Volkswagen Tiguan to gain “coupe” variant – report

Anonymous informants have informed Autocar that the new Volkswagen Tiguan will offered in three distinct body styles. The first of these is a five-seat standard-wheelbase model, which will have a body that's around 30cm longer than today's car.

Next is the already confirmed seven-seat variant, which will feature a longer body, an extended wheelbase and will be built in Mexico. Lastly, there will be a Tiguan five-door "coupe" that will have seating for five and be based on the standard-wheelbase car.

Our spies last spotted the standard-wheelbase version (below) undergoing testing in June this year.

The launch of the new Tiguan range will be staggered, with the five-seat model variant said to debut late this year as a thinly disguised concept car; it's rumoured that the production version will be unveiled in early 2016. The seven-seat Tiguan will follow in late 2016, while the "coupe" will round out the lineup some time in 2017.

All three versions of the next-generation Tiguan will be based on the Volkswagen Group's MQB component matrix for front- and all-wheel drive transverse engined vehicles, and the Tiguan's ingredients will be closely related to those used in the current-generation Golf.

The use of MQB should see the five-seat Tiguan tip the scales at around 80 kilograms less than the current, smaller car. Reports indicate that the five-seat Tiguan will have a larger boot, which can carry around 500 litres worth of goods.

It's expected that the new Tiguan will be powered exclusively by turbocharged engines, ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 litres for petrol drinking versions, and 1.6 to 2.0 litres for diesel variants. A plug-in hybrid variant, with around 50 kilometres of EV driving range, is strongly rumoured to debut down the track.