The Volkswagen Tiguan just got less wallet-friendly again. For the 2026 model year, the base price for the Tiguan S now sits at $32,280 (destination included), that’s about $610 more, or a 1.9 % bump, over the outgoing model. That may sound modest, but this is the second price hike since the redesigned version launched in May. Overall, it means the Tiguan is now 4.4 % more expensive than it was just a few months ago.
This increase isn’t driven by sweeping visual changes or a radical new platform. Instead, Volkswagen quietly insists the rise reflects climbing costs, and subtly nods toward tariffs as a lurking culprit. Though they did slip in an updated driver-assistance system into certain trims, most buyers won’t perceive a dramatic leap in value for their extra dollars.
Price hikes hit the S and SE trims across both front-wheel and all-wheel drive versions. For SE R-Line models, the increase is stiffer: those versions now cost $1,090 more. That brings the FWD SE R-Line to $38,720, while the AWD variant jumps to $40,220. At the top end, the SEL R-Line Turbo replaces the old SEL R-Line and now lists at $44,560, up from $41,930. But to be fair, you do get an extra 67 HP under the hood.
Volkswagen’s product executives attempt to soften the blow by saying price increases are just part of the yearly refresh ritual. Yet, when company leadership like CEO Oliver Blume openly links pricing strategy to tariff pressures, the underlying message is clear: cost burdens are real, and Volkswagen plans to pass them on gradually. Blume admitted they can’t shove all the cost increases onto customers in one go — instead, “a little here, a little there”.
That strategy is clever. It signals that automakers increasingly view tariffs not as temporary friction, but as structural cost inputs to be baked into their pricing models. For buyers, it means every new model year might come with stealth price hikes, even when exterior sheet metal stays eerily familiar. So, the Tiguan looks the same, drives much the same, but now demands more cash.
