Volkswagen Tiguan is all set to make good use of the craze buyers have for the SUV segment. The vehicle will be stretched to its limit so that it could accommodate seven passengers at once, but we can’t comment on the headroom and legroom it offers before the model enters dealership stores.

Times are not the best for Volkswagen, because the brand is recuperating from the diesel car emission scandal around the globe. Customers in the United States and parts of Europe are highly disappointed with what the company has done to cheat emission tests. However, it has given a new lease of life for hybrid vehicles that run on electric motors and gasoline as well as fully electric cars. EVs are reliable when it comes to avoiding emission issues and hybrids help people save some extra cash as they do with a diesel car.

While the industry is going towards a different route, it is mandatory for the brand to win back the trust and stir the market with a brand new vehicle. The Tigual XL with seven seater stretched design is probably just one of many, as Volkswagen has plans to refresh multiple models and launch some new ones as well in the next two years.

The upcoming Tiguan is expected to be built on the body shell of the Passat. The shell has enough space which gives us the much needed confidence to assume that the seven seater will not be a cramped vehicle, but one that offers enough room for passengers to sit comfortably. Land Rover Discovery is the latest sensation in the automobile industry which has a third row of seats and Tiguan XL aims to compete directly against it.

Latest reports confirmed that the vehicle will cater to the Chinese audience due to the brand value Volkswagen enjoys in the country. They will launch the new Tiguan in the middle of 2017, after which it may or may not arrive in Europe among other regions. Based on the success the SUV enjoys in China, it might attract the attention of buyers in other countries and warrant a launch. But, Volkswagen’s current emission issues prevent them from wholeheartedly accepting the brand one more time.

It is going to be a battle of quality versus patronage when Tiguan launches. We are looking forward to other models that Volkswagen might announce in the upcoming months, with some of them being hybrids.