CRISIS-hit Volkswagen (VW) has taken the wraps off a plug-in hybrid concept car that is a tech-tricked up version of this year’s larger, cleaner, core-critical Tiguan SUV.
With small SUVs booming around the world, the next Tiguan is shaping up as the most important VW after the Golf, and the stunning Tiguan GTE Active concept reconfirms the second generation small SUV will have better proportions, a cleaner body style and a more aggressive off-road appearance.
While the mainstream petrol and diesel powered Tiguans will be launched in SA around October this year, the production version of the GTE Active concept, which will launch in Europe early next year, is only under consideration for SA at this stage, with VWSA advising that it will first bring the Golf GTE before deciding on other models. Should the Tiguan GTE Active arrive then it will deliver its 165kW of power and on-demand all-wheel drive to real-world drivers.
With VW understandably gun shy about showing the Euro-critical diesel versions of the Tiguan in the US, the plug-in hybrid sports a 1.4l, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine sitting across the engine bay, while its two electric motors independently power the front and rear axles.
Eventual production versions will be sold in two different wheelbases, with a seven-seat version supplementing the standard five-seat SUV, though VW has yet to confirm the seven-seater will be sold anywhere but the US.
Not long after the two-length line-up is fully operational, the VW SUV family will blow out from two to six, including the larger seven-seat CrossBlue and the larger again Touareg.
After seeing the successes of Asian rivals at the bottom end of the SUV market, there will also be a smaller Golf-based SUV and an even-smaller Polo-based SUV, both with standalone bodywork. And, if you want to be picky, there are (or soon will be) raised Alltrack versions of the Polo, Golf and Passat as well, plus the tiny Cross Up. VW is about to go from a patchy SUV commitment to a smothering blanket of the things.
In concept form, the Tiguan GTE Active uses a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack built into the boot floor to give it a claimed 32km of zero-emission, pure battery-electric running.
With a 64l petrol tank feeding the four-cylinder motor, it teases with a tested combined range of 928km.
It can run as mostly a rear-wheel drive in its electric mode, but provides all-wheel drive either automatically when it detects wheelspin or at the push of a mode button by the driver. It can also run as a front-wheel drive petrol car at highway speeds (or when the battery is depleted), it can hold over the battery’s charge for when it’s needed in cities or it can use the petrol motor to both drive the front wheels and recharge the battery pack.
It doesn’t just run as an electric city car with long range either. It can run as a pure electric car even when it’s in its most aggressive four-wheel drive off-road setting, too, meaning that (for a few kilometres at least), you can go off-roading through your favourite bush spot with fewer local emissions than a well-fed hiker.
It’s also strong enough to run in pure-electric mode at up to 120km/h and goes on to a top speed of 193km/h. It is claimed to sprint to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds, with all of its propulsion systems cranking on the wheels.
At the heart of the concept is the 110kW, 250Nm version of the 1.4l, four-cylinder turbo petrol motor that is already in production service in everything from the Golf to the Passat and beyond.
VW cites a 40kW, 220Nm disc-shaped electric motor between the petrol engine and the inner workings of the six-speed, dual-clutch transmission and the two power plants combine to drive the front wheels, switching in and out depending on the drive mode, the throttle position and the battery’s charge level.
There is a stronger 85kW, 270Nm electric motor sitting on the rear axle and serving as the differential. This second electric motor also carries a second power electronics module, which converts direct current power to alternating current power.
The concept retains its all-wheel drive capability even when the battery charge drops too low, with the car using petrol power to effectively turn the front electric motor into a generator to deliver enough energy to the rear motor to maintain all-wheel drive. VW calls it an "electric propshaft".
The first VW SUV to be built off the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) that debuted in the Golf VII, the Tiguan GTE Active Concept will also use a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, designed specifically for work in the VW Group’s hybrid cars.
It is 4,494mm long, making it significantly bigger than the outgoing car and at a stroke addressing concerns about its limited luggage capacity.
The concept rides on what will become the standard version of the Tiguan wheelbase at 2,681mm and though the company is remaining tight-lipped about the longer version, it’s thought to add about 150mm to the wheelbase.
It has had to walk a fine line between providing enough space for a third row of seats and staying out of the CrossBlue territory above it.
The production versions will carry over the 1,899mm width of the concept, too, regardless of the wheelbase length, though the 1,766mm height will drop significantly. That’s because, for the many, many (cough, cough) off-roaders out there in the Tiguan demographic, the GTE Active concept has had its ride height lifted from the standard 180mm to 225mm so it can a) look better and more aggressive and/or b) deliver a ground clearance that lifts from 200mm to 245mm.
Its approach angle is up from 25.6° to 26.1° and its rear departure angle is up from 24.7° to 29.9°. The ramp-over angle lifts from 20° to 24.7°.
The designers have tried to accentuate the concept’s off-road cred with plenty of styling excesses that do little to hide the production Tiguan’s shape and detailing. There is a full-width aluminium underbody guard to protect it from approach angle miscalculations and another one at the rear. There are enormous chunky off-road custom tyres, there are chunky side sills, roof rails and auxiliary LED spotlights on the roof.
It has a more crafted version of the production Tiguan’s interior, with hand-cut touches complementing the Active Info Display (Volkswagen’s umbrella name for the high-resolution digital instrument cluster that Audi calls its Virtual Cockpit).
It also gets a dominant 9.2-inch multimedia display screen, with many of the infotainment features which are managed by Volkswagen’s version of gesture control.
The question now is whether we will ever see it on South African roads.
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The designers have given the concept some serious attitude. Picture: VOLKSWAGEN AG
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The concept is geared towards those who might actually go off the beaten track. Picture: VOLKSWAGEN AG
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The interior gets VW’s version of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit instrumentation. Picture: VOLKSWAGEN AG
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The clever drivetrain setup. Picture: VOLKSWAGEN AG
CRISIS-hit Volkswagen (VW) has taken the wraps off a plug-in hybrid concept car that is a tech-tricked up version of this year’s larger, cleaner, core-critical Tiguan SUV.
With small SUVs booming around the world, the next Tiguan is shaping up as the most important VW after the Golf, and the stunning Tiguan GTE Active concept reconfirms the second generation small SUV will have better proportions, a cleaner body style and a more aggressive off-road appearance.
While the mainstream petrol and diesel powered Tiguans will be launched in SA around October this year, the production version of the GTE Active concept, which will launch in Europe early next year, is only under consideration for SA at this stage, with VWSA advising that it will first bring the Golf GTE before deciding on other models. Should the Tiguan GTE Active arrive then it will deliver its 165kW of power and on-demand all-wheel drive to real-world drivers.
With VW understandably gun shy about showing the Euro-critical diesel versions of the Tiguan in the US, the plug-in hybrid sports a 1.4l, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine sitting across the engine bay, while its two electric motors independently power the front and rear axles.
Eventual production versions will be sold in two different wheelbases, with a seven-seat version supplementing the standard five-seat SUV, though VW has yet to confirm the seven-seater will be sold anywhere but the US.
Not long after the two-length line-up is fully operational, the VW SUV family will blow out from two to six, including the larger seven-seat CrossBlue and the larger again Touareg.
After seeing the successes of Asian rivals at the bottom end of the SUV market, there will also be a smaller Golf-based SUV and an even-smaller Polo-based SUV, both with standalone bodywork. And, if you want to be picky, there are (or soon will be) raised Alltrack versions of the Polo, Golf and Passat as well, plus the tiny Cross Up. VW is about to go from a patchy SUV commitment to a smothering blanket of the things.
In concept form, the Tiguan GTE Active uses a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack built into the boot floor to give it a claimed 32km of zero-emission, pure battery-electric running.
With a 64l petrol tank feeding the four-cylinder motor, it teases with a tested combined range of 928km.
It can run as mostly a rear-wheel drive in its electric mode, but provides all-wheel drive either automatically when it detects wheelspin or at the push of a mode button by the driver. It can also run as a front-wheel drive petrol car at highway speeds (or when the battery is depleted), it can hold over the battery’s charge for when it’s needed in cities or it can use the petrol motor to both drive the front wheels and recharge the battery pack.
It doesn’t just run as an electric city car with long range either. It can run as a pure electric car even when it’s in its most aggressive four-wheel drive off-road setting, too, meaning that (for a few kilometres at least), you can go off-roading through your favourite bush spot with fewer local emissions than a well-fed hiker.
It’s also strong enough to run in pure-electric mode at up to 120km/h and goes on to a top speed of 193km/h. It is claimed to sprint to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds, with all of its propulsion systems cranking on the wheels.
At the heart of the concept is the 110kW, 250Nm version of the 1.4l, four-cylinder turbo petrol motor that is already in production service in everything from the Golf to the Passat and beyond.
VW cites a 40kW, 220Nm disc-shaped electric motor between the petrol engine and the inner workings of the six-speed, dual-clutch transmission and the two power plants combine to drive the front wheels, switching in and out depending on the drive mode, the throttle position and the battery’s charge level.
There is a stronger 85kW, 270Nm electric motor sitting on the rear axle and serving as the differential. This second electric motor also carries a second power electronics module, which converts direct current power to alternating current power.
The concept retains its all-wheel drive capability even when the battery charge drops too low, with the car using petrol power to effectively turn the front electric motor into a generator to deliver enough energy to the rear motor to maintain all-wheel drive. VW calls it an "electric propshaft".
The first VW SUV to be built off the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) that debuted in the Golf VII, the Tiguan GTE Active Concept will also use a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, designed specifically for work in the VW Group’s hybrid cars.
It is 4,494mm long, making it significantly bigger than the outgoing car and at a stroke addressing concerns about its limited luggage capacity.
The concept rides on what will become the standard version of the Tiguan wheelbase at 2,681mm and though the company is remaining tight-lipped about the longer version, it’s thought to add about 150mm to the wheelbase.
It has had to walk a fine line between providing enough space for a third row of seats and staying out of the CrossBlue territory above it.
The production versions will carry over the 1,899mm width of the concept, too, regardless of the wheelbase length, though the 1,766mm height will drop significantly. That’s because, for the many, many (cough, cough) off-roaders out there in the Tiguan demographic, the GTE Active concept has had its ride height lifted from the standard 180mm to 225mm so it can a) look better and more aggressive and/or b) deliver a ground clearance that lifts from 200mm to 245mm.
Its approach angle is up from 25.6° to 26.1° and its rear departure angle is up from 24.7° to 29.9°. The ramp-over angle lifts from 20° to 24.7°.
The designers have tried to accentuate the concept’s off-road cred with plenty of styling excesses that do little to hide the production Tiguan’s shape and detailing. There is a full-width aluminium underbody guard to protect it from approach angle miscalculations and another one at the rear. There are enormous chunky off-road custom tyres, there are chunky side sills, roof rails and auxiliary LED spotlights on the roof.
It has a more crafted version of the production Tiguan’s interior, with hand-cut touches complementing the Active Info Display (Volkswagen’s umbrella name for the high-resolution digital instrument cluster that Audi calls its Virtual Cockpit).
It also gets a dominant 9.2-inch multimedia display screen, with many of the infotainment features which are managed by Volkswagen’s version of gesture control.
The question now is whether we will ever see it on South African roads.
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