The Tiguan Volkswagen Desperately Needs In America Is Losing A Race Against Time

Volkswagen went by a metamorphosis in America over the previous decade. As soon as the masters of the small, inexpensive automobile, VW is now a crossover-centric model within the US. In 2024, almost 77% of its autos bought in America have been crossovers. The compact Tiguan was the model’s best-selling automobile with 94,372 items bought. The midsize Atlas household, the three-row Atlas and its two-row Atlas Cross Sport variant, outsold the Golf household greater than seven instances over.

VW crossovers have nailed two key parts of the American crossover components. The Tiguan and Atlas look stately and premium on the surface. They usually provide a ton of area on the within. The Atlas can ship as much as 96.6 cubic toes of cargo area, however alas, there’s nonetheless one important element lacking in VW’s equation: effectivity. The corporate’s US lineup, particularly the Tiguan, wants a hybrid possibility. And it could possibly be years earlier than that reaches American shores.

Volkswagen Hybrid Crossovers Could Not Arrive Anytime Quickly

VW has confirmed plans to introduce hybrid crossovers to the American market. Regardless of beforehand expressing an curiosity in PHEVs, VW famous in April that these hybrids can be standard, non-plug-in hybrids. The Tiguan, all-new for the 2025 mannequin yr, will provide a hybrid possibility this technology. So will the upcoming second-generation Atlas. However based on Automotive Information projections, these hybrids could not arrive till the excellent “mid-cycle refreshes.”

The brand new Tiguan simply launched, so a mid-cycle refresh could not occur till 2028. Volkswagen has not but launched the second-generation Atlas. And based on the report, the eventual Atlas hybrid could not arrive till “close to the top of the last decade.”

Volkswagen has not confirmed that particular timeline. Former VW US gross sales head Andrew Savvas famous in November 2024 that the Tiguan hybrid would “be coming midcycle someday.” The model has not confirmed a timeline for the Atlas hybrid. VW declined to elaborate on public feedback in response to a DrivingOnRoad inquiry.

Volkswagen Wants These Hybrid Crossovers Now

Gas financial system is already a major weak spot for VW’s two best-selling crossovers in comparison with their opponents. The all-wheel-drive Tiguan earns simply 22 mpg in metropolis driving and 30 mpg on the freeway for a 25 mpg mixed score. The least environment friendly Honda CR-V earns 28 mpg mixed. And Honda’s all-wheel-drive CR-V hybrid can ship 40 mpg in metropolis driving.

Regardless of dropping from a V6 to a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the all-wheel-drive Atlas solely averages 19 mpg in metropolis driving and 26 mpg on the freeway, for a mixed score of 21 mpg. The least environment friendly Mazda CX-90, with a six-cylinder engine, earns 25 mpg. And the CX-90 affords a plug-in hybrid possibility with 26 miles of EV-only vary.

The effectivity disparities between the Tiguan and Atlas and their competitors are about to worsen. The main participant within the Tiguan’s section, the Toyota RAV4, will transition to all-hybrid and plug-in hybrid fashions from 2026 onward. Two of the Atlas’s fundamental rivals, the Hyundai Palisade and the Kia Telluride, are additionally including new, extra highly effective and extra environment friendly hybrids for his or her subsequent generations in 2026 as nicely.

Sources: Automotive Information, Fueleconomy.gov