2027 VW Tiguan ePro PHEV.

Its full name is VW Tiguan ePro, and it is only available in China so far.

It is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and paired with a 22 kWh battery. This setup allows for an EV-only range of 73 miles on the Chinese test cycle. Even after adjusting for real-world conditions. That would likely translate to around 55 miles on the EPA cycle if it were sold in the U.S. And that’s exactly the problem. It isn’t. At least so far.

A vehicle like this would allow Volkswagen to compete far more effectively against the new 2026 RAV4, which is now only available as a Hybrid or PHEV. Meanwhile, the new Tiguan sold in North America still doesn’t offer any form of electrification at all. Not even a conventional hybrid. In today’s market, that feels increasingly out of touch. Something VW must be used to by now…

Years ago, VW stated clearly that it would not sell PHEV models in the U.S., even as most of its European lineup already offered plug-in options. About a year ago, VW mentioned the possibility of a PHEV version of the new Tiguan. Since then there has been complete silence. This reinforces the perception that VW is a very slow company to react to market changes, at least in the U.S.

This hesitation is especially puzzling given VW’s stated goal of doubling its U.S. market share by 2030, from roughly 4% to 8%. With only four years left, that’s an enormous challenge. One that will be extremely difficult to achieve without hybrids or PHEVs in high-volume segments.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see if VW can pull it off. The Tiguan ePro appears essentially production-ready and is scheduled to go on sale in its local market next June.

Whether VW decides to finally bring something like it to the U.S. may say a lot about how serious the company really is about competing here long-term.