Volkswagen’s->ke94 Tiguan->ke1817 was one of the first of the modern wave of compact->ke140 crossovers.->ke288 It was competent but somewhat forgettable, especially in light of that particular segment’s explosion over the past few years. There’s an all-new Tiguan coming soon though, probably set to appear at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show,->ke235 and the test mules have already been spotted. Significant changes are in store for VW’s compact crossover.

Until now, prototype Tiguans have been seen wearing widened versions of the current body. These shots show a heavily disguised tester wearing the new sheet metal. From the look of it, the longer, wider and lighter Tiguan will share some of the muscular looks of the 2014 Volkswagen CrossBlue concept, with just a bit of Touareg->ke321 thrown in to keep things familiar. A new grille and headlights are also discernible. The CrossBlue and 2012 Volkswagen Cross Coupe concepts seem to have provided a strong inspiration. With a production version of the CrossBlue also anticipated, this look could indicate the styling direction of all of VW’s utility vehicles.

Based on the size of the trailer the test mules have been seen pulling, the new Tiguan’s going to be a harder worker than the current car as well. There’s a good chance that a diesel option will be offered to North American customers for the first time. Volkswagen’s push to add TDI versions of most of its products suggests that it’s possible.

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Spy Shots

The Tiguan is in for a complete rethinking as well as new styling. Riding on Volkswagen’s MQB platform, a stretched-wheelbase, seven-seat Tiguan is expected to join the lineup, and the rumor mill suggests that a 300-horsepower R model might even be in the works, along with a sporty, coupe-style version. It will be a vital step in broadening Volkswagen’s SUV/->ke145crossover lineup. The next-gen Tiguan is expected to arrive in North America some time in 2017 as a 2018 model.

2015 Volkswagen Tiguan - spy shots

You can check our speculative review of the new Tiguan here.