The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan improves over its predecessor in virtually each manner, altering it from a automotive you in all probability 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 shocked to see Volkswagen elevate the Tiguan’s beginning worth. Now, for the 2026 mannequin yr, Automotive Information experiences that VW has elevated the bottom worth 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 a substitute, it feels like tariffs are responsible.
For 2026, a base-model, front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Tiguan S will value you $32,280, together with vacation spot, which works out to an additional $610 or 1.9%. It additionally marks the second worth enhance for the reason that redesigned Tiguan first went on sale in Might, the place it was initially priced at $30,920. Which means the brand new Tiguan is 4.4% dearer than it was in March. It does include an up to date driver-assistance system, however aside from that, there is not a lot the 2026 mannequin affords that the 2025 mannequin does not.
The $610 worth 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’d like an SE R-Line, although, that worth is up $1,090 for the 2026 mannequin yr, bringing the worth as much as $38,720 for the front-wheel-drive mannequin and $40,220 if you need all-wheel drive. Again in March, you’d have paid $36,880 or $38,380, respectively, for a similar fashions.
On the top quality, there’s now the SEL R-Line Turbo, which 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 at the very least you get one thing further to your cash.
Tariffs are taxes
As Petar Danilovic, Volkswagen of America’s senior vice chairman of product advertising and technique, advised Auto Information, his view is that it is regular for automakers to lift their costs from mannequin yr to mannequin yr. Though it does sound like he is additionally suggesting that the tariffs Republicans so giddily help are behind these most up-to-date worth releases, with Danilovic saying, “Like all different manufacturers, we have a look at what’s occurring out there, what our opponents are doing. Additionally, what’s the price of enterprise on the opposite aspect? Then we make our selections of ‘OK, the place do we expect it is a cheap worth enhance?'”
Danilovic was imprecise sufficient there that you might learn his assertion in a manner that is not particularly referring to tariffs, however again in September, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, was somewhat extra blunt, telling reporters on the Munich motor present that, in response to tariffs, Volkswagen could not elevate its costs unexpectedly. As a substitute, his plan was to take a extra strategic method, elevating them somewhat right here and somewhat there. “We have now to do it rigorously,” Blume mentioned on the time. “We won’t push all that we’re dropping onto our clients and in a single section.”
In mild of that assertion, it feels like Danilovic’s reply actually was about tariffs. Is it cheap for vehicles to get dearer yearly? Not essentially, but when one man within the White Home will get to make all the pieces dearer simply because he feels prefer it, then yeah, it is fully cheap for corporations to lift their costs. As a result of that is what occurs once you begin a tariff struggle. Costs go up. Positive, 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 folks.