Volkswagen’s next electric SUV has a cabin detail that may get more conversation than another giant screen: physical buttons, including steering-wheel controls and a separate air-conditioning bar.

The new ID. Tiguan also offers a retro instrument view inspired by the Golf IV, complete with familiar blue and red colours. The old-school dial look is being used in an electric car, where the display can show power flow rather than engine revs.

Autocar India published a fresh image gallery on 10 October following Volkswagen’s European reveal. The model is planned to replace the ID.4 and ID.5, while the combustion and hybrid Tiguan continues alongside it.

More ways to adjust things without a menu

Volkswagen describes a centre-console volume knob as well as the physical steering and climate controls. Screens remain a major part of the cabin, with a 10-inch driver display and 15-inch infotainment display; a passenger screen is optional.

The result is a mix of touch interfaces and dedicated controls. Whether that feels better will require actually using the car, but the layout gives drivers more than one kind of interaction.

Up to 600 kilometres, under the stated test

The MEB+ electric SUV comes with a 58 kWh or 77 kWh battery, with rear-wheel-drive versions and a top all-wheel-drive option. Volkswagen quotes up to 600 kilometres of WLTP range.

That is a laboratory-cycle figure for the relevant configuration, rather than a guarantee for a Malaysian motorway trip. Battery size, variant and test conditions belong alongside any big range number.

Autocar’s gallery also notes a 534-litre boot and 32-litre front compartment. These are the less glamorous numbers that could matter when a family tries to fit bags into the car.

Europe gets the first timetable

Volkswagen says European pre-sales begin on 13 October, with market arrival planned for early 2027. No Malaysian price or local launch date is established by those European plans.

For now, the revealing detail is inside: a new electric SUV that keeps the screens, but brings several everyday adjustments back to buttons and a knob.

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