Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace Review & Prices

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is a Tiguan that’s been stretched to accommodate an extra pair of seats, but without compromising on style.

The Allspace’s bigger boot and third row of seats mean it can carry seven people and quite a bit more luggage than the Tiguan, making it an alternative to the likes of the SEAT Tarraco and Skoda Kodiaq.

It isn’t just the VW Tiguan Allspace’s looks that feel a smidge more grown-up than many rivals’ – its interior is also a serious cut above. There are loads of soft-touch plastics, glossy metal-effect trims and soft-close cubbies, but sadly its design won’t get your pulse racing.

Much more exciting is the 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system you get as standard, and the 10.25-inch digital driver’s display is now fitted to all trim levels as well. It looks just as sharp as the Virtual Cockpit system you get in posh Audis and really sets the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace apart from many less technologically advanced seven-seaters.

Speaking of seven seats, the Allspace musters up almost as much room in its third row as the cavernous Skoda Kodiaq. There’s just enough space for smaller adults to get comfy on short journeys and kids won’t have too much to complain about on long hauls either.

The middle row is even roomier than in the standard Tiguan (thanks to the Allspace’s longer body) and there’s plenty of adjustment in the front seats to help you find your perfect driving position – even if you’re very tall.

Unfortunately, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace loses some points when it comes to boot space (ironic, given its name). With all seven seats in place, there’s still space for a small weekly shop but the Kodiaq has it licked for outright capacity. Thankfully, it’s a doddle to flip the back seats down using neat levers in the boot and the resulting flat load bay is large enough to swallow a couple of bikes.

The 1.5-litre petrol model is front-wheel-drive only, but the 148hp 2.0-litre diesel is available with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. There’s also a 197hp 2.0 TDI version, which is four-wheel-drive only. You also get a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 187 or 242hp, these are also only available in four-wheel-drive. A seven-speed automatic DSG gearbox is standard on four-wheel drive models, whereas two-wheel drive cars have a six-speed manual as standard, with the auto as an option.

As you’d expect, four-wheel drive gives you a little extra grip in slippery conditions – ideal if you fancy hauling a few mountain bikes around. If you spend more time pottering around town, however, the 1.5-litre petrol will be your best bet while a diesel is worth considering if you do plenty of long trips or regularly tow a trailer.

Whichever model you pick, you’ll find the Allspace very easy to drive. Its raised ride height and large windows give you a great view out and the light controls make it reasonably easy to manoeuvre in town – despite its large size.

All models come with a raft of high-tech safety kit. As a result, the Allspace is one of the best all-round seven-seat SUVs on sale, but if you can live without some of its headline-grabbing features a cheaper alternative might be more suitable.

See how much you can save on your next car by heading over to our VW Tiguan Allspace deals page, or have a look at our latest used Volkswagen deals.

The VW Group has gone to great lengths to maintain the pecking order among its many brands. In this case, the VW Tiguan Allspace maintains its premium positioning over the Skoda Kodiaq with a slightly higher price tag and better spec level. The SEAT Tarraco in turn is a tad cheaper than both, retaining its low-frills, high-value status.

The Peugeot 5008 comes in slightly cheaper than the Tiguan Allspace in base trim, but it has a limited engine range even if it looks far funkier both inside and out. The Kia Sorento is an impressively spacious seven-seater that comes packed with tech, but it is far pricier than the Allspace.

With so much spec as standard in the VW Tiguan Allspace, the base Life trim should be enough for most needs. The entry-level 148hp petrol engine is a peach too, although you may want one of the frugal diesels for long motorway drives.

The Tiguan Allspace is comfortable and easy to drive. Light controls and good visibility make it capable around town, but it’s happiest on the motorway

In town

The VW Tiguan Allspace feels responsive and easy to drive, but it is a big car, so you’ll be thankful for the good driving position and light controls.

Standard fitment autonomous emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors and a dynamic road sign display system should help keep you safe around town. The ride quality is just as good as in the five-seater Tiguan, especially in the entry-level Life trim which comes fitted with 18-inch wheels. Adaptive suspension is optional on all trims but isn’t really necessary unless you opt for the top R-Line trim which is fitted with large 20-inch wheels and standard sport suspension.

On the motorway

As you might expect, the Tiguan Allspace is at its best on the motorway. It is impressively refined at speed, with minimal road noise and enough power on tap to maintain speeds even when loaded with passengers. Standard driver aids like adaptive cruise control, a driver fatigue alert system and lane keep assist make long road trips a pleasure instead of a chore. The seats are firm yet supportive, the perfect combination to reduce back strain after long hours on the road.

On a twisty road

Seven-seater SUVs are not a natural choice for a bit of back road fun, yet the Tiguan Allspace does a better job than most. It has a well-judged suspension setup that absorbs bumps with ease while limiting body roll through fast bends. The steering is precise if a bit light, and grip levels are high. It may not be quite as sharp as a Seat Tarraco, but it’s a cut above most other large SUVs around the twisties.

The VW Tiguan Allspace will seat seven occupants, and has decent boot space, too, but only if you fold the rearmost seats flat

As you might expect from something with ‘Allspace’ as its name, this is one spacious SUV. Both front seats offer height adjustment and lumbar support, with the two higher trims getting seat heating as well. The steering wheel can be adjusted for rake and reach, making it easy to find the perfect driving position.

Storage space is plentiful, with massive felt-lined door bins, two centre console storage areas and a large shelf below the dashboard ready to take your various bits and bobs. You also get adjustable cup holders and fold-down trays built into the roof lining as well as some handy drawers under each front seat. If you option on the panoramic sunroof you do lose the fold-down trays, though.

Space in the back seats

The middle row will take two tall adults in the outermost seats and a shorter occupant in the middle. There’s a bit of a transmission tunnel hump which restricts leg room for the centre seat. Leg and knee room is generous, and the optional panoramic sunroof doesn’t impinge much on the impressive head room. The outer two seats can also be reclined slightly and the entire bench can be moved backward and forward.

Second row occupants get handy fold-out tray tables, a pair of door bins and an armrest with built-in cup holders when the centre backrest is folded down. ISOFIX mounting points are provided in the two outer seats.

The third row can be accessed by flipping the middle seats down. These two small seats will be a tight fit for adults, but fine for kids. This is true of the Skoda Karoq and SEAT Tarraco as well. Large rear windows help keep claustrophobia at bay, but you will need to spend more on the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe if you want more third-row space. A pair of shallow storage trays are provided for the third row.

Boot space

With the back row folded flat you get an impressive 700 litres of boot space, that’s appreciably more than the 520-to-615 litres the regular Tiguan offers depending on the position of its rear seats. With the third row in place, you get just 230 litres of luggage space, or 21 litres less than what a VW Up offers. It should still be enough for a week of shopping, but if you are embarking on a road trip, you’ll need a roof box or trailer for seven people’s luggage.

With both rear rows folded, you get a flat load space measuring 1,775 litres. These figures are an exact match for the SEAT Tarraco, but slightly behind the Skoda Kodiaq’s 270, 720 and 2,065 litres in seven, five and two seater modes respectively. The Peugeot 5008 is even more spacious, with 952 litres on offer when the third row is folded.

The Allspace should still be big enough to suit most luggage-carrying needs, it also allows you to fold down the second row middle seat to carry long items while still transporting passengers, and there’s not much of a load lip which makes it easy to pack in heavy items. An electric boot lid is standard on all trims.

The Allspace has a logically laid-out interior with an intuitive infotainment system. Some alternatives do come with more interesting interiors, though

The Tiguan Allspace is offered in Life, Elegance and R-Line trims, all of which come fitted with an 8.0-inch infotainment display and a 10.25-inch digital driver display. Material quality is good throughout, and the buttons and switchgear feel solid to the touch. The cabin may lack the pizzazz of alternatives like the Peugeot 5008, but it feels suitably upmarket, and everything is laid out in a logical manner.

Standard equipment levels are good, but you can still add some additional features like Vienna leather upholstery, a head-up display and dynamic chassis control. The panoramic sunroof goes some way to uplifting the interior ambience and is standard on the Elegance trim. Elegance and R-Line trims also get ambient interior lighting with 30 colour options.

The 10.25-inch ‘’Digital Cockpit Pro’ driver display is now standard on all trims and is slick and highly configurable. The 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is neatly integrated into the dashboard and has a few physical buttons and a volume knob which makes it more usable on the move than many screen-only buttonless alternatives.

System responsiveness is good, with an intuitively laid-out menu system and plenty of standard features. These include the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity DAB digital radio and sat nav and if you upgrade to the Discover Pro media system you also get DAB digital radio and wireless app connectivity as well.

A head-up display and keyless entry (including electric tailgate operation) are optional extras on all trim levels.

The Tiguan Allspace is offered with three petrol engines and two diesels. Front-wheel-drive is standard, as is a six-speed manual gearbox. A seven-speed DSG automatic and all-wheel-drive can be paired with certain engine options.

The base petrol is a 148hp 1.5-litre unit equipped with the manual gearbox (an auto is optional) and front-wheel-drive. It suits the nature of the Allspace well and delivers decent performance in town and on the motorway. The 0-62mph time of 9.8-seconds, 42.2mpg consumption figure and 151g/km CO2 emissions are all but identical to the similarly-powered Seat Tarraco and Skoda Kodiaq. The Peugeot 5008’s 128hp petrol engine gives up a few tenths to 62mph but is slightly more efficient at 48mpg.

You can also get a 187hp or 242hp 2.0-litre petrol engine, both are available solely with the seven-speed DSG auto and all-wheel-drive. The 187hp version can sprint from 0-62mph in 7.7-seconds and will average an official 32.5mpg. The more powerful 242hp engine is available on the top R-Line trim and will blast to 62mph in just 6.2-seconds yet the 31.7mpg fuel economy is only marginally worse. You won’t find a comparable engine in the Peugeot 5008, although both the Skoda and SEAT can be equipped with the same engines and deliver predictably similar performance.

For longer trips you may want to consider one of the two diesel engines. The 148hp option can be had with a manual or automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive, or as an auto when paired with all-wheel-drive. Economy ranges from 44.1mpg to 53.3mpg, so only pick the auto and all-wheel drive if you really need it. CO2 figures are between 140g/km and 169g/km. Performance across all versions is similar, with a sub-10.0-second 0-62mph time.

The 197hp 2.0-litre diesel is only offered in the top all-wheel-drive auto configuration, yet it is hardly less efficient than the equivalently equipped 148hp version. It delivers up to 42.2mpg and emits 175g/km of CO2. The 0-62mph time of 7.8-seconds makes it appreciably quicker, too, and if you spend many hours on the motorway, it is a good choice.

Its 96% score for adult occupant safety was good, and child occupant safety was also rated highly, at 84%. Testing procedures have got stricter since then, but the Tiguan has also gone through a few updates in those intervening years gaining more standard safety equipment along the way.

Autonomous emergency braking (up to 130mph), adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, a driver fatigue detection alert, lane keep assist and surround parking sensors are all standard. Park assist and a rearview camera are also fitted to the top two trims.

The VW Tiguan Allspace comes with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty that can be extended for a further two years and up to 100,000 miles. There are monthly and prepaid servicing options available. As an example, you can expect to pay what is at time of writing £269 for a service plan that covers the first two consecutive services.