Volkswagen Tiguan
The 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan can be found in four different trim forms, the S, SE, SE R-Line Black and SEL R-Line Turbo. The majority of trims come with a front-wheel-drive system with the option to have 4MOTION; Volkswagen's all-wheel-drive, except for the SEL R-Line Turbo which comes standard with 4MOTION.
The S, SE and SE R-Line Black come with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that produces 201-horsepower. The top-level SEL R-Line Turbo trim adds 67 horsepower on top of that, for a total of 268-horsepower. The 4MOTION powertrain has 221-pound feet of torque compared to the front-wheel drive which produces 207-pound feet. Power is transferred to the wheels via a front-wheel-drive or a 4-wheel-drive drivetrain with four driving modes to choose from, and an 8-speed automatic transmission. Braking is done by vented front and solid rear disk brakes with ABS, and they also feature hydraulic brake assist. The Tiguan is also nimbler, with four-wheel independent suspension and electro-mechanical power steering. Some of these suspension components are now made from aluminum which reduces the overall weight of the vehicle.
When equipped with the front-wheel-drive powertrain, the Tiguan can tow 1500lbs., and 1800lbs. with the all-wheel-drive option.
The Tiguan S trim comes with 17-inch machined alloy wheels with all season tires, tinted privacy glass for the second row and cargo area windows, manually adjustable driver and passenger seats with height adjustment, multifunction steering wheel with audio, phone, and display controls, heated front seats, rear bench seat with 60/40 split folding and a center fold-down center armrest. The Tiguan S also comes standard with cloth upholstery, adjustable front center armrest with dual-level storage box that is new for 2026, USB-C charging ports in the front and USB charging ports facing the rear seats, a new 10.25-inch configurable instrument cluster, a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, new wireless charging, voice control, two-zone automatic climate control, keyless access for doors and liftgate. Overall, a very well-equipped trim.
Moving on to the next trim in line, the SE trim includes 19-inch wheels, power adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, perforated leatherette upholstery, 10-colour adjustable ambient lighting, newly added entry lighting for the front row, remote engine start, remote liftgate, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with frame.
The SE R-Line Black adds 20-inch black alloy wheels with all season tires, illuminated door handles, panoramic sunroof with power tilting and sliding front section and fixed rear section, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a head-up display and a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror.
Looking at the top-of-the-line SEL R-Line Turbo trim, this trim adds distinct 20 inch wheels, projector headlamps with signature daylight running lights and poor weather lights, integrated front grille lightbar, and an integrated rear lightbar along with illuminated front and rear logos. In addition, power-folding side mirrors with puddle lamps and position memory come standard, as well as a heated steering wheel for the cold winter months or a cool morning, driver's seat position memory, front passenger power adjustable seat with massage, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, leather upholstery, wood trim, a privacy cover for the rear cargo area, 30-colour ambient lighting, hands-free rear liftgate, a 15-inch infotainment touchscreen display with navigation, three-zone automatic climate control with control buttons in the second row, and a newly added heat insulated and sound insulated front windshield.
Safety features abound in the Tiguan, with all trims including a rearview camera system, park distance control sensors in the front and rear, hi-beam control, hill start assist, hill descent control for trims equipped with 4MOTION, 10 airbags, and Volkswagen's IQ DRIVE which includes adaptive cruise control with stop & go, lane keeping assist, accident response system, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring. All Tiguans also include a new revision to the TravelAssist system, which is a Level 2 semi-autonomous driver aid that requires a driver's hands to be on the wheel.