen VW Tiguan will be announced closer to its launch later this month.