The company said in its release that the first test body was built to check the calibration of the body shop equipment and the processes involved.
In March last year, when Volkswagen announced that it will make the VW Tiguan LWB at its plant in Puebla, Mexico, it stated that production will commence in end of 2016. However, the plan has been delayed, with the company stating now that it will commence the VW Tiguan LWB’s production in Q1 2017.
Another point worth noting is that Volkswagen previously said that the Puebla plant won’t ship the VW Tiguan LWB, commonly referred to as the VW Tiguan XL, to EU markets and China. Now, the company mentions China as the only market where the Mexican-built VW Tiguan LWB won’t be exported to.
The MQB platform-based VW Tiguan XL is said to measure 185.0 inches (4,699 mm) in length, 72.4 inches (1838.96 mm) in width and 64.3 inches (1633.22 mm) in height, and have a wheelbase of 109.9-inches (2791.46 mm). In North America and China, the Tigual XL may be offered with 2.0-litre gasoline engine initially. It wouldn’t be a surprise if a plug-in hybrid variant follows at a later date. In other markets, like Australia to name one, a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine should also be offered.
