- Volkswagen’s upcoming Tayron L crossover just showed up in Chinese government filings
- Who cares? Oh, we do: our Canadian-market 2025 Tiguan will likely be based on this thing
- Looking at the spec sheet, it seems the dimensions change slightly, but wheelbase is identical
The tough-to-say Volkswagen Tiguan has been around as a nameplate for many years in this country, and will soon be treated to a third-generation overhaul. While that particular car has yet to drop its mask in North America, alert industry observers suggest the new Chinese-market Tayron L may portend much of what’s on tap for our next Tiguan.
Thanks to documents from the Chinese Ministry of Technology, we know the vehicle will use the brand’s MQB Evo bones. Dimensions are listed as 184.4 inches (4,684 mm) long, 73 inches (1,854 mm) wide, and 66.3 inches (1,684 mm) tall — measurements which are roughly bang-on with the existing Tiguan, if not just a tad different in overall length. Wheelbase, at 109.9 inches, is identical. This is a telling detail, suggesting expensive-to-alter components (like, y’know, where the wheels are located) won’t change headed into the revamped model year.
What’s under the hood? Don’t look for all the options presented to customers in China, especially the least-powerful options. Instead, in Canada, bank on a carry-over of the existing Tiguan engine plus (maybe) a mild-hybrid powertrain. The option of a plug-in variant would help sales, especially one which could offer 265 hp and roughly 80 kilometres of all-electric driving when conditions are right, though that is very unconfirmed conjecture at this point. Presently, a 2.0L turbo is on tap, good for 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.
Styling appears to hew in line with what’s being gifted the all-electric ID. line of VW vehicles, showing up with a narrow set of headlamps bridged with a styling feature to the large VW badge, which dips into the body-colour front fascia. Expect billboard-type model name badging across its rear hatch, as is VW’s current wont, along with an array of addenda on the inevitable R-Line trim.
Its interior is likely to resemble the European-market short-wheelbase Tiguan, which debuted earlier this year, appearing with a 15-inch infotainment screen and a dearth of buttons. We hope VW remembers its lessons learned with such decisions on this side of the pond, at least in terms of illuminated controls.
At present, Volkswagen has 39 plants in China, good for a production capability of over three million vehicles. The company employs about 100,000 people in the region. Here in Canada, the entirety of VW sold a total of 63,757 vehicles last year; one of the Tiguan’s chief rivals, the mighty Toyota RAV4, found 74,688 buyers all on its own.
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