Volkswagen Stretches the Tiguan in Detroit

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Long-Wheelbase (Credit: © Volkswagen )

To better compete in the hot crossover segment, Volkswagen sorely needed to upgrade its lineup of people movers. It began this process with the unveiling of the all-new Atlas and continued it in Detroit with the reveal of the long-wheelbase Tiguan.

This new Tiguan rings in at 185.2 inches in length, making it 10.7 inches longer than the current model. It also rides on a 4.4-inch longer wheelbase, putting it at 109.9 inches. This extra length allows for a sliding second row of seats and an optional third row.

Unfortunately, there is no mention of legroom in either the second or third rows, but my guess would be the second row is a good bit roomier than the current model’s 35.8 inches. As for the optional third row, I anticipate its legroom falling in the lower-30-inch range. Cargo room will also see a marked improvement of up to 57%, which would put it at either 37 cubic feet with the seats up or 88 cubes with all the seats folded, depending on which measurement VW is basing that increase on. Either way, that’s quite impressive.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Long-Wheelbase (Credit: © Volkswagen)

On top of being stretched, the 2018 Tiguan has a brand-new look. This new design is similar to the new Atlas, including the wide and bold grille, LED headlights, strong character lines, and low and wide stance.

The interior of the new Tiguan also underwent a ton of reworking, making it more premium than before. Sure, it still comes standard with cloth upholstery, but it now features a more premium rhombus pattern. There is also the available Volkswagen Digital Cockpit, Volkswagen Car-Net, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a premium Fender audio system and more.

On top of those features, the new Tiguan long-wheelbase will also have a slew of driver assistance tech. This includes adaptive cruise, forward collision warning with auto emergency braking, pedestrian monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and assist and a standard rearview camera.

2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Long-Wheelbase (Credit: © Volkswagen )

Finally, powering the new Tiguan will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, which is a decrease of 16 horsepower but an increase of 21 pound-feet. Power heads to the front wheels or all four wheels after passing through an eight-speed auto transmission.

Pricing and a release date will come later.