Volkswagen Lets Consumers Vote For Name of New Compact SUV
Off the top of your head, how many things can you name, that were chosen by the public in a democratic form? There are the numerous positions in political offices (and bills and laws), whomever is to win Canadian Idol, and a great number of those Top 10 music programs. But could something as subjective as a car have its name chosen by the general public? Well, Volkswagen decided to hold a vote to decide on the name for its first compact sport utility vehicle, to be based off of the PQ45 architecture.
While we were thinking that the car might be called the Beduin or Marrakech - names actually registered by Volkswagen back in 2003 - the official name, Tiguan, caught us off guard. The name is a hybrid between Tiger and Leguan, the German word for iguana (Liger, anyone?), hinting at power and agility in a compact package. More than 350,000 votes covering ten different countries were cast by readers of the weekly German car magazine Auto Motor Und Sport for the name, which won with a clear majority. This is hardly surprising, given the other four choices were Nanuk, Namib, Rockton and Samun.
Though it’s been hailed as the little brother to the Touareg premium-luxury sport utility vehicle, the Tiguan has two key differences: it won’t be as lavish, nor will it be as capable off-road. The car will most likely be powered by the series of small FSI inline-four engines, and TDI diesels, which will may or may not be absent from North America - according to VW they’re still working on making them compliant with our rather strict new 2007 regulations. Either way, we’ll be getting a larger, narrow-angle VR6 engine (most likely the 3.6) to satisfy the ever-growing need for performance and pulling power. Entry-level variants will most likely be front-wheel drive with the Haldex 4Motion all-wheel drive system as an option. And hardly unexpected, like the new LR2 or other crossovers it will compete against, the Tiguan won’t have a low-range option on its gearbox (or a transfer case, for that matter).
At the same time of the announcement of the compact SUV’s name, Volkswagen has also released a design sketch of the vehicle (artist’s rendering at top). It shares a great deal of its design, namely the low-slung front end, narrow headlamps, and broad chrome grille surround with the well-received “tall car” Concept A, although certain aspects have been toned down. The Tiguan’s profile is slightly more conventional, dropping the Concept A’s part-coupe-part-convertible configuration. It will instead have a more upright tail end, like a conventional sport utility vehicle. We’ll also have to wait to see whether or not the car will retain the Concept A’s rear-hinged mini-doors, though, chances are it will have four full, proper doors.
Before Volkswagen commits the Tiguan to production, it’s been rumoured that the German manufacturer will show a near-production concept version of the car at this year’s Los Angeles Motor Show, at its new time in December, a month prior to its previous date. As for a Tiguan you can purchase, the unveiling isn’t slated until next September, when it will make its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.