Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI suspended until 2019

VOLKSWAGEN has temporarily withdrawn the entry-level Tiguan 110TSI from sale in Australia due to a production halt as the brand scrambles to complete testing for the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).

 

With all new vehicles sold in Europe from September 1, 2018 having to pass WLTP, the front-wheel drive Tiguan 110TSI – powered by a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol engine – is one of many individual variants where production has had to cease, leaving only the upper-spec all-wheel-drive 132TSI 4Motion and 162TSI 4Motion in the Volkswagen’s five-seater medium-SUV artillery.

 

As a result, the cheapest Tiguan is now the dual-clutch automatic 132TSI Comfortline 4Motion starting from $42,490 plus on-road costs, a big jump up from the $31,990 for the base 110TSI Trendline manual or $34,490 for the DSG automatic.

 

However, the just-launched long-wheelbase seven-seat Tiguan Allspace will actually undercut its five-seat sibling with a starting price of $40,990 for the 110TSI automatic, which uses the same engine as the suspended Tiguan but is not subject to the WLTP rules since it is manufactured in Mexico rather than Germany and thus not offered for sale in that exact specification in Europe. 

 

A brief statement issued by Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) said the base petrol will return when 110TSI production resumes, adding that more than half of all sales since the current-generation Tiguan was released two years ago have been the more expensive variants.

 

“When the production constraints brought about by the advent of WLTP in Europe lift, an entry-level 110TSI will return to showrooms,” it said. 

 

“Tiguan buyers have overwhelmingly opted for the two most powerful petrol engine variants with all-wheel-drive, so the MY19 range will initially consist of the 132TSI Comfortline and the 162TSI Highline. 

 

“Both deploy the class-leading EA888 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine run through a seven-speed DSG transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel drive.”

 

According to VGA general manager of communications Paul Pottinger, while potential buyers will have to wait until next year before getting their hands on the base Tiguan, the other petrol variants with AWD account for up to 70 per cent of all volume and will continue with business as usual.

 

“The 110TSI won’t be back before 2019,” he said. “We can’t get it at the moment, and we hope to resecure that as soon as possible. And we have enough stock to get us through to October.

 

“(However) it’s not such a bad thing, because the 162TSI is far and away the best-selling single variant, with some 45 to 50 per cent of overall volume… so 132(TSI) and 162(TSI) are where the action is. But it would be great to have the entry-level Tiguan back because there are people just getting into the brand and that’s where they are going to go, so we’re hoping to get back on line ASAP.”

 

Finally, the diesel-powered Tiguan 110TDI and 140TDI 4Motion, priced at $43,490 and $50,490 respectively, have also been discontinued in the shorter-wheelbase form as VGA expects those buyers to consider the larger Allspace version instead.

 

“The smallest selling variant was the 110TDI, and the 140TDI had a following with towing people,” Mr Pottinger said. 

 

“But I think they’re going to migrate to the Allspace.”

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