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

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan improves over its predecessor in virtually each means, altering it from a automobile 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. In consequence, we weren’t stunned to see Volkswagen elevate the Tiguan’s beginning value. Now, for the 2026 mannequin 12 months, Automotive Information studies that VW has elevated the bottom value 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 an alternative, it feels like tariffs are responsible.

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 value improve for the reason that redesigned Tiguan first went on sale in Might, the place it was initially priced at $30,920. Meaning the brand new Tiguan is 4.4% costlier 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 gives that the 2025 mannequin would not.

The $610 value 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 would like an SE R-Line, although, that value is up $1,090 for the 2026 mannequin 12 months, bringing the worth as much as $38,720 for the front-wheel-drive mannequin and $40,220 if you’d like all-wheel drive. Again in March, you’ll have paid $36,880 or $38,380, respectively, for a similar fashions.

On the top quality, there’s now the SEL R-Line Turbowhich replaces the earlier SEL R-Line and now prices $44,560 as an alternative of $41,930. The SEL R-Line Turbo’s engine now makes an extra 67 horsepower, although, so not less than you get one thing further in your cash.

As Petar Danilovic, Volkswagen of America’s senior vice chairman of product advertising and technique, instructed Auto Informationhis view is that it is regular for automakers to lift their costs from mannequin 12 months to mannequin 12 months. Though it does sound like he is additionally suggesting that the tariffs Republicans so giddily assist are behind these most up-to-date value releases, with Danilovic saying, “Like all different manufacturers, we take a look at what’s taking place available in the market, what our opponents are doing. Additionally, what’s the price of enterprise on the opposite aspect? Then we make our choices of ‘OK, the place do we expect it is a affordable value improve?'”

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

In gentle of that assertion, it feels like Danilovic’s reply actually was about tariffs. Is it affordable for vehicles to get costlier yearly? Not essentially, but when one man within the White Home will get to make every thing costlier 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 once you begin a tariff struggle. 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.