Volkswagen announced this week at the North American International Auto Show that it is developing a new SUV for the U.S., one that will not replace the Touareg. We assume that it will not replace the Tiguan either since Volkswagen executives said it would be based on the CrossBlue SUV concept revealed at last year’s NAIAS. Nonetheless, the possibility of a Tiguan begone was not explicitly ruled out.
Instead, Volkswagen said that the new SUV will seat seven, be a midsize and will arrive in 2016. The official reveal of the new SUV is thus likely to be at the 2015 NAIAS (three-year plans are methodical, if unimaginative).
The choice to include seven seats is curious given that smaller, crossover SUVs are all the rage these days. Perhaps Volkswagen thinks consumer taste will have had enough of tiny SUVs in two years.
In any case, the CrossBlue was noted both for its resemblance in design to the Passat, and its minivan-based function underneath the SUV form. Will Volkswagen’s 2016 SUV bear the CrossBlue’s 2013 design? We’ll see.
For more information on the mysterious rover, see Left Lane News.