- volkswagen is giving the tiguan compact-crossover a styling and an interior technology refresh for the 2022 model year.
- the grille has been redesigned with standard led head lights, and a fully digital cockpit is standard across the board.
- u.s. customers will get the long-wheelbase version, and they'll arrive in the fall of 2021 with estimated starting price around $25,000.
the 2020 volkswagen tiguan recently earned a silver medal in our six-way compact crossover battle, surprising many car and driver editors with its playfulness and how much it reminded them of the gti hot hatch. vw's popular compact crossover is continuing to impress with a captivating new design for the 2022 model year and loads of new standard and available technology.
the most enticing new tiguan is the sel r-line model, which us yanks will get instead of the even more attractive r model that's in europe, but we'll try to forget about that. the r-line adds 20-inch wheels, 19-inch on the se r-line model, and it gets r-line-specific bumpers and black accents all over. all 2022 tiguans feature a completely redesigned face with a sleeker grille, larger lower air dams that lend a helping hand to remind us even more of the new mk 8 gti, and sharp standard led headlights. we're definitely preferring this new look over the 2020 model's somewhat squared-off front end. the rest of the tig's proportions are similar to the previous model, and in the back, the "tiguan" badge is centered below the volkswagen logo.
a digital cockpit is standard on the 2022 tiguan, and, once again like the new golf gti, it features a digital steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons. heated seats are standard, and their temperature, along with climate control, is adjusted via touch sliders. the new tiguans will be equipped with vw's mib3 infotainment system with a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen, though a 10.3-inch screen is standard on the higher trim levels. additionally, a 15-color ambient light system is standard on all trims, as is a fender audio system. vw's new travel assist system is now available on the tiguan and can take over the vehicle at speeds up to 130 mph using adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, both of which are included in the optional driver-assistance package.
like the current tiguan, the 2022 will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. during car and driver testing, the 2020 model launched to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, putting it on the slower end of its rivals, the toyota rav4 (8.2 seconds), mazda cx-5 (7.9 seconds), and honda cr-v (7.6 seconds). a stop/start system is standard, and we also observed 22 mpg during our 250-mile highway fuel-economy test.
u.s. customers will get the long-wheelbase version of the 2022 volkswagen tiguan, which vw says will arrive in dealerships in fall 2021. the current 2020 model year will carry over as the 2021 model. pricing for the refreshed 2022 tiguan is expected to start at around $25,000 for the s model and top out at $34,000 for the attractive sel r-line model.