2024 Volkswagen Tiguan gains friendlier face in design refresh

The Volkswagen Tiguan will receive a significant style overhaul next year, bringing the popular SUV in line with the design language of the smaller Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Polo. 

Expected to launch in 2024, a prototype of the new Volkswagen Tiguan showed a completely new front end with sharper headlights, a much larger front grille and a redesigned front splitter. 

Indicators have also been added to the Tiguan’s wing mirrors, while the SUV retains its distinctive three-spoke chrome detailing at the nose.

The rear end, meanwhile, largely resembles the existing Tiguan, save for bulkier bodywork.

The prototype was largely camouflaged with a black, line-obscuring livery, but it’s clear to see the new Tiguan will feature a wheelbase larger than the current car but still smaller than the seven-seater Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. 

A visible exhaust muffler and rear quad exhaust decoys show that the Tiguan will retain internal-combustion power for this generation, before its inevitable switch to an electric powertrain. 

The 2024 model will likely retain the same powertrains as the current Tiguan, which is on sale with a selection of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains with up to 242bhp. 

When contacted by Autocar, Volkswagen did not comment on the model's potential powertrains or whether it would be the final internal combustion Tiguan. A spokesperson for the firm did however confirm a potential launch date of 2024. 

The model’s visual refresh comes after Volkswagen design chief Jozef Kaban claimed the firm would move towards a friendlier design direction, producing more vehicles that “smile”. 

The Volkswagen ID Buzz marked the beginning of the German car maker’s new design era in this respect. 

“We will be trying to do all cars with more emotion. It depends on the product, as not every car can have such a positive, friendly character, but one thing is clear: you will see more and more steps [towards more expressive Volkswagen design], and not just on EVs,” Kaban told Autocar last month.

Kaban went on to say that Volkswagen would avoid angry faces on the majority of its models, saying “aggressive fronts don’t work”.