Volkswagen's Tiguan Allspace to Debut in Detroit, But You'll Call It a Tiguan

Volkswagen will showcase its extended-wheelbase, seven-seat Tiguan Allspace at next month’s North American International Auto Show — hoping to use the crossover to curry favor with the United States in the wake of its diesel emissions scandal.

The 2018 Tiguan Allspace should serve as a cheaper alternative to larger three-row SUVs, similar to Nissan’s Rogue with its optional family package. It should also serve as a way to coax crossover-crazy Americans back into VW’s warm embrace.

The Allspace, which will just carry the Tiguan name in North America, is over eight inches longer than the standard overseas-only Tiguan, with four of those inches added onto the wheelbase. Current test models of the Allspace are minimally camouflaged, indicating that it will look almost identical to the standard model. The rear door appears to be slightly longer, along with a larger greenhouse. However, the overall shape, proportions, and cutline still make it look like a less flowing BMW X5.

Adding an optional extra row of seating should make it a popular choice for burgeoning families, but perhaps not an ideal one for adult children. It’s difficult to imagine those rearmost seats being spacious, considering the stretched SUV is still not a massive vehicle. The seats can slide to give rear occupants added legroom and easier access, however.

The United States can expect Volkswagen’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, while European customers can expect other options, including a diesel.

If Volkswagen can price the newly enlarged Tiguan sensibly, it could be a big hit in the States. The existence of other three-row compacts and abundance of larger SUVs with more interior volume means VW can’t stray too far from the base MSRP.

The longer variant of the Tiguan will premiere in January at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show. Beginning in the early part of summer, the Tiguan — with up to seven seats — will launch successively in North America, China and Europe.

[Image: Volkswagen]