We’ve written extensively about the Volkswagen Tiguan and its capabilities on this blog. Today we’re going to look at where the Tiguan is made. This seems to be a straightforward question, but this car consists of many components (engine, transmission, etc.) made in different parts of the world before it ends up at your local dealership.
Let’s start with a quick answer:
Volkswagen Tiguan manufactured from 2016 onwards and sold in North America are assembled in Puebla, Mexico. Furthermore, the 2.0L TSI engine is made in nearby Silao, Mexico. The 8-speed transmission is made in Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, or Spain.
However, that certainly doesn’t answer the question entirely. Below, we’ll first dive into detail about the assembly location. After, that we’ll give you the complete rundown of where the engines are made, and we’ll do the same for all transmissions used in this vehicle. Read on!
Also read: Types Of Gas A Volkswagen Tiguan Uses (Explained)
Assembly Locations Per Generation
The first generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan was sold in the United States between 2009 – 2016 and was extended with the sale of the Tiguan Limited between 2017 – 2018. In China, the first generation of the Tiguan was sold between 2009 – 2020.
The first generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan was assembled in four different locations. The first two locations are located in Wolfsburg and Osnabruck, Germany. First-generation Tiguans that were sold in the United States were imported from one of these two locations in Germany. The other two assembly locations were located in Anting, China, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It’s interesting to note that, for the Chinese market, both an imported version and a locally manufactured version of the Tiguan have been sold since 2009. The Chinese-built version had a 1.8L and 2.0L TSI, whereas the import version only had a 2.0L TSI
The second generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan started production in 2016 and is still manufactured today. There were some significant changes for this generation regarding where they are assembled. First of all, the Tiguan is sold as a short-wheelbase and long-wheelbase version. The Tiguan sold in the United States is a long-wheelbase model, whereas other parts of the world also have a short-wheelbase version.
The Volkswagen Tiguan sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is a long-wheelbase version assembled in Puebla, Mexico.
The second-generation Tiguan was sold alongside the first-generation in China. The first-generation Tiguan was now sold as the Tiguan Silk Road. The new generation of the long-wheelbase Tiguan is assembled in Anting, China.
Short-wheelbase models for China and other parts of the world, including Europe, are assembled in, and imported from, Wolfsburg, Germany.
Other assembly locations include Pekan, Malaysia, which only makes short-wheelbase versions. Tiguans sold in Malaysia with a long-wheelbase are imported from Mexico. Furthermore, Kaluga, Russia, Relizane, Algeria, Aurangabad, India, and Purwakarta, Indonesia, all have assembly locations for the Tiguan.
Also read: How Many Miles Can A Volkswagen Tiguan Last? (Answered)
Engines
The first generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan was available worldwide with three different petrol and one diesel engine. The petrol engines were 1.4, 1.8, and 2.0L TSI engines. The 1.4L TSI engine was made at the Skoda Auto plant in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. The 1.8L and 2.0L TSI engines were designed by Audi. For the Tiguans assembled in Wolfsburg and Osnabruck, Germany (and then sold in the United States), these engines were most likely made in Gyor, Hungary by Audi or in Salzgitter, Germany at a VW Group plant. Since the 2.0L TDI diesel engine was sold in Europe, likely, this is also where the diesel engines were made.
First-generation Tiguan assembled in China or Vietnam have a much more complicated engine situation. The ones sold in China either had a 1.8L or 2.0L TSI engine if they were built in China, or they had a 2.0L TSI engine if they were imported from Germany. We already discussed where the 2.0L TSI from Germany was made, so let’s look at the engines made in China.
Volkswagen has more than 33 plants in China because they have three different joint ventures. However, we do know that the Tiguan is made by SAIC-Volkswagen in Anting, China. SAIC-Volkswagen has a total of six plants in China, and only one of them manufactures engines which is the Anting plant that also assembles the first generation of the Tiguan. The 2.0L TSI engine in the first-generation Tiguan for the Chinese and Vietnamese market is therefore made in Anting, China.
The second generation is available with a 1.4L, 1.5L, or 2.0L TSI and a 1.6L or 2.0L TDI engine when we look at it on a global scale. The 1.4L, 1.5L TSI, and the 1.6L and 2.0L TDI engine for the European market and the imported Chinese version are again made in Gyor, Hungary, or Salzgitter, Germany. The 2.0L TSI engine used for the Chinese-built Tiguan was most likely made in Anting, China.
The 1.4L TSI and 2.0L TSI engines were used for the Mexican market, and the 2.0L TSI engine was used for the North American market. The 2.0L TSI engines were made in Silao, Mexico, which were then transported to the Puebla plant in Mexico to be assembled into the Tiguan. It’s unclear where the 1.4L engine was manufactured that was used for the Mexican Tiguans. Since these aren’t manufactured in Mexico, they were likely imported from one of the two European facilities mentioned earlier.
Also read: 17 Common Problems Of A Volkswagen Tiguan
Transmissions
The transmissions for the Tiguan are, of course, another essential part of the car that we shouldn’t forget about.
The first generation had a 6-speed manual, automatic, and DSG. It also had a 7-speed DSG. The second generation of the Tiguan had a 6-speed manual or DSG, a 7-speed DSG, and an 8-speed automatic.
It is almost impossible to state precisely where the transmission in your Volkswagen Tiguan has been made. This is because the Volkswagen Group manufacturers 8 million transmissions per year, and they have 16 plants in 5 different countries. However, we can say the following. Volkswagen Tiguan assembled in Germany have their transmission made in one of the following plants:
- Gyor in Hungary
- Bratislava or Martin in Slovakia
- Mlada Boleslav or Vrchlabi in Czech Republic
- Salzgitter, Kassel or Zuffenhausen in Germany
- El Prat in Spain
Tiguan that are assembled in Asia have their transmissions made in one of the following Chinese plants:
- Changchun, Dalian, Tianjin, or Shanghai in China
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Tiguan
- https://eu.freep.com/story/money/cars/mark-phelan/2021/05/11/lighted-front-end-2022-vw-tiguan/4977788001/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_petrol_engines
- https://www.theautochannel.com/news/2013/11/08/095087-25-million-engines-produced-audis-hungarian-plant-gyor.html
- https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/stories/2019/01/once-a-combustion-engine-producer-now-electricity-pioneer.html#
- https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/volkswagen-group-china-5897
- https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/stories/2020/02/powering-into-the-future-with-a-single-gear.html#:~:text=Kassel%20component%20plant%20is%20the,to%20the%20vehicle%20manufacturing%20plants.
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
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