NAIAS 2016: Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active is a Plug-In Apology

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn
naias 2016 volkswagen tiguan gte active is a plug in apology

Volkswagen unveiled a new plug-in hybrid concept for the Tiguan, featuring more aggressive styling than the standard model launched in Frankfurt. Interestingly, Volkswagen has positioned the gas-electric CUV as a more fun-to-drive truck than the standard vehicle.

In other words, it’s a Tiguan Trailhawk.

The GTE Active offers two driver-selectable modes: E-mode, which is an all-electric, rear-drive mode good for up to 20 miles of zero emissions driving; and GTE mode, which pairs the gasoline engine, DSG transmission, and both electric motors for 221 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 6.4 second sprint to 60 mph.

As the new Tiguan is based on the MQB modular architecture, it’s not a significant stretch to assume this hybrid system could be transferred to the Golf, Jetta, and Passat if it proves successful.








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  • Flybrian Flybrian on Jan 11, 2016

    I'll take one...strip the BFGoodies off, and sent it back. That sure is ballsy for VW to put on all that extra plastic cladding that's only going to crack, break, and fall off in a year.

    • See 1 previous
    • Corey Lewis Corey Lewis on Jan 11, 2016

      @bball40dtw Oh come on they don't have those sorts of problems anymore! On Friday leaving work I was behind a circa 2012 Jetta Wolfsburg. Pity the rear lights were already non-functional unless the brakes were applied.

  • Flybrian Flybrian on Jan 11, 2016

    FWIW, there is more chatter in the thread about that decrepit Dodge Shadow, which means VW could give out a free old fashioned to every male in America and no one would care.

    • Banker43 Banker43 on Jan 11, 2016

      I don't know...I'm pretty sure the streets of NE college towns will be clogged with these things.

  • Zerofoo "Hyundais just got better and better during the 1990s, though, and memories of those shoddy Excels faded."Never. A friend had an early 90s Hyundai Excel as his college beater. One day he decided that the last tank of gas he bought was worth more than the car. He drove it to empty and then he and his fraternity brothers pushed it into the woods and left it there.
  • Kwik_Shift There are no new Renegades for sale within my geographic circle of up to 85 kms. Looks like the artificial shortage game. They bring one in, 10 buyers line up for it, $10,000 over MSRP. Yeah. Like with a lot of new cars.
  • Ribbedroof In Oklahoma, no less!
  • Ribbedroof Have one in the shop for minor front collision repairs right now,I've seen more of these in the comments than in the 30 years I've been in collision repair.
  • Tassos And all 3 were ordered by Fisker's mother. Seriously, given Fisker's terrible record of Failure in the past, only an utter loser, (for example, VGhost or Art Vandelay?), looking for a BEV terrible enough to be a proper replacement of his 11 mile range Fiat 500E, would order one of these. (apart from Fisker's mother)
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