2017 VW Tiguan LWB
Just as the regular, new VW Tiguan went on sale in Europe, the upcoming,
stretched version with an additional row of seats was nabbed completely
undisguised.
While these images appear to have been
taken in China where the Tiguan Long Wheelbase or LWB will be built for the
local market, the same car will also be manufactured at VW’s Mexican plant for
global markets, including the USA and Canada, with production to start during
the first quarter of 2017, as the German brand recently informed us.
The new Tiguan LWB that will go on sale
in the States as either a 2017MY or a 2018MY (depending on the launch date),
will come with a wheelbase stretched by 110 mm over the already
larger and more spacious second generation model that rides on a 2,681 mm wheelbase, as well as an extended rear overhang. A portion of that
extra space will go to the addition of a retractable third seat bench, most
likely aimed at accommodating two children, as in other cars in this class.
These aren’t the best
pictures, but the front quarter image suggests that the LWB model won’t look as
composed as the regular wheelbase Tiguan. The longer version of VW’s SUV will get
the same mix of turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines, and possibly a hybrid
variant, as the short Tiguan.
This won’t be the last member of the
Tiguan series, as after the presentation of the LWB model, VW plans to
introduce a five-door coupe variant of the compact SUV, with a similar styling
philosophy to the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, in a smaller and more
affordable package.
