Auto News 5

Volkswagen's new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is still tooling up to build its first product, the new Passat, but plans are already being laid for a major expansion. Although nobody will confirm it at this stage, reliable sources tell us that the Germans are almost ready to sign off on a second phase that would increase the plant's output by 180,000 to 200,000 units a year. The plan is to let three brands participate in the new venture: Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche. Chattanooga 1 is geared to paint and assemble passenger cars, but Chattanooga 2 will almost certainly be adapted for high-roof vehicles. A second paint shop is thus a necessity.

Although we have just seen the first photos of the face-lifted Tiguan (seen in photos here), VW is already working on the replacement, due in early 2015. Based on the same new architecture that will underpin the next-generation Golf (the "MQB" components set), the new Tiguan promises to become lighter, stiffer, safer, more economical, and more fun to drive.

No, the revamped 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan won't officially be introduced until the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in March, but that won't stop interested customers from buying them. VW revealed today that the first examples off the line are already rolling into German showrooms.