It’ll ride on the upcoming MEB-Plus platform.
Spy shots have revealed Volkswagen is putting the finishing touches on a next-generation Tiguan with combustion engines and likely a plug-in hybrid setup. However, the compact crossover will also spawn a fully electric version as German newspaper Handelsblatt has learned from a company spokesperson an EV likely to be called ID. Tiguan is coming. The two models will only share the name and not much else since they’ll utilize different platforms.
While the third-gen Tiguan will use an evolution of the omnipresent MQB platform, its fully electric counterpart will ride on the VW Group’s upcoming MEB-Plus architecture. The model is scheduled to go into production in 2026 and is going to be assembled at home in Wolfsburg. It’ll have roughly the same size as the ICE-powered Tiguan but likely a more spacious interior thanks to the dedicated EV underpinnings that maximize wheelbase and shorten overhangs.
One question arises – where will the ID. Tiguan fit in the lineup? After all, VW is already selling the ID.4 and ID.5, with an ID.3-like crossover also on the way. Regardless of its positioning in the lineup, the electric compact crossover is a necessity for the Wolfsburg plant since the demand for the Golf keeps dropping. After being number one in the European sales charts for 14 years in a row, it dropped to fifth in 2022 when the Peugeot 208, Dacia Sandero, T-Roc, and the Fiat/Abarth 500 were ahead.
Speaking of the once-popular hatchback, an ID. Golf or something to that effect is also in the works. It could be previewed as early as next month and go into production around 2025 on the same MEB-Plus platform. There are even mumblings of an electric Golf GTI since VW has allegedly already decided to drop the GTX suffix.
VW CEO Oliver Blume has confirmed the Golf and Tiguan nameplates will live on in the electric era, which is coming sooner than you might think. Earlier this week, the European Union voted in favor of banning sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2035. You’ll still be able to drive your ICE car or buy a used one. The EU ruling technically refers to vehicles that have emissions, but unless synthetic fuels and/or hydrogen combustion engines gain traction, it’s the end of the line for new vehicles running on gasoline or diesel.
