Volkswagen Tiguan 132TSI and 162TSI five-seaters return, more features for 2024

Top-selling 132TSI and 162TSI petrol all-wheel-drive variants of the Volkswagen Tiguan are available to purchase again after a pause – ahead of the return of a selection of recently-removed features, as production constraints ease.

In February, Volkswagen Australia paused order books for most standard-length, all-wheel-drive Tiguan variants – the petrol 132TSI, 162TSI and R, and the diesel 147TDI – due to parts shortages.

The Tiguan R became available to order again in March 2023 – after an influx of stock – but the other models remained unavailable.

Despite fears the variants would not return before the current Tiguan reaches the end of the line next year – due to a large order backlog – Volkswagen Australia now says the Tiguan 132TSI and 162TSI are coming back to showrooms.

However the 147TDI will not return, as diesel has been dropped from the Tiguan line-up for Model Year 2024.

Approximately 1400 examples will be available across Volkswagen’s Australian dealership network – comprising 300 Tiguan 132TSI Lifes, 450 Tiguan 162TSI Elegance/R-Lines and 650 Tiguan Rs, reflecting high demand for the top-spec grades among local buyers.

While the petrol-powered all-wheel-drive Tiguan is returning, the turbo-diesel Tiguan 147TDI will not be coming back to Australian showrooms – both for the current-generation Tiguan and its new-generation successor, due in late 2024 or early 2025 with petrol power only.

According to Volkswagen Australia, the car-maker also holds “strong supply” of the five-seat standard-length Tiguan and seven-seat long-body Tiguan Allspace’s entry-level, front-wheel-drive 110TSI Life grade, which was never affected by the order pause.

The company says “several months of Tiguan Allspace production” is currently awaiting shipment from the factory in Mexico, to local showrooms. The standard-length, five-seat model is built in Germany.

Another variant which won’t be returning is the five-seat, but long-body Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Adventure special edition introduced mid last year.

For the 2024 model year – due in late 2023 or early 2024 – Elegance and R-Line variants of both Tiguan body styles will be fitted as standard with power-operated tailgates, as well as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert safety technology.

Examples delivered in Australia since September 2022 have lacked the safety features – and had the power tailgate available as an option, rather than standard – due to semiconductor shortages. At the time, Volkswagen Australia said the delay would last approximately six months.

The five-seat, standard-length Volkswagen Tiguan Elegance and R-Line are also set to once again be equipped with the company’s ‘proactive occupant protection system’ – which tightens the front seat belts, activates the hazard warning lights and closes the windows if a crash is predicted as imminent.

Meantime, the flagship Volkswagen Tiguan R is due to gain a Harman Kardon premium sound system as standard fitment, after it was moved to the options list in January 2022 as a precautionary measure in case of a sudden shortage of parts.

Pricing and full specifications for the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan are expected to become available closer towards its arrival in Australian showrooms.

The next-generation, standard-length Tiguan is due in local showrooms in late 2024 or early 2025.