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If you want a family-friendly compact SUV that feels like a premium product but doesn’t cost quite as much, the Volkswagen Tiguan could be the car for you. As spacious and practical as most families could ever need, the Tiguan is efficient, comfortable and well-equipped. It covers all the bases, then, and does so very well.
The current Volkswagen Tiguan has been on sale in the UK since 2016. It’s the second generation of VW’s mid-size SUV – the first was introduced in 2007. Perhaps surprisingly, the Tiguan was only the second SUV in Volkswagen’s history, coming just a few years after the luxurious Touareg.
An update in 2020 gave the current Tiguan a fresh look with new headlights, front bumper and grille on the outside and VW’s latest tech inside. You can choose between petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power and manual or automatic gearboxes. Some models have four-wheel drive (which VW calls 4Motion). A wide range of trim levels is available, including the high-performance Tiguan R, which can accelerate from zero to 62mph in less than five seconds.
If you need more space, check out the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace, which is longer than the standard car and has an extra pair of rear seats that fold away when you don’t need them.
Volkswagen has sold the current Tiguan with a number of different trim levels and all give you lots of equipment as standard for your money. Every version has air con, DAB radio, Bluetooth, cruise control and rear parking sensors. Many also have built-in sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, climate control, adaptive cruise control and an opening panoramic roof.
According to official figures, you can expect an average fuel economy of 28mpg to 46mpg from Tiguan models with a petrol engine and 34mpg to 58mpg from diesels. The official average mpg for the PHEV model is almost 190mpg, but what you’ll get in the real world depends on your charging and driving habits.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are rated at 145g/km to 225g/km in petrol models, 123g/km to 167g/km in diesels and less than 50g/km in PHEVs. The Tiguan does cost more than some other mid-size SUVs, but the quality of its interior is hard to beat and the Volkswagen brand’s image is very desirable.
There are a lot of other mid-size SUVs you might want to consider, including the Ford Kuga, the Kia Sportage, the Nissan Qashqai and the Peugeot 3008. The Tiguan stands out among those for its interior quality, upmarket image and the amount of features you get as standard. It’s not the most cost-effective or roomiest option but it’s an excellent all-rounder that does most things very well.
The Tiguan has enough room for a typical family of four or even five because three teenagers will fit on the back seat without too much of a squeeze. Four adults will be perfectly comfortable, although there are other mid-size SUVs that give adults more room to stretch out in the back. The elevated SUV seating position means getting in and out is very easy, and is a big help when lifting kids inside.
The current Tiguan gives you 520 litres of boot space, though that can be increased in models with sliding back seats by pushing them all the way forwards (you can push them back for extra back-seat legroom). Either way, the boot will accommodate anything from a month’s-worth of food shopping, to a football team’s kit, to four large suitcases. Fold down the back seats if you need to pick up a fridge or take one to the tip. Some Tiguan models can tow more than 2,000kg – useful if you have a big caravan.
The Tiguan is the mid-size model in Volkswagen’s extensive range of SUVs. Smaller models are the T-Cross, the Taigo and then T-Roc, while the Tiguan Allspace is the same width and height as the ‘standard’ Tiguan but slightly longer. There’s a big step up in size to the luxurious Touareg. Compared with Volkswagen’s non-SUV models, the Tiguan is longer than a Golf hatchback but shorter than a Golf Estate.
The current Tiguan received a full five-star rating from safety experts Euro NCAP. As standard it comes with lots of advanced driver safety features, including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. Some models also have extra features such as adaptive cruise control and cross-traffic alert.
You can get the Tiguan with plug-in hybrid power – VW calls it the Tiguan eHybrid. It has a 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor, so depending on the circumstances, the car will use the motor, the engine or a combination of the two. The official range in pure-electric mode is 28 miles.