VW Tiguan and Taos Could Get ‘Prius-Like’ Hybrid Option Next Year

Volkswagen will respond to flattening EV sales by rolling out a new hybrid powertrain across its range. The system will be similar to the one that powers the Toyota Prius, according to a recent report, and it’s being developed to fit a wide range of vehicles across several segments.

The brand already sells numerous hybrid models in Europe, but they’re either plug-in hybrids or mild hybrids. The Golf GTE (pictured) is marketed as a gasoline-electric alternative to the GTI, and it’s powered by a plug-in system rated at 268 horsepower. The standard Golf, the Tiguan, the wagon-only Passat, and even the Touareg are available with plug-in hybrid power across the pond, and some models are also offered with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The new technology that will be rolled out next year will be a regular hybrid setup, however.

British magazine Autocar learned that the tech will consist of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a battery pack. It won’t have a plug, though it should be capable of electric-only driving for relatively short distances by turning the engine into a generator. Official specifications aren’t available, but an anonymous source told the publication that the system will be built around the familiar turbocharged, 1.5-liter four-cylinder TSI. Several power outputs ranging from 201 to 268 hp are reportedly in the pipeline.

If the report is accurate, the hybrid system will make its debut in the new, second-generation T-Roc crossover expected to break cover at the 2025 Munich Auto Show. Don’t worry if the name doesn’t ring a bell, as the T-Roc isn’t sold here. The current-generation model stretches about 167 inches long, so it’s approximately eight inches shorter than the Taos, which is VW’s smallest American-market crossover.

What this means for our market isn’t clear yet, but it’s not too far-fetched to speculate that the new hybrid system will end up in American showrooms. Volkswagen doesn’t sell a single hybrid here, yet demand for gasoline-electric vehicles is steadily increasing. It sells two EVs (the ID.4 and the ID. Buzz) but demand for EVs has slowed. Nothing suggests that the second-gen T-Roc will be sold here, but the hybrid system could end up in other crossovers. Perhaps tellingly, the MQB Evo platform also underpins the new 2025 Tiguan.

The Munich Auto Show opens in September, so more details about Volkswagen’s hybrid plans should emerge in the coming months.

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