VW looks to China for 7-seat SUV for Europe

FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen will build a large SUV for the European market starting in 2024 as part of its latest investment plans for its home factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The vehicle will be based on the Tayron SUV sold by the automaker's Chinese joint venture, FAW-Volkswagen, and could potentially replace the Tiguan AllSpace.

"The main plant was awarded production of a large, seven-seat SUV that will run off Assembly Line 2. The model will orient itself on the Tayron currently produced in China," an internal document detailing VW's investment plans says. The document was sent to the workforce and was also obtained by Automotive News Europe.

Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess launched an SUV offensive as a core pillar of his 2016 restructuring plan for the VW brand. It foresaw two core SUV models flanking the Tiguan, the group's best-selling model, on each end of the model range.

With the arrival of the small T-Cross and compact T-Roc, the portfolio was rounded out from the bottom.

To complement the upscale Touareg, VW imported a long-wheelbase version of the Tiguan built in Mexico into Europe, called the Tiguan Allspace.

The Tayron-based model that arrives in or around 2024 would finally mean VW brand has a standalone SUV model for the midsize to full-size segment.