Should the Volkswagen Tiguan return to the Philippines?
Is there a good chance the new Volkswagen Tiguan will land in the Philippines?
Volkswagen Philippines has big plans this year. They updated the Santana and it won't be long before the T-Cross appears in local dealerships. The German automaker is also gearing up for two more launches in 2021.
We took a look at the possible models last week after they said it will be a global model. We mentioned the Polo, all-new Lavida, Passat, Teramont, and Touran L. But there is another product sold in both the East and West that can return here. It's the second-generation Tiguan; the Tiguan L, to be exact.
But hold up, wasn't that Tiguan offered here before? Yes, it was, and it was in showrooms for a limited time only. As impressive as that crossover was, it was rather pricey at PHP 2,259,000 back in 2017. At that price, it didn't have an all-wheel-drive system, power seats, or even a reverse camera. Volkswagen Philippines stopped offering the current-shape Tiguan in favor of the stretched version of the first-generation.
Its comeback is possible for one reason: it's assembled by SAIC-Volkswagen. The current roster of Volkswagen Philippines rolls out of SAIC-run assembly lines. Also, SAIC-Volkswagen has stopped manufacturing the previous generation Tiguan L and shifted to the new look. That boosts the chances of the (not so) compact crossover arriving here. It also means they can offer it much lower than PHP 2,259,000 thanks to the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement.
The specs are promising for the SAIC-built Tiguan L. It's over 4.7 meters long, making it one of the longest in its segment. There are three engine options available, namely a 1.4-liter TSI (Turbo Stratified Injection) with 150 PS, a 2.0 TSI that puts out 186 PS, and a high-output version of the 2.0 TSI making 220 PS. All-wheel drive is also available for the higher-spec models.
Other noteworthy specs? It has a maximum cargo area of 1,780 liters, seats for seven, auto headlights, auto wipers, and, yes, a reverse camera. Fuel economy figures range from 18.1 km/l for the 1.4 TSI-powered models to 15.8 km/l for the 2.0-liter versions with 220 PS.
If there's something that's missing from the Volkswagen Philippines line-up, it's a seven-seat crossover. The Tiguan L would be a good model to fill in that void. If you're curious about pricing, the Tiguan L sells for RMB (yuan) 215,800 to RMB 285,800 or roughly PHP 1,613,245 to PHP 2,136,540 at current exchange rates. Of course, the final prices will depend on the tax and tariff incentives from the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement. Well, that is assuming it will land here in the first place.
