Due to the high demand for SUV vehicles, Volkswagen launched the compact-sized Tiguan in the autumn of 2007, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
And it was a huge success.

Despite the fact that the world surged into an economic crisis soon after the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Tiguan was well received by the market. While some considered it as the little brother of the Touareg, the Tiguan was more of a bigger brother of the Passat B6. It shared the same platform with the Passat CC.

The Tiguan featured a simple, yet honest, design. It looked more like a hatchback on stilts than an SUV, but it worked. The front overhang was quite long for an SUV, but it was needed to install the engine accessories. The headlights resembled those fitted on the Passat CC. The A-pillars were not very raked, to enhance the rugged image of the car. In the rear, the widened fenders were unusual for an SUV, but more commonly found on a sporty hatchback.

Inside, there were many similarities with the Golf V but technologically evolved. The top infotainment unit, (RNS510) offered a standard 30 Gb hard disk memory for maps, music, and even pictures. A panoramic roof was offered as an option.

The 2008 Tiguan was offered exclusively with turbocharged engines, either gasoline or diesel. The latter proved to be part of the Dieselgate scandal, even though they were marketed as Euro 5 engines.