Volkswagen Tiguan review

They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but VW has decided it's time to give us a new version of its best-selling model globally – the Volkswagen Tiguan.

This third-generation Tiguan flaunts a modern exterior design, while its underpinnings are a development of its predecessor’s, making way for new on-board tech to help the popular family SUV deliver a more polished drive than before.

Meanwhile, the overhauled interior offers a little more space, and buyers get lots of trim levels to choose from, plus a range of engines, including two petrol plug-in hybrids. However, if you want seven seats, you'll need the closely related VW Tayron.

Volkswagen Tiguan vs Volvo XC40 video review

So should buyers looking for a car that offers a combination of family-friendly practicality and a relatively upmarket image simply go out and buy a Tiguan? Well, before you do, read on to find out how it compares with the best family SUVs out there.

We'll tell you how we rate the VW Tiguan against more value-focused contenders, such as the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq. We'll also consider the highly competent Kia Sportage, the stylish Mini Countryman and premium alternatives, including the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40.

Engine-wise, the VW Tiguan covers most bases. The range kicks off with the two eTSI engines, the 128bhp eTSI 130 and 148bhp eTSI 150.

They each get a 1.5-litre petrol engine and use mild-hybrid assistance to bolster performance and fuel economy. Indeed, they’re both peppy enough, with even the least powerful eTSI 130 officially taking 10.6 seconds to sprint from 0-62mph. 

When we tested the eTSI 150, it managed a 0-60mph time of 9.0 seconds, making it slightly slower than a Volvo XC40 B3 (8.7 seconds) and a Mini Countryman C (8.4 seconds). While it needs revving fairly hard to get the very best out of it, there's plenty of muscle available in everyday driving.

The only minor demerit is that there’s a slight hesitancy when setting off from stationary, otherwise the automatic gearbox will eagerly change down a gear when you need a burst of acceleration – especially when you twist the gear selector from D (Drive) mode to S (Sport).

On the subject of hybrids, there’s also a choice of two eHybrid plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, with power outputs of 201bhp and 268bhp. Depending on which trim level you go for, their official electric-only ranges are very competitive, at between 72 and 77 miles. 

If you’d prefer to run on diesel, you'll want the 2.0 TDI, which has 148bhp and an official 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds. As you might expect from that sprint time, it has plenty of grunt and pulls really well from low speeds. 

Meanwhile, a pair of more powerful 2.0-litre TSI petrol options equipped with four-wheel drive will arrive later, offering 201bhp or 261bhp. A new-generation Tiguan R sports SUV version has not been confirmed.

The Tiguan’s suspension is tuned slightly more towards the firmer end of the scale, but it rounds off bumps comfortably without jostling occupants around in their seats.

It’s well controlled most of the time (with occasional choppiness above town speeds) but an XC40 does an even better job of isolating occupants from bumps and potholes to provide a calm, cosseting ride. The Countryman isn’t far behind.

You can add adaptive suspension – called DCC Pro – on R-Line trim or as part of the optional Dynamic Driving Package. That allows you to soften or firm up the suspension by selecting Comfort or Sport drive modes.

In its softest setting, the Tiguan rides serenely and quietly on rough roads, with very little float over undulations. In its stiffest mode, the ride is more settled and it smothers bumps far better than a BMW X1 with adaptive suspension – even on our test car’s large 20in wheels.

While the X1 is keener to turn in to bends, the Tiguan strikes a good balance of comfort with agility. The well-weighted steering inspires confidence and its neat body control allows you to thread your way down a country road at a reasonable pace. It doesn’t have as much outright grip as an XC40 or Countryman, but the Tiguan feels more polished to drive than a Nissan Qashqai or Vauxhall Grandland.

Because the Tiguan’s 1.5-litre petrol engine frequently visits the higher end of the rev range, it’s more vocal than the XC40 B3 and Countryman C. The Tiguan also generates slightly more road noise than those rivals at motorway speeds, but it’s not enough for it to be a bugbear. This is still a reasonably quiet cruiser.

“The optional DCC adaptive suspension has an Individual mode that lets you fine-tune it to your exact taste, with 15 degrees of firmness to choose from.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Getting comfortable in the VW Tiguan is easy, thanks to plenty of adjustment from the seat and steering wheel. Powered adjustable lumbar support for the front seats is standard on all trims, while Elegance trim and above includes massaging seats and an adjustable seat base for additional thigh support.

The Tiguan gives you a great view out of the front windscreen, while large side windows and relatively slim rear pillars help provide a clearer view when looking over your shoulder than in a Volvo XC40. To make parking a doddle, all versions come with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera. Elegance trim adds a 360-degree camera.

Automatic LED headlights come as standard across the range while Life trim will automatically switch on high beams for you.

All versions come with a versatile 10.3in digital driver's display that looks sharp and offers all sorts of useful information. The optional Infotainment Package Plus adds a head-up display.

The most prominent update is a freestanding infotainment touchscreen that measures 12.9in. A whopping 15.0in screen (that’s as big as in a Tesla Model Y) is available as part of the Infotainment Package Plus.

The larger screen is impressive, but either version uses the brand’s latest software and is a big improvement over older VW systems. You get sharp, vibrant graphics and a quick response to inputs. Life trim and above includes wireless phone-charging, sat-nav and a voice-control system that recognises natural speech.

While you can customise shortcut icons at the top corner of the screen to aid usability, some of the climate control functions are integrated into a sub-menu. At least the temperature and heated seat settings are permanently on display.

Meanwhile, the touch pads below the screen that adjust the temperature can be quite fiddly to use, but at least they light up so you can use them in the dark, unlike in the VW ID 3. Likewise, you get proper buttons on the steering wheel for cruise control and audio settings, rather than fiddly haptic controls like the ID 3's.

On the lower centre console, a rotary dial with an integrated OLED display allows you to easily adjust the volume or scroll through the drive modes.

The Tiguan’s smart interior offers plenty of soft-touch, leather-like materials on the doors and dashboard, while gloss black and silver trim finishers add a bit of visual flair. Life trim comes with a strip of ambient lighting on the dash, while Elegance and R-Line versions have additional patterned lighting on the dash and doors. The controls and switches operate with reassuring precision.

You'll find some hard, scratchy plastics lower down on the dashboard, but it's kept away from the areas you touch regularly. Even so, upmarket family SUVs such as the Genesis GV70, the Range Rover Evoque and the XC40 have classier interiors that better conceal their cheaper materials.

“I like the physical rotary controller on the centre console, but it’s a shame it doesn’t operate more of the touchscreen’s functions.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

There’s plenty of head and leg room in the front of the VW Tiguan for even the tallest of occupants, and storage space is impressive too. Indeed, you’ll find front door pockets that can hold a fairly large bottle, a cubby below the centre armrest with two cupholders and space for a pair of phones below the centre air vents.

Leg room is generous in the rear seats, with plenty of space for feet underneath the front seats. There’s plenty of head room for 6ft tall occupant in the back, and there’s still a small amount of clearance from the roof lining with the optional panoramic roof fitted.

If you’re only carrying a couple of rear passengers, they can use the central armrest, which includes two cupholders and somewhere to hold your phone upright for watching videos.

A middle rear-seat passenger will be fine on short journeys, and their section of the rear bench is flat, rather than raised, but their legs will have to straddle a small hump on the floor.

Note that you can no longer buy the Tiguan Allspace seven-seater new – it's been replaced by a new model, the VW Tayron.

All Tiguans come with 40/20/40 split folding rear seats, which are more versatile than the 60/40 split folding seats you’ll find in a Seat Ateca or Volvo XC40. They can be slid back and forth, reclined and folded flat by using handles in the boot. 

The Tiguan has a seriously big boot by class standards, with 652 litres of space, with the exception of the PHEVs, which lose quite a lot of space to the hybrid tech. The load area is a uniform shape, and Life trim adds an adjustable boot floor. At its highest position, it has a usefully large storage area underneath and creates a flat loading area when the rear seat backs are folded down.

With the floor in its lowest position, a non-PHEV Tiguan's boot is big enough to swallow nine carry-on suitcases, which is two more than an XC40 and four more than a Mini Countryman C.

“Plug-in hybrid versions get a slightly smaller boot than petrols and diesels, with some of the underfloor storage given over to the batteries.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Entry-level versions of the VW Tiguan cost more than the equivalent Kia Sportage, Mini Countryman, Seat Ateca or Skoda Karoq. If you pay more for a mid-level Tiguan, it'll be a similar price to a BMW X1 or Volvo XC40. Whatever you decide to buy, make sure you get the best deal by searching our New Car Deals pages.

With official fuel economy figures of around 45mpg and CO2 output at around 140g/km for the 1.5-litre petrol, it should cost a similar amount to run to rivals. We achieved a real-world figure of 38.1mpg when we tested a 1.5 eTSI 150 on our test route – slightly ahead of a Countryman C (37.2mpg) and XC40 Be (35.6mpg).

Company car drivers will find themselves drawn to the eHybrid plug-in hybrids because their electric-only ranges and low CO2 emissions place them in a lower BIK tax bracket than other Tiguans. The eHybrids have a maximum charging speed of up to 40kW.

There are a total of five trim levels to choose from, kicking off with the entry-level Tiguan. It covers the essentials, but we’d  recommend paying a bit more for Life trim, which adds three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18in alloy wheels, ambient lighting, wireless phone-charging and sat-nav. 

Match trim is enticing too, because it adds keyless entry, a powered tailgate and rear privacy glass for a small increase in price.

If you want even more luxuries, Elegance is for you. That trim gives you 19in alloy wheels and adds heated seats, heated windscreen washer jets, a heated steering wheel and the massaging front seats. It’s rather pricey though, costing slightly more than a top-spec Kia Sportage GT Line S.

R Line sits alongside top-spec Elegance, and trades some luxuries for sportier styling and big 20in wheels.

The latest Tiguan is too new to have been included in the family SUV class of our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Volkswagen as a brand came 18th out of 31 brands in the manufacturer survey.

Volkswagen’s standard warranty runs for two years with unlimited mileage then a further year up to a total of 60,000 miles. That’s par for the course, and doesn’t match the seven years you get from Kia or the 10 years Toyota gives you if you service your car regularly at an official centre.

The 2024 Tiguan scored the full five stars for safety when it was tested by Euro NCAP. All versions come with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance, as well as traffic-sign recognition and a system that monitors driver fatigue. You also get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to warn of approaching vehicles behind you.

“I’m impressed with the plug-in hybrid’s maximum charging rate of 40kW. That means I can do a 10-80% top up in 26 minutes.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Digital Editor

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