Tiguan Allspace aims to make a name with buyers

Introduced in 2007, the Tiguan was a little late to the compact crossover SUV market. However, given the company’s strong reputation for producing noteworthy vehicles, they entered this territory on the likeability of stalwarts such as the Beetle and the Golf.

No doubt the brand is in a competitive market space that has been dominated by the likes of Honda and Toyota. For this reason, the company has constantly refined the Tiguan into a more luxurious vehicle, to separate it from the aforementioned, while staying a notch below Audi and BMW.

As customary with many German manufacturers, the external tweaks are minimal, which helps to keep the market value of the vehicle high, as it gets older. The new model comes with an fairly identical design to the previous year, with the exception of new bumpers and front and rear lights, and more LED lights plastered around the vehicle.

The model I tested was the Elegance package, which comes with three rows of seats and a wheel base to accommodate it. The interior is clean and ‘elegant’, with leather seats and piano-black accents. The front seats come with a cooling option that works wonders on a hot day, as the base and the back have three cooling levels. There is also lumbar support, and a headrest that can protrude, along with moving vertically.

Visibility is also good, with the driver sitting in an elevated position and little obstruction from the ‘A’ and ‘C’ pillars. The vehicle is also given a spacious feel with the panoramic sunroof, which extends across most of the roof. This is welcomed, especially when all seven seats are occupied, as it can lessen the feeling of claustrophobia.

Up front there is a 9.2-inch touchscreen display that gives easy access to the car settings, such as Bluetooth, media and driving modes. There is also a 30-colour palette of ambient lighting, with the light blue being my favourite colour.

To control the climate, there are haptic slider buttons which do take some getting used to, as they lack the textile depth of conventional buttons. Below these is a cell phone storage area, equipped with wireless charging, which offsets the placement of two USB Type C ports, that should have been Type A, if you ask me. In terms of storage, there are sizable cupholders in the door wells and the centre console, which also has an adjustable armrest above it. This makes the driving experience enjoyable for the Tiguan, plus there are other added creature comforts, such as soft-touch materials on the surface of the interior.

With all rear seats folded down, there is over 1,700 litres of space available, which should be enough to fit two mountain bicycles. When the second row of seats are up, there is 700 litres of space, which is customary in this class.

Locally, this model is available in three options. At the entry level is the Tiguan Life which starts at $7,795,000, and the other option is the Elegance, which is over one million dollars more and comes with more refined finishes like leather seats. At the top is the R-Line. This is designed with a sporty edge in both appearance and performance.

I tested the Elegance, which came with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The power comes on gradually, and the torque is quite impressive. It is also note mentioning that the Tiguan consumes fuel very moderately, especially when kept at a low RPM.

The all-wheel-drive SUV comes with VW’s 4MOTION program, which can be used to navigate wet, icy or rough ground surfaces. These options can be selected with a knob, located below the gear lever.

Driving around corners, the chassis felt sturdy, as the suspension adjusted smoothly to the positioning of the vehicle. The suspension can also be slightly tweaked; however, I left it in comfort, as its performance was satisfactory. The overall ride was not super mushy, it was more so in the middle between firm and soft.

For the most part, I kept the vehicle in Eco mode, which did a great job at saving petrol. The only problem I found was that I had to reselect the option every time the engine restarted.

The Tiguan Allspace, is a great option for a family vehicle, as it ticks all the relevant boxes. What is also noteworthy is that VW knows its places, it cannot outdo staples like the CRV and RAV4 where practicality is concerned, so it added luxury and creature comforts to outshine both.

Price of tested model: Elegance – starting at $8,995,000

Price Options: Base model starting at $7,795,000, R-Line – starting at $10,250,000

Engine: 2.0L TSI

Transmission: AWD, 8-speed automatic transmission

Fuel tank: 60 Litre

Body Type: Compact SUV

Competition: Mazda CX - 5, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4

Vehicle provided by ATL Automotive Ltd, 1876-754-0013, email: sales@atlautomotive.com, atlautomotive.com