Well, that didn’t take long, did it ? 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 / 4.3 in. over the already larger and more spacious second generation model that rides on a 2,681mm / 105.6 in. 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.
Admittedly, 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.
Thanks to Evan for the heads up! Pics via Autohome, Sohu
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