2025 Volkswagen Tiguan: Sleek Form, Questionable Function, Fewer Seats

Competes with: Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4

Looks like: The ID.4’s gas-powered cousin

Powertrains: 201-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine; eight-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Summer 2025

Volkswagen is updating its Tiguan compact SUV for the 2025 model year to look more like the brand’s other current offerings inside and out. While VW says this complete redesign of the Tiguan brings better fuel economy and performance, it will almost certainly be a polarizing one, as more functions have been moved onto a touchscreen and it only has seating for five.

Related: More 2024 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Hello, New Design; Farewell, Third Row

If you’ve seen the new international-market Tayron SUV, chances are the 2025 Tiguan looks very familiar, as it features nearly identical styling to the Tayron that hits somewhere between VW’s all-electric ID.4 and the larger Atlas SUV. The only catch is that while the Tayron offers a seven-seat, three-row seating configuration, the Tiguan we’ll be getting in the U.S. doesn’t. That’s certainly an odd choice given the popularity of three-row SUVs and the fact that the 2024 Tiguan offered that very option. Perhaps it’s something VW could add in the future if the demand is there, but that alone feels like a downgrade for the U.S. market.

The Tiguan’s new chunky, muscular exterior styling features slightly shorter overhangs and a slightly longer wheelbase than the 2024 model. A front LED light bar with a love-it-or-not illuminated VW badge in the middle is available. Seventeen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are standard; 19- and 20-inch wheels are available.

The interior is an airy, modern place to sit, complete with American walnut wood trim and configurable mood lighting that extends into a cool backlit insert on the dashboard. The gear selector has been moved onto the steering column to add to the open feel and leave more room for a larger center console.

More Power, Better Fuel Economy

One notable upgrade is under the hood, as the 2025 Tiguan’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine now makes 201 horsepower, a 17-hp increase over the outgoing model’s output. That engine is matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the new Tiguan will be available with either front- or all-wheel drive.

VW claims this new Tiguan accelerates faster while being easier on fuel, with many of the new model’s upgrades focused on making it lighter and more aerodynamic. Official fuel-economy ratings have yet to be announced, but the steps the brand claims to have taken seem promising: New lighter aluminum components in the suspension and the use of high-strength steel in the body resulted in a 170-pound reduction in curb weight. A roof spoiler, air curtains in the front bumper and side-flow elements near the rear also aim to help improve the new Tiguan’s aerodynamic efficiency.

Form Over Function?

Another questionable decision is a further move away from easily accessible buttons and physical controls toward putting more controls on the Tiguan’s touchscreen. The sleek new interior at least features a relatively large 12.9-inch central touchscreen (with a 15-inch touchscreen available) to control all of these functions, but given how difficult and distracting we’ve found other Volkswagens’ screen-heavy user interfaces to use, we’re not exactly stoked to see it here.

To Volkswagen’s credit, the infotainment screen’s higher-up location is an upgrade over the existing Tiguan’s oddly low touchscreen, and the company ditched the optional touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel for easier-to-use physical buttons. The touch-bar controls underneath the touchscreen are backlit. There’s also a multifunction rotary dial on the center console that can control the stereo volume and the car’s “Atmospheres” — user-selectable combos of sounds and mood lighting. (We’ll have to see how easy that is to use in practice later.)

In front of the driver sits a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display, with a head-up display available. Wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, along with automatic climate control. Optional tech includes 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio, ambient lighting with up to 30 colors, three-zone climate control, a power liftgate, heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and 12-way power massaging, heated and ventilated front seats.

Improved Safety Tech

The new Tiguan gets four new airbags in the center, rear side and at the driver’s knee to increase passenger safety. This brings the total up to 10 airbags, and that’s on top of Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive suite of driver assists that was added to the 2024 model. This includes a semi-autonomous driving system, forward collision warning with pedestrian monitoring and automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot warnings, lane departure steering assist, parking sensors and adaptive cruise control with the ability to handle stop-and-go traffic. One of the Tiguan’s most useful features is its Emergency Assist system, which can bring the car to a stop if it senses the driver is having a medical emergency and call VW’s roadside assistance for help.

Availability and Pricing

The 2025 Tiguan will go on sale next summer. Pricing will be announced closer to its on-sale date.

More From Cars.com:

• 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Gets Wolfsburg Edition Variant
• 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Adds Standard Semi-Autonomous Driving Tech, Emergency Services
• 2024 Volkswagen Atlas Review: Smart Changes (Nearly) Redeem a Former Favorite
• 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Review: How to Lose Friends Through Touch Controls
• J.D. Power Study Finds Growing Frustration With Advanced Tech

Related Video:

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.