VW Tiguan and Atlas hybrids in the works, but not soon

• 2025 VW Tiguan debut didn’t include hybrid model
• VW dealers are asking for hybrids
• A hybrid Tiguan and Atlas are planned, but not for years
  

On Wednesday the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan debuted ahead of the 2024 LA auto show, but notably absent was a hybrid model.

In a roundtable with Green Car Reports and other media on Thursday, Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand said hybrids are in the works. But it’s going to be years.

Schäfer noted that VW’s U.S. retailers are “requesting hybrids loud and clear.” The automaker is now working to get hybrids into the lineup “as soon as possible,” but they weren’t in the product plans as they forecasted the BEV market to develop quicker than it did, and that makes it tough.

The automaker’s not ruling out both a Tiguan hybrid and plug-in hybrid variant for the U.S. No decision has been made, according to Andrew Savvas, Volkswagen’s North American Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, who emphasized that what happens in terms of legislation and fleet emissions rules will determine the right mix of hybrids versus plug-in hybrids.

When asked if the Atlas would get a hybrid variant Schäfer said: “Yup.”

As to whether the Atlas hybrid will be a plug-in, Schäfer said they’ll “probably only do one.” It’s about balance and ensuring it’s the right product fit rather than fiddling with both at the same time. The team’s still studying when to introduce it. It likely won’t be until the next-gen Atlas arrives, which would be years from now. The Atlas was introduced in 2018, refreshed in 2021, and then refreshed again for 2024.

2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

Outgoing Volkswagen Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si had been pushing for hybrids in the U.S. market lineup—which didn’t seem like such a tall order as VW has plenty of hybrids in other global markets. But that push didn’t translate to reality quick enough.

Unlike the Atlas, the Tiguan is a global product. The Tiguan, which is the automaker’s best-selling vehicle in America, is already available in other markets both as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid.

That said, if it gets the green light, such hybrid versions wouldn’t arrive to the Tiguan lineup until its mid-cycle update, potentially years from now. The new, third-generation, 2025 Tiguan that was revealed on Wednesday won’t arrive until early summer.

The pint-sized Taos fits into the VW SUV family and just received a refresh for 2025. Comments from the executives clearly placed that model after Tiguan and Atlas, respectively, in getting a potential hybrid version—if it ever does.