Volkswagen will expand its Chattanooga, Tennessee assembly plant to produce new models and meet the growing demand for SUVs and crossovers in the U.S., Auto123.com has learned from Autoguide and Autocar. More specifically, five all-new or significantly updated VW crossovers will hit the market by 2020.
Measuring approximately five metres long, the first one will directly rival the Honda Pilot and offer seating for up to seven. Look for it to be based on the CrossBlue concept that debuted in Detroit back in 2013.
Later, Volkswagen will offer a five-passenger variant derived from the CrossBlue Coupe concept unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2013. Using the German automaker's MQB platform, this new model will share most of its powertrain options with its larger sibling.
What are the others? Volkswagen is preparing the next-generation Tiguan, which will be about 20cm longer than the outgoing model to allow either greater cargo capacity or available third-row seating. A sportier version of the new Tiguan will then follow.
Finally, Volkswagen plans to build the Taigun concept to square off against small crossovers like the Nissan JUKE. However, its North American availability remains uncertain.