Volkswagen Tiguan Costs Hold Going Up, And It Certain Sounds Like Tariffs Are To Blame

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan improves over its predecessor in virtually each manner, altering it from a automotive you most likely would not thoughts getting as a rental into one that may go toe-to-toe with the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Consequently, we weren’t shocked to see Volkswagen elevate the Tiguan’s beginning worth. Now, for the 2026 mannequin yr, Automotive Information stories that VW has elevated the bottom worth by barely greater than $600 but once more. Besides this time, it is not as a result of the Tiguan obtained one other full redesign. As a substitute, it seems like tariffs are in charge.

For 2026, a base-model, front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Tiguan S will price you $32,280, together with vacation spot, which works out to an additional $610 or 1.9%. It additionally marks the second worth improve for the reason that redesigned Tiguan first went on sale in Could, the place it was initially priced at $30,920. Which means the brand new Tiguan is 4.4% dearer than it was in March. It does include an up to date driver-assistance system, however apart from that, there is not a lot the 2026 mannequin affords that the 2025 mannequin would not. 

The $610 worth hike additionally solely applies to S and SE fashions, no matter whether or not you get front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. If you need an SE R-Line, although, that worth is up $1,090 for the 2026 mannequin yr, bringing the value as much as $38,720 for the front-wheel-drive mannequin and $40,220 if you would like all-wheel drive. Again in March, you’d have paid $36,880 or $38,380, respectively, for a similar fashions. 

On the high quality, there’s now the SEL R-Line Turbo, which replaces the earlier SEL R-Line and now prices $44,560 as a substitute of $41,930. The SEL R-Line Turbo’s engine now makes a further 67 horsepower, although, so at the very least you get one thing additional on your cash. 

As Petar Danilovic, Volkswagen of America’s senior vice chairman of product advertising and technique, informed Auto Information, his view is that it is regular for automakers to lift their costs from mannequin yr to mannequin yr. Though it does sound like he is additionally suggesting that the tariffs Republicans so giddily help are behind these most up-to-date worth releases, with Danilovic saying, “Like all different manufacturers, we have a look at what’s occurring out there, what our opponents are doing. Additionally, what’s the price of enterprise on the opposite facet? Then we make our selections of ‘OK, the place do we predict it is a affordable worth improve?'”

Danilovic was obscure sufficient there that you possibly can learn his assertion in a manner that is not particularly referring to tariffs, however again in September, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, was a bit of extra blunt, telling reporters on the Munich motor present that, in response to tariffs, Volkswagen could not elevate its costs . As a substitute, his plan was to take a extra strategic strategy, elevating them a bit of right here and a bit of there. “Now we have to do it rigorously,” Blume mentioned on the time. “We won’t push all that we’re shedding onto our prospects and in a single section.”

In mild of that assertion, it seems like Danilovic’s reply actually was about tariffs. Is it affordable for automobiles to get dearer yearly? Not essentially, but when one man within the White Home will get to make all the pieces dearer simply because he feels prefer it, then yeah, it is fully affordable for firms to lift their costs. As a result of that is what occurs while you begin a tariff battle. Costs go up. Certain, tariff income additionally goes up, however each time Trump brags about how a lot cash these tariffs are bringing it, he is simply bragging about elevating taxes on the American individuals.