The VW Tiguan has been quietly doing its job racking up massive sales for the German automaker since the current-generation model’s introduction in 2016.
But the time has come for the compact SUV to get a facelift and now we get a first look at a prototype of the restyled Tiguan. Snapped undergoing winter testing in northern Sweden, the 2021 VW Tiguan does not seem to be in for a significant styling overhaul.
That’s because Volkswagen has applied its clever camouflage technique which makes this prototype look like the current model. However, a closer look reveals some key changes, especially at the front.
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The 2021 Tiguan appears to adopt new LED headlights inspired by the VW Golf Mk8, with a similar signature and ‘eyebrows’ – the latter covered with black tape in a deceptive manner.
We can see that the grille and front bumper are new as well, with the latter also drawing inspiration from the new Golf. Additionally, the facelifted Tiguan gets to wear the new corporate logo as well. As always, the profile will see very few changes, with only the new alloy wheel designs making the difference.
At the back, the 2021 Tiguan will get updated LED taillights with a fresh signature. As far as we can tell, their shape remains the same – unless we’ve falled for VW’s deceptive tactics. The rear bumper is updated too but there’s nothing to write home about.
Expect the 2021 VW Tiguan to borrow the powertrains from the 2020 Golf too in order to achieve lower CO2 emissions. There will be the usual assortment of turbocharged petrol and diesel units (some with mild-hybrid assistance), and likely the updated GTE plug-in hybrid powertrain with a longer EV range.
The facelifted VW Tiguan should debut this year in both standard and Allspace long-wheelbase versions at one of Europe’s major auto shows, possibly Geneva next month.
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