The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Tries to Stay Hot With New Style

• New front styling helps keep the second-generation Volkswagen Tiguan’s design looking fresh in 2022.

• VW’s Tiguan is the automaker’s hottest selling nameplate in the US and the world.

• Powering the ’22 Tiguan is a 2.0-liter I4 making 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic.

If you check Volkswagen’s sales numbers, you probably won’t be surprised to see a crossover topping its charts. Sure, the Golf GTI is fantastic, but people love crossovers. While the Atlas would make a strong contender for top honors at Volkswagen, the company is moving more Tiguans than anything else. Hoping to capitalize on this second-generation’s success, the company is lightly refreshing it for the 2022 model year.

The ’22 Tiguan follows the tried-and-true formula for a mid-cycle refresh. Volkswagen is massaging the front sheetmetal, adding some additional tech and expanding its color palette. Changes include new front fenders, revised headlights and a new front fascia. The styling change is admittedly subtle but does look more aggressive than the outgoing model.

Refreshed styling is nice but might not be enough to help keep Tiguan sales numbers up, so several new tech features sweeten the pot. Sitting in front of the driver is now an eight-inch screen feeding the driver Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit. You can increase that to a 10-inch screen if you opt for the Digital Cockpit Pro. Volkswagen is also adding a suite of driver assistance tech on every Tiguan except for the base model. Dubbed IQ.Drive, the system includes a forward-collision warning system, blind-spot monitoring, a lane keep assist system and adaptive cruise control, to name a few.

Under the hood is a 2.0-liter inline-4 making 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Those familiar with the Tiguan will probably note that is exactly the same as the outgoing model. The four-cylinder is standard across the board and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There’s no word on price, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see an increase for 2022, though if Volkswagen is trying to tackle the compact crossover world, price is a major deal-breaker for shoppers.

Ultimately, we’ll see how successful this refreshed Tiguan is when it hits dealers this fall.

Will this mild update for '22 keep the Volkswagen Tiguan in the compact crossover fight? Let us know what you think in the comments below.