Volkswagen introduces new seven-seater Tiguan Allspace to Korean market

Sacha Askidjian, executive director of Volkswagen Korea, poses with the seven-seater Tiguan Allspace SUV Tuesday at the media event held in central Seoul. [VOLKSWAGEN KOREA]

Volkswagen introduced the new Tiguan Allspace to the Korean market Tuesday, the first seven-seater SUV to be released with a gasoline option.

The SUV comes with the new LED headlamps and a vertical radiator grille, which offers a sharper outlook and enhanced safety options. The Tiguan Allspace is the more spacious version of the Tiguan, the German carmaker's best-selling model that accounts for more than 55 percent of its global sales.

Equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, the seven-seater SUV generates a maximum of 186 horsepower with 30.6 kilograms-meter of torque.

"Yes, it’s gasoline. Now, Korean customers will have more options for the best-selling SUV," said Sacha Askidjian, executive director of Volkswagen Korea, during the media release event Tuesday. "We believe the new Tiguan Allspace will fulfill every lifestyle need of Korean customers."

Volkswagen has been criticized in the Korean market as it has been selling many diesel models compared to other countries.

The model's spacious truck capacity is one of its biggest assets, the company said. The capacity stands at 230 liters (61 gallons), and expands up to 1,775 liters when the second and third rows of seats are folded down.

The fuel economy stands at 10.1 kilometers (6.3 miles) per hour.

The Tiguan Allspace was certificated as a low-emissions vehicle, and drivers of these vehicles will be able to receive discounts when using public parking lots.

Volkswagen Korea started accepting orders in April, and around 1,500 orders have already been made. Deliveries will start Tuesday.

The sticker price of the SUV begins at 51 million won ($38,000). Five color options are available.

Volkswagen is expected to introduce two more gasoline models and one pure electric vehicle in Korea by the end of this year. ID.4, its first all-electric SUV, will be introduced in September.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]