This one is really in the game. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Back in 1959 advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach initiated a series of ads for a then largely unknown automotive company, a series of ads that are now legendary.

It was the “Think Small” campaign for Volkswagen. In a time when cars were both enormous and ostentatious a diminutive, rounded vehicle was certainly something that was itself out of the ordinary.

Arguably that “Think Small” campaign did more to establish VW in the minds of Americans more than any campaign for any car line, period.

Although this is something that occurred some 60 years ago, arguably it is a two-edged sword for Volkswagen in America.

That is, the New Beetle hasn’t been available in the U.S. market since 2019. While enthusiasts might say “GTI” when asked to name a Volkswagen model, the average person would likely answer “Bug.”

VW = SUV

But the thing is: Volkswagen in America is largely an SUV brand. In 2024 the company sold 290,824 SUVs and 88,353 cars. (The GTI, incidentally, had total sales of 11,072.)

The Volkswagen Tiguan, a compact SUV, has been available in the U.S. since 2008.

Early on the sales were nothing to write to Wolfsburg about.

And that was the case for several years.

Perhaps one reason was that people “Thought Small” when they thought “Volkswagen,” so even though during the first decade you could get in Tiguan in the U.S. there was also the sizable VW Touareg SUV in the showroom. (It stopped being available in 2018.)

Tough Crowd

But there has been a bigger issue for the Tiguan.

Even though it was VW’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. last year (94,372 units; the Atlas came in second at 75,516), it faces a phalanx of redoubtable competitors.

As in the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, and many more.

One fairly contemporary model with the Tiguan in the U.S. is the Hyundai Tucson, which first became available in late 2004.

The Tucson will be on its fifth generation later this year.

The third-generation Tiguan has just launched.

The point of this comparison is simply that Hyundai has been aggressively improving the Tucson in order to catch up with some of its competitors in that space.

And with the 2025 Tiguan, Volkswagen has really gotten into the race because this third-generation model is really quite competitive.

It is not like the second generation was bad. But it was the case that the competitive set were generally better.

Gamer

But now the Tiguan is really in this game.

The exterior design is more substantial without being truck-like. The front fascia has a slim lighting signature that sits above a large lower grille that signifies business. There are subtle fender flairs to provide a more-planted stance. Around back the taillamps also have the slim look that is becoming more characteristic of VW design.

Overall, the exterior design is one that doesn’t mimic other vehicles in the class.

Inside the materials seem to be a class-above.

In the late 1980s, early 1990s the craftsmanship of German vehicle interiors were the envy of other OEMs. Either the others got better or the Germans became complacent because the advantage passed.

But with the Tiguan it seems they’re paying attention again.

An issue is that while there is a nice 12.9-inch center infotainment display (it is 15 inches on top-of-range SEL R-Line models), the infotainment interface is less intuitive than in other brands. (Guess this is why you don’t see people walking around with German smartphones.) 

The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine produces 201-hp. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The FWD SE model as driven here provides estimated fuel economy numbers of 25 mpg city/32 highway/28 mpg combined. This is a competitive set of numbers as a 2025 FWD Honda CR-V with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that produces 190 hp has numbers of 28/34/30 mpg, so a few more horsepower for the VW means a few fewer miles per gallon.

Which brings me back around to positioning.

There is currently a clever TV spot created by agency Johannes Leonardo for the new Tiguan.

The tagline is: “Now anybody can drive like Somebody.”

Which goes to the point that the new Tiguan, which has a starting MSRP of $29,495 (the MSRP for the SE driven here is $32,295) seems much more special yet is accessible.

Which is as true now as “Think Small” was true then.