Volkswagen is expected to launch a two-wheel drive version of its new Tiguan compact SUV in about a year’s time.
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Not the first 2WD SUV to be offered in the UK (Toyota’s RAV4 didn’t sell enough; Nissan did OK with its previous-generation X-Trail, as did Hyundai with a 2WD Tucson), the VW will sell here in the UK for around GBP18,500 – some GBP1,000 less than the anticipated starting price for the four-wheel drive version which goes on sale in the UK from next February.
UK sales of the new 4×4 are expected to be about 9,000 next year rising to 11,000 in a full year with the sector-leading Honda CR-V firmly in its sights.
“The CR-V is our main target for Tiguan while in Germany VW is pitching it more against Toyota’s RAV4,” said VW UK product manager Joe Wilkinson. The Land Rover Freelander and Nissan X-Trail are other competitors.
Michael Kern, VW’s head of sales and marketing, said that the compact SUV sector has shown remarkable growth in western Europe alone – total sector sales were around 300,000 in 2002 and this year would be around 600,000.
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By GlobalDataThose figures don’t include central and Eastern Europe where Kern said growth could be particularly strong.
“It would have been nice to have been able to launch the Tiguan earlier, but our emphasis is on volume models like Golf and Polo,” he admitted.
The Tiguan marks the debut of a new two-litre four-cylinder 140PS common rail diesel engine and the beginning of the end for VW’s pumpe düse (PD) technology which will be replaced by the new common rail engines over the next four years or so.
The common rail engines meet Euro V requirements which come into force in 2009. Of the 11,000 expected sales in the UK, Wilkinson expects only about 2,500 to be to existing VW customers; the rest will be new to the brand.
“Our research shows that about 55% of compact SUV buyers have moved from hatchbacks or estates (wagons) and this will give us a chance to get them into a VW.”
The same is true of having a price entry at around GBP18,500 which he thinks will be low enough to tempt people who might want a Suzuki or Hyundai into a VW for the first time, he said.
The Tiguan will be launched in the UK primarily as an on-road 4×4 in three trim levels, S, SE and Sport. An off-road version, called Escape, which has a different front end treatment designed for off-roading, will also be available.
Initially there will be two engines, the new diesel unit and the 1.4 litre petrol TSI 150PS which is both supercharged and turbocharged. A more powerful 170PS diesel engine and two more TSI engines will be added to the line-up in late 2008.
