Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Active Concept Debuts With 20 Miles of Electric Range: 2016 Detroit Auto Show
DETROIT – Volkswagen used the 2016 Detroit Auto Show to show off its new Tiguan GTE Active Concept plug-in hybrid crossover.
The Tiguan GTE is an all-wheel-drive crossover based on the second-generation Volkswagen Tiguan. Under normal driving circumstances, the Tiguan GTE operates in fully electric mode, driving the rear wheels with a 114-horsepower electric motor. If the rear wheels lose traction, or if the driver selects 4Motion AWD, a 54-hp electric motor powering the front wheels is activated.
Under electric-only power, the Tiguan GTE has an estimated range of 20 miles.
Once you’re over 20 miles or require a little more kick, the 148-hp turbocharged, four-cylinder gasoline motor kicks in, boosting range to a claimed 580 miles. The Tiguan GTE is equipped with a 16.9-gallon fuel tank.
The Tiguan GTE Active Concept is built atop the second-generation Volkswagen Tiguan, which is larger than the current 2016 Tiguan and offers three rows of seating. While the next-generation Tiguan is expected to go on sale sometime in 2017, there is no estimated on-sale date, or even a confirmation of production, for this concept.
Visually, the concept GTE differs from the normal Tiguan with chunky 245/70R16 off-road tires, matte aluminum underbody guards and wheel-arch extensions.
Edmunds says: Given that the redesigned Tiguan with a standard gasoline engine is still a year away from U.S. dealers, the chances that you’ll see this plug-in hybrid version any time soon are slim.
