Volkswagen Tiguan SUV Review (2024)

Introduction

Volkswagen’s Tiguan has proven very popular since its launch in 2007, so tweaking the recipe is risky.

But that's precisely what the German automaker has done, ushering in an all-new version of its mid-size SUV.

Even though the original Tiguan was only launched just over 15 years ago, it’s one of VW’s oldest models, along with lots of other new cars on the scene, including its all-electric range with the ID.3, ID.4 and the ID.5.

The Tiguan is excellent because of its simplicity, decent albeit modest looks, economical driving, and it’s big enough to be practical without being too cumbersome to park. Moreover, it has always had a reasonably upmarket feel.

So, this new model is of enormous importance.

You might be thinking, 'Why? It's just a Tiguan’, but Volkswagen now sells more of these than it does VW Golfs.

Yes, that's right - the 50-year-old veteran of the lineup is now being outsold globally by a medium-sized SUV.

The new Tiguan is an essential car for VW, so it really needs to get this right.

At a Glance

The front end looks attractive, with the grille now thinned out, taking inspiration from the design language of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID range.

As a result, the lower grille has moved up slightly, but it's now slightly larger. It dominates the front end with a rectangular cutout in the bodywork, filled with a mesh-like pattern and air intakes at the sides.

This is on the range-topping R-Line, although lesser models get a simpler lower grille filled with a large square lattice or horizontal silver lines.

There is a notable crease towards the bottom of the doors, with side skirts and a sloping roofline.

The rear looks much the same as before, with an LED light bar running across the full width of the tailgate. This bar neatly connects the taillights to one another and accommodates the famous VW badge in the middle.

Beneath the number plate, there's another cutout in the bodywork filled with more mesh. On the R-Line version, the bottom part is surrounded by silver trim, although the entire section is filled in on lower models.

It is smart, sophisticated and relatively modest – but good-looking, nonetheless.

Key Features

There is no shortage of trim levels on the Tiguan, with Volkswagen offering five to pick from.

The entry-level model, simply called 'Tiguan,' features 17-inch alloys, a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a DAB radio, and a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display.

You also get fabric seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, a rear-view camera, LED headlights and taillights, plus various safety features.

Life trim moves to 18-inch alloys, 10-colour interior ambient lighting, illuminated door handles, power-adjustable lumbar support, a wireless phone charger, voice control, electrically folding doors, adaptive cruise control and three-zone climate control.

The mid-range Match trim has an electric tailgate, keyless entry, enhanced 3D rear lamps, an illuminated bar between the headlights, laminated safety glass, and silver roof rails.

Elegance upgrades to 19-inch alloy wheels, adding body-coloured bumpers and air intakes, 30-colour interior ambient lighting and heated front massage seats.

The top-of-the-range R-Line gets 20-inch alloys, velour ‘Greyson’ seat upholstery, R-Line style bumpers and sports seats.

However, Match, Elegance and R-Line are worth a close look as, unlike most manufacturers who add more and more to each trim level, Elegance and R-Line don't necessarily have everything that the Match trim offers.

Likewise, the R-Line doesn’t offer everything that the Elegance trim offers, so you’re gaining some equipment but losing other goodies in the process, even though the price keeps going up as you go up through the trim levels.

As a result, it's essential to check the equipment lists carefully to ensure the car has what you expect.

As for combustion, there are five powertrains to choose from.

The 1.5-litre eTSI petrol has two power outputs, producing 130 and 150PS.

The same engine has also been connected to an electric motor, offering a choice of two plug-in hybrids, outputting a combined 204 or 272PS.

Alternatively, one diesel option remains in the lineup – the 2.0-litre TDI – producing 150PS.

All models are front-wheel drive and come with six or seven-speed DSG automatic gearboxes.

Performance & Drive

The mild-hybrid petrol mill we're testing accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 9.1 seconds and reaches a top speed of 130mph.

That is relatively leisurely, and the engine needs to be worked quite hard to get decent performance out of it. But it'll still meet most people's needs and has enough overall grunt to handle everyday life without a problem.

Its mild-hybrid system turns the engine off when it's not required, so it can drive for short distances without it on at all. The transition from engine-off to engine-on is smooth and seamless.

Unless you plan to drive at slower speeds, we recommend the lower-powered variant of the same engine.

The 130PS version increases the 0-62mph time to 10.6 seconds, and it needs to be worked even harder. This makes for lots of high-rev and noisy driving, especially in a mid-size SUV, so we'd recommend the 150PS that we're focusing on.

In truth, with similar performance figures from the 150PS 2.0-litre diesel, which does 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, you may be better off opting for this for its superior fuel economy.

Even though it's marginally slower than our 150PS petrol engine, it has a bit of extra shove at lower revs, particularly suiting those running at lower speeds.

Those seeking more performance may wish to opt for the plug-in hybrid, where more substantial electric motors increase the available power to 204PS or 272PS. The latter cuts the 0-62mph sprint to 7.2 seconds and tops out at 133mph.

More powerful 2.0-litre petrol units are on the way, offering similar performance to the plug-in variants.

The seven-speed DSG gearbox in our test car changes smoothly. As in most automatics, there's a delay between putting your foot on the pedal and moving off, but it's fine.

The plug-in hybrids get a six-speed gearbox, which performs similarly.

Regarding handling, the VW Tiguan does reasonably well for a big car.

Despite the higher centre of gravity than a family hatchback, the Tiguan doesn’t lean into bends as much as we’d expected.

The steering weights up nicely around corners, helping you place the car easily. While it does have a tendency to understeer on entry if you take it too quickly, overall, it's very nice to drive and doesn’t wallow about like some SUVs do.

Its suspension setup is firm, but the ride isn't uncomfortable, and it does a satisfactory job of smoothing out potholes and bumps in the road surface.

Those who want more flexibility in this area can pay extra for the Dynamic Driving Package, which adds progressive steering, sports suspension and improved front shock absorption.

This pack can also be ordered with adaptive chassis control, which adds a selection of driving modes and allows you to adjust the car's characteristics at the touch of a button.

This is worth considering if you want more control of the car's setup. It certainly makes more of a difference than most equivalent systems offered as optional extras on other vehicles.

However, these features are only available in the two most expensive trims, Elegance and R-Line, and the latter option with dynamic chassis control is costly.

All the hybrid models come with a regenerative braking system, which helps to charge the batteries under deceleration. We have tested better systems than this and found the braking action could have been smoother and more consistent. Compared with some of the Tiguan's competitors, we took longer to get used to it.

Running Costs & Emissions

The 150PS 1.5-litre eTSI petrol returns 43.2-45.6mpg and emits 141-149g/km of CO2, depending on trim level.

Opting for the lower-powered variant returns 45.9-46.3mpg and 139-140g/km of CO2.

If you go for the 150PS diesel, you'll get 49.9-52.5mpg, producing 141-148g/km of CO2.

And, if you decide on the plug-in hybrid models, you’ll return an astonishing 583 to 712mpg, emitting just 9 to 11g/km of CO2 in the 204PS variant.

The more powerful 272PS hybrid returns 609mpg, emitting 11g/km of CO2.

Both PHEVs can do a claimed 62 miles on electric power alone and are charged at a maximum speed of 50kW, resulting in a 0-80% top-up in only about half an hour.

If you are after a company car, the plug-in variants are undoubtedly the ones to choose, as they offer the most significant savings in Benefit In Kind tax.

Interior & Technology

The old VW Tiguan had a nice interior, but cabin design has evolved considerably in the last few years, and it was starting to feel its age.

This new cabin is completely refreshed. It boasts a dashboard that positions the steering wheel closer to the windscreen, offering a clean, minimalistic design.

The exact colour scheme depends on trim, with the R-Line car getting a mainly black interior with dark blue stripes and silver décor on the steering wheel, around the air vents, the pedals, and around the hole in the headrest of the sports seats.

It is a brilliant look, and the build quality is good. There are plenty of soft materials, while cheaper plastics are mainly hidden lower down.

The air vents no longer dominate as much as they did in the old Tiguan - instead, the screens take centre stage.

A tablet-like 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen is positioned in the middle, peeking over the dashboard - although the optional Infotainment Package Plus will upgrade it to a 15.0-inch screen.

As for the software contained in it, it’s a big step forward for Volkswagen, offering crisp graphics and a responsive interface.

The rotary dial on the VW's centre console is an added convenience. But, for some reason, it barely controls any of the touchscreen’s functions, instead toggling between driving modes or acting as a volume knob.

At least all models except for the entry-level trim get voice control included as standard, which can take care of most other features.

There are touch-sensitive shortcut buttons (which can be customised), and although the Tiguan offers no physical controls for the air conditioning, the relevant adjustable settings are always in view on the screen. These can be difficult to operate on the move, though.

Behind the steering wheel is the 10.3-inch digital instrument display, which replaces more traditional (but increasingly rarer) analogue dials. When the navigation system is in use, it displays the SatNav map.

All models also include automatic headlights, while all but the entry-level trim have automatic high beams.

Boot Space & Practicality

Regardless of trim, all the seats throughout the Tiguan range are comfortable.

All models except the entry-level trim get power-adjustable lumbar support, too. However, power adjustment is only available as part of an expensive add-on package, which includes leather seats with a massage function and several other interior features.

Nevertheless, finding a fitting driving position is straightforward, and massage seats are included in the top two trims for added comfort.

There is a lot of leg and headroom in the front, so even taller drivers will have plenty of space.

The rear legroom is impressive, too, and although the roofline slopes downwards slightly in the back, it doesn't restrict the rear headroom much. However, the optional panoramic sunroof will cut into the available space.

Three in the back is doable, although the middle passenger might feel a tad hunched up on longer journeys, plus there’s a hump in the middle of the floor.

Visibility out of the front is excellent thanks to thin windscreen pillars, and although these are much thicker at the rear, it's not too bad there, either. For added assistance, front and rear parking sensors are included on all models.

You also get a rear-view camera on all models – and this is upgraded to a 360-degree camera in the top two trims, including our top-of-the-range R-Line test car.

The front door pockets and the cubby in the centre console offer reasonably large interior storage. Meanwhile, the boot space measures 700 litres, although you can expand it by folding the seats down in a versatile 40:20:40 split, which is more convenient than the 60:40 configuration in some of the Tiguan's competitors.

Volkswagen doesn’t publish a figure for the space with the back seats down, but it’s easy to fold them, as this can be done by pulling a couple of handles in the boot.

All models except for the entry-level trim get a height-adjustable boot floor, providing some underfloor storage.

Safety

The new VW Tiguan has recently been crash- tested by Euro NCAP, earning a five-star rating.

It scored 83% for adult occupants, 88% for children and 78% for safety assists.

The latter category includes a plethora of safety gadgets to keep you and your passengers safe.

It includes an advanced driver attention and drowsiness monitor, dynamic road sign display, electronic parking brake with auto-hold, front assist with autonomous emergency braking and a lane change system.

You also get side assist, a rear traffic alert and exit warning system, a lane keeping system, lane assist, a front-facing camera for distance control, front and rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

All but the entry-level model get adaptive cruise control, too, while a tyre pressure monitoring system is optional.

Options

There are many add-ons available if you’re happy to spend some extra money when you lease.

A winter pack, which encompasses heated front seats, can be added. There is also three-zone climate control, a tow bar, an upgraded infotainment package with a wireless phone charger, SatNav and voice control, plus a toolkit to change a wheel.

Plus, there’s the infotainment package we mentioned earlier with a larger touchscreen and a leather package that adds various luxuries, including power adjustment in the front seats. However, neither of these is available on the entry-level trim.

The exact price depends on the trim level, and of course, some features are already included as standard on some models. Hence, it's worth checking the specifications of each one carefully before you commit to leasing the car.

Rival Cars

There is plenty of competition for your money.

The Seat Ateca, the Skoda Karoq, and the Kodiaq contend with the Tiguan - and then there’s Kia’s Sportage.

The Mini Countryman is worth looking at as an alternative, too.

At the premium end of the market, BMW has the X1 (or the larger X3), while there's also the Volvo XC40 – neither of which is as expensive to lease as you might think.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the Volkswagen Tiguan puts up a good fight, offering excellent practicality, plenty of cabin space, decent boot capacity and economical driving, all wrapped around a lovely, overhauled interior.

The 150PS eTSI mild hybrid we drove performs reasonably well, but we'd likely take the diesel on balance for its superior fuel economy and extra low-down shove. However, company car drivers would be insane not to select the plug-in hybrid.

As for the trim, the R-Line version of the Tiguan we’ve tested is sexy – albeit fairly expensive. You get what you pay for, though. For instance, Skoda’s Karoq can offer almost all of the above for less, but then again, the Karoq doesn’t have half as nice an interior as the VW. Decisions, decisions!

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Toyota Yaris Cross.

**Correct as of 25/07/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 24 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,591.91 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.