Volkswagen will launch an extended-wheelbase version of the Tiguan called the Allspace later this year.
Set to compete with the Nissan X-Trail and the forthcoming Skoda Kodiaq, the newcomer is expected to come as standard with five seats, although a two-seat third row will be an optional extra.
The Allspace, which was announced at the Detroit motor show, will use the same MQB platform as the standard Tiguan, albeit stretched to offer greater capacity.
Volkswagen has said nothing of the engine range, but it is expected that the Allspace will pick and choose units from the standard Tiguan’s line-up, possibly with an emphasis on the torque-rich 2.0-litre diesels.
VW says the Allspace will be launched in Europe from “as early as late spring”, and although there is no confirmation of whether the car will make it to the UK, it seems highly likely that we’ll see it on British shores before the year is out.
The car is aimed squarely at the US market, though, where VW has already confirmed it will launch the new Atlas mid-size SUV early this year.
Dr Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen Brand’s board of management, said: “The new Volkswagen Atlas and the all-new Tiguan mark the beginning of a major product offensive.”
Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has confirmed it will remain based in the UK after achieving the second-highest sales figures in its history.
The 113-year-old brand delivered more than 4,000 vehicles to customers last year – 6% more than in 2015.
According to the BMW-owned company, sales grew by 26% in the UK, while the Chinese market rose 23% and sales in Japan were up by 51%.
The USA, however, remained the brand’s largest market, with sales there rising by 10%. “Announcing the results, the Sussex-based company’s CEO, Torsten Muller-Otvos, said: “This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world’s most discerning patrons.