Volkswagen Tiguan Review & Prices

The Volkswagen Tiguan has one of the simplest recipes of any family SUV. It looks good without being too in-yer-face, is spacious without being intimidating to drive in town, and has a lovely interior without being so posh you’re scared to get your kids’ grubby figures anywhere near it.

It’s the spaghetti bolognese of the car world. It might be simple but there’s rarely a circumstance where it doesn’t hit the spot.

However, like your spaghetti is just one of a number of pasta dishes you could order, there are numerous Tiguan alternatives that are similarly sized, similarly priced SUVs. Go for a top-spec model and it’s an alternative to posh SUVs such as the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, though it does lack some of their badge appeal. Or you could consider an entry-level version alongside a well-specced Nissan Qashqai or Kia Sportage.

Where the Volkswagen Tiguan has an advantage over all of those cars is its boot, which at 652 litres is considerably bigger than anything else at a similar price. That means you’ll be able to fit prams and after-school sports equipment all at once, should the need arise.

The interior design is all-new, with a massive infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard, making it not far off those upmarket BMW and Audi alternatives. There are configurable shortcut buttons across the top and bottom of the display, with the large central home screen showing the sat nav, music and other important information. It’s quick to respond to inputs and has bright, clear graphics, but you still get Volkswagen’s unintuitive touch-sensitive sliders for the climate control.

On the plus side, you also get an excellent digital instrument display, which is included as standard and bigger than the one on the old Tiguan.

The exterior hasn’t had quite such an extensive overhaul as the interior, but the old Tiguan was starting to look dated, so the sleek LED headlights that run into a full-width black panel give it a fresh new look. At the back, you get a similar light panel that runs along the bootlid, but the likes of the Kia Sportage are more interesting to look at.

A diesel engine is a rare treat these days for those who do big miles, but one of the two petrols will be a better fit for most drivers. A pair of plug-in hybrids are on the way later in 2024, with a useful electric-only range of 62 miles. They will be a bit more expensive than other engines but low running costs could make it the best pick if you have access to regular charging. It’s worth waiting for the plug-in if you need a company car, because it will have the lowest Benefit-in-Kind tax rate by far. There will be no electric Tiguan, so check out our list of the best electric SUVs if that’s what you’re after.

Behind the wheel, the Tiguan is quiet, comfortable and refined to drive around town and on the motorway. The suspension is well-judged, so that it soaks up big bumps without causing the body to wobble around. This makes the Tiguan a great car for daily driving duties, but the light steering and refined suspension mean it’s not the most exciting car on a twisty road, even if you pop it into its sportiest setting.

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Pricing kicks off from just over £34,000, which is more expensive than many alternatives - it’s around £5,000 more than an entry-level Kia Sportage or Skoda Karoq, for example, and similar to posh options such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

However, the Tiguan is extremely well-equipped so its entry spec is more equivalent to a mid-spec model from other manufacturers, which narrows the gap somewhat. Though you can still get a Nissan Qashqai with all the trimmings for the Tiguan’s entry price.

There are five trim levels to choose from on the Tiguan. Entry-level models are only offered with a 130hp petrol engine, but step up to the Life trim and you get a wider choice of engines and more kit.

At the top of the range you have the Elegance and R-Line trims, which both come loaded with equipment, but the latter has sportier styling on the outside and body-hugging seats inside. Both are pretty tempting, being just £5,000 more than the entry-level model.

Quiet and comfortable, but not the most exciting car to point down a twisty road

In town

The Volkswagen Tiguan hits a sweet spot in its dimensions, because it’s big enough that you get a spacious interior but it’s not so big that it’s intimidating to drive around town. Visibility is pretty good and you sit high for a commanding view of the road ahead.

You also get light steering, so you can quickly pull off tight manoeuvres when required and almost forget you’re in a practical SUV. The suspension is well-judged too, so if you hit a big speed bump it doesn’t send a crash through the cabin and settles down quickly. There is a slightly firm edge though, so some sharper edges such as potholes are more noticeable. Going for a lower trim with smaller alloy wheels should help with that, though.

Entry-level models don’t get a huge amount of assistance kit, but usefully all Tiguans come with front and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera. Step up to the Life trim and you get a system that will park the car for you.

On the motorway

The comfort and refinement largely continues out on the motorway, where the Tiguan is quiet at higher speeds. The suspension continues to deal with bumps well on the whole here, but there is a bit of road noise to contend with – though again, our test car was a top-spec model with the 20-inch alloy wheels, so lower trims should be a bit quieter.

Overtaking can take a little forethought, because although the gearbox can shift gears quickly and smoothly in most driving situations, if you give the throttle a push for a quick squirt of power the car can take a moment to realise you need a lower gear.

Again, it’s the entry-level model that’s missing useful assistance kit, but all other versions come with adaptive cruise control that can maintain your speed as well as keep a safe distance to the car in front. Lane-keeping assistance is standard-fit, but top-spec models get Travel Assist, which can help you stay in your lane while cruise control is active.

On a twisty road

As is usual for cars that major on comfort and refinement in most driving situations, there is some sacrifice to be made when it comes to having fun on a twisty road. You do get decent grip from the tyres, but the steering is quite light and doesn’t give a lot of feedback to inform you of that fact, which knocks your confidence and means you have to hold back a bit.

You can switch the car to Sport and the throttle is more responsive and the gearbox is a bit more open to dropping gears when you accelerate. Once you get in the groove it manages to quickly switch up and down the gears and keep up with your needs much better than its standard setting. However, it all feels a bit synthetic and not hugely fun. Probably not a deal breaker for this sort of car, but a BMW X1 is more enjoyable in the twisties.

Spacious interior with a useful boot, but some features are a little awkward

The VW Tiguan is a pretty large car so it should come as no surprise that the front seats are expansive. There’s loads of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, so finding a comfortable driving position shouldn’t be a problem for drivers of all shapes and sizes. A full leather upgrade with heating and ventilation is optional on all trim levels, while the faux-sporty R-Line trim comes with supportive bucket seats as standard.

The centre console holds two wireless charging pads, for driver or front passenger, and they’re both big enough to accommodate even the largest of phones. The door bins are a good size, and they’re felt-lined so that items such as keys or coins won’t rattle around on the move. The glovebox is large, too.

Space in the back seats

There’s loads of space in the back seats, as befits a family SUV. Two six-footers can easily sit behind front passengers of a similar size, with plenty of room for their knees and lots of headroom, even if the optional panoramic glass roof is fitted. A third passenger will be pretty comfortable, as the rear bench is quite flat and the centre seat comparatively wide.

The rear seats slide and recline, and can even be heated. They split 60:40 but the centre seat can also be folded down separately to accommodate longer loads. Keep it upright, and rear passengers have access to a clever centre armrest with cupholders and a tray to hold a tablet in place.

Storage in the back is good - there are two pockets on the back of each seat, and large door bins that are also felt-lined just like those in the front. There are two USB-C ports for keeping phones or devices topped up, too.

There are ISOFIX mounting points in both outer rear seats, with covers that flip up rather than remove entirely so you can’t lose them. With wide-opening rear doors and plenty of space, plus a high-up seating position, it's easy-peasy to fit and remove child seats.

Boot space

With 652 litres of boot space, the new Tiguan has one of the largest boots of any family SUV. It’s far bigger than the Skoda Karoq (521 litres) Kia Sportage (591 litres) or even the massive Honda CR-V (617 litres) so it’s perfect if you need to load up for a big holiday or perhaps have young children and a bulky pushchair to accommodate.

It’s not just big, either - it’s practical. There’s no load lip between the boot opening and the floor, so you don’t have to hoick items into it - and the rear seats fold down completely flat leaving no obstructions to you sliding items right to the back. You can fold the seats down from the boot, too, while there’s a clever ridge that keeps the rear seatbelts in place even when the seats fold. Annoyingly, though, you have to pull an awkward tab to get the seats back upright, and pull the release lever from the boot to unlock them before walking around to push them back up.

There’s space underneath the floor for charging cables as well as other paraphernalia, though on premium models some of this room is taken up by the subwoofer for the uprated sound system. There’s also a three-pin socket and 12V power supply, both useful additions.

A much better infotainment system than the old Tiguan, but physical switchgear would make it easier to use

The Tiguan’s interior has undergone a transformation for the latest model and now looks a lot like VW’s latest electric cars. That means the dashboard is dominated by a touchscreen infotainment display measuring 12.9 inches on the diagonal as standard across the range, which controls all of the car’s major functions.

It’s a big step forward over the last Tiguan’s infotainment and the software is much more similar to that used on modern smartphones. You’ll be instantly familiar with things like having multiple homescreens, configurable shortcuts and widgets, as well as gestures such as pressing and holding on things to adjust them.

Climate controls have been relegated to a slim bar at the bottom of the display, which stays put - and underneath the screen you’ll find some touch-sensitive sliders that can control the volume or temperature. It’s better than some VWs, but it’s still not the easiest thing in the world to get used to. A Kia Sportage, with its straightforward software and panel of physical controls, is easier to navigate, and probably a bit safer to use on the move too.

At least you get proper buttons on the steering wheel, whereas the last Tiguan had awkward touch-sensitive controls here that didn’t work particularly well. If you prefer voice control, the Tiguan gets the latest evolution of Volkswagen's system, which works well when you call upon it, but can be activated too easily in normal conversation. ChatGPT integration is coming soon, but as much as it feels like a bit of a gimmick, could be useful when your kids throw a question like 'why is the sky blue?' your way...

Material quality is excellent throughout, certainly a cut above a lot of SUVs in this price range with soft-touch plastics and solid build quality. It’s not quite as lush as a premium competitor like a BMW X1, but it’s sufficiently upmarket and everything seems to be screwed together well. It’s only if you poke further that you’ll find the occasional hard plastic, like low down on the centre console or the rear door cards.

At launch the Tiguan will have three engine options - a turbocharged mild hybrid petrol with a choice of two power outputs, or a turbocharged diesel engine. Officially, these return up to 46.3mpg and 52.3mpg respectively - which isn’t bad for a car of this size but is certainly nothing special.

Lower running costs will come soon after launch when a plug-in hybrid option becomes available. This will have an all-electric range of up to 62 miles, which is a very useful figure indeed - you might be able to comfortably cover your family’s weekly mileage on a single charge, reserving the petrol engine for longer trips or weekend getaways. A Kia Sportage or Ford Kuga PHEV will only cover around 40 miles on a charge.

The plug-in hybrids will cost more than the regular engines to buy, though, and if you don’t regularly charge it up or do a lot of long-distance driving then the running costs aren’t likely to make up the difference. It is, however, definitely going to be the pick of the range for company car drivers, with low emissions promising great Benefit-in-Kind tax ratings.

The new Tiguan hasn’t been put through Euro NCAP’s crash test procedure yet. However, almost all of the latest Volkswagen models achieved a full five-star rating, as did the previous Tiguan. With its family focus, Volkswagen is very likely to be chasing top marks for the new model.

The standard Volkswagen warranty is a fairly measly three years/60,000 miles, while competitors from Hyundai, Kia and Toyota offer five, seven and up to ten years of cover respectively. VW’s reputation for reliability is middle of the pack, and the previous Tiguan didn’t do fantastically well in customer satisfaction surveys with software and safety equipment issues often reported.

However, it’s far too early to know if the new Tiguan will be reliable, so we’ll hold out judgement.