Volkswagen Tiguan 2021 review

First there was the Beetle, then the Golf. For the first time in its history, Volkswagen is most associated with its Tiguan midsize SUV.

The understated but ubiquitous midsize car was recently updated for 2021, but unlike the upcoming Golf 8, it's just a facelift and not a full model update.

The stakes are high, but Volkswagen is hoping the constant updates will keep it relevant for at least a few years to come as it (globally) moves towards electrification.

There will be no electrification in Australia this time around, but has VW done enough to keep such an important model in the fight? We looked at the entire Tiguan lineup to find out.

Volkswagen Tiguan 2021: 147 TDI R-Line
Safety Rating
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Diesel
Fuel efficiency	6.1l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$47,200

Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10

The Tiguan was already an attractive car, with plenty of subtle, angular elements that folded into something befitting a European SUV.

For the update, VW basically made changes to the face of the Tiguan (Image: R-Line).

For the update, VW basically made changes to the face of the Tiguan to match the revised design language of the upcoming Golf 8.

The side profile is nearly identical, with the new car only recognizable by subtle chrome touches and new wheel options (image: R-Line).

I think it only helped make this car better, with more integrated lighting fixtures flying out of its now softer grille treatment. However, there was a kind of pugnacious toughness in the flat face of the outgoing model that I will miss.

The side profile is nearly identical, recognizable only by subtle chrome touches and a new choice of wheels, while the rear is refreshed with a new lower bumper treatment, contemporary Tiguan lettering at the rear, and in the case of Elegance and R-Line, impressive LED headlights. clusters.

The rear end is refreshed with a new treatment on the lower part of the bumper (image: R-Line).

The heavily digitally redesigned interior will make shoppers salivate. Even the base car has a stunning digital instrument cluster, but the large media screens and sleek touchpads are sure to impress.

It's important to note that while almost any car can have massive screens today, not everyone has the processing power to match, but I'm happy to report that everything about VW is as smooth and fast as it should be.

The inside has been digitally redesigned and will make customers salivate (Image: R-Line).

The new steering wheel is a really nice touch with an integrated VW logo and cool piping. It also feels a little more substantial than the outgoing unit, and all of its features are conveniently located and ergonomic to use.

I will say that the color scheme, whichever option you choose, is quite safe. The dashboard, while beautifully finished, is just one big gray to detract from the flashy digital overhaul.

The new steering wheel is a really nice touch with an integrated VW logo and cool piping (Image: R-Line).

Even the inserts are simple and subtle, perhaps VW missed an opportunity to make the interior of its expensive midsize car a little more special.

How practical is the interior space? 8/10

It may have been redesigned and digitized, but is this update up to date? One of my big fears when I got behind the wheel was that the abundance of touch elements would distract from work while driving.

The touch-panel climate unit from the previous car started to look and feel a little old, but part of me will still miss how easy it was to use.

The new touch-sensitive climate control panel not only looks good, but is also quite easy to use (image: R-Line).

But the new touch-sensitive climate control panel not only looks good, it's also pretty easy to use. It only takes a few days to get used to it.

What I really missed was the volume rocker and tactile shortcut buttons on the massive 9.2-inch R-Line touchscreen. This is a minor usability issue that gets on some people's nerves.

What I really missed were the tactile shortcut buttons on the 9.2-inch R-Line touchscreen (Image: R-Line).

The same goes for the sensor elements on the R-Line steering wheel. They look and feel really cool with weird vibrating feedback, though I occasionally stumbled across things that should be simple like cruise functions and volume. Sometimes the old ways are better.

It sounds like I'm complaining about the Tiguan's digital overhaul, but for the most part it's for the best. The instrument cluster (once an Audi exclusive) is one of the best on the market in terms of looks and usability, and the large multimedia screens make it easy to select the desired function without taking your eyes off the controls. Road.

The touch controls on the R-Line steering wheel look and feel really cool with a weird vibration (Image: R-Line).

The cabin is also excellent, with a high but appropriate driving position, large door storage bins, large cupholders and cutouts on the neat center console, as well as a small center console stowage box and a strange little opening tray on the dashboard.

The new Tiguan only supports USB-C in terms of connectivity, so take a converter with you.

There's plenty of room in the back seat for my 182cm (6ft 0in) height behind my driving position. At the rear, this is very practical: even the base car has a third climate control zone with movable air vents, a USB-C socket and a 12V socket.

The rear seat offers a huge amount of space and is very practical (image: R-Line).

There are pockets on the backs of the front seats, large bottle holders in the door and fold-down armrest, and weird little pockets on the seats. This is one of the best rear seats in the midsize SUV class in terms of passenger comfort.

The trunk is a large 615L VDA regardless of the variant. It's also great for mid-range SUVs and fits all of our Cars Guide luggage set with a spare seat.

The trunk is a large VDA with a volume of 615 liters, regardless of modification (image: Life).

Every Tiguan variant also has space for a spare under the boot floor and small cutouts behind the rear wheel arches to maximize storage space.

A power tailgate is also a plus, although it remains odd that the R-Line lacks gesture control.

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 7/10

The updated Tiguan looks not much different. We'll get to the design in a second, but don't underestimate it based on looks alone, there are many significant changes to this medium-sized shell that will be key to its continued appeal.

For starters, VW got rid of its old corporate titles. Names like Trendline have been replaced with friendlier names, and the Tiguan line now consists of just three variants: the base Life, mid-range Elegance, and top-end R-Line.

Simply put, Life is the only trim available with front-wheel drive, while Elegance and R-Line are only available with all-wheel drive.

As with the pre-facelift model, Tiguan's facelifted lineup will become wider in 2022 with the return of the stretched seven-seat Allspace variant, and for the first time, the brand will also introduce a fast, high-performance Tiguan R variant.

However, in terms of the three options that are coming in at the moment, Tiguan has markedly increased the price, now technically more expensive than ever before, even if it's only $200 compared to the outgoing Comfortline.

The base Life can be selected as either a 110TSI 2WD with an MSRP of $39,690 or a 132TSI AWD with an MSRP of $43,690.

While the price has increased, VW notes that with the technology aboard the current vehicle, that would mean at least $1400 off the Comfortline with the necessary option package to match it.

Standard equipment on the basic Life edition includes an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with ignition, fully automatic LED headlights, and cloth interior trim. , a new leather-wrapped steering wheel with updated brand aesthetic touches, dual-zone climate control (now with a full touch interface) and a power tailgate with gesture control.

The Life comes as standard with fully automatic LED headlights (Image: Life).

It's a technically heavy package and doesn't look like the base model. An expensive $5000 "Luxury Pack" could upgrade the Life to include leather seats, a heated steering wheel, power driver's seat adjustment, and a panoramic sunroof.

The mid-range Elegance offers more powerful engine options, including a 2.0-litre 162 TSI turbo-petrol ($50,790) or a 2.0-litre 147 TDI turbo-diesel ($52,290) exclusively with all-wheel drive.

It's a significant price jump over the Life and adds adaptive chassis control, 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior styling cues, interior ambient lighting, upgraded Matrix LED headlights and LED taillights, standard "Vienna" leather interior trim. with power adjustable front seats, 9.2-inch touchscreen media interface, heated steering wheel and front seats, and tinted rear windows.

Finally, the top R-Line version is available with the same 162 TSI ($53,790) and 147 TDI ($55,290) all-wheel-drive drivetrain options and also includes massive 20-inch alloy wheels, a more aggressive body kit with shaded details. R Elements, bespoke R-Line leather seats, sports pedals, black headlining, variable ratio steering, and a sportier steering wheel design with touchscreen controls with tactile feedback. Interestingly, the R-Line lost the gesture-controlled tailgate, making do with just the electric drive.

The top-of-the-line R-Line features individual R-Line leather seating (image: R-Line).

The only options for the Elegance and R-Line, aside from the premium paint ($850), are the panoramic sunroof, which will set you back $2000, or the Sound and Vision package, which adds a 360-degree parking camera. display and nine-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system.

Each variant also comes with a full range of active safety features, greatly adding value to buyers, so be sure to check that out later in this review.

Regardless, the entry-level Life now competes with mid-range competitors like the Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, the latter of which has the key low-fuel hybrid option many buyers are looking for.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 8/10

Tiguan maintains a relatively complex engine lineup for its class.

The entry-level Life can be chosen with its own set of engines. The cheapest of which is 110 TSI. It's a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 110kW/250Nm powering the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 110 TSI is the only front-wheel drive variant left in the Tiguan range.

Next comes 132 TSI. It's a 2.0kW/132Nm 320-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Volkswagen's engine options here tend to be more powerful than many of its competitors (image: R-Line).

Elegance and R-Line are available with the same two more powerful engines. These include a 162-litre 2.0 TSI turbo-petrol engine with 162 kW/350 Nm or a 147-litre 2.0 TDI turbodiesel with 147 kW/400 Nm. Either engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and drives all four wheels.

Volkswagen's engine options here tend to be more powerful than many of its competitors, some of which still make do with older naturally aspirated units.

The picture of this update is missing the word that is now on the lips of every buyer - hybrid.

Hybrid options are available overseas, but due to persistent problems with relatively poor fuel quality in Australia, VW was unable to launch them here. However, things may change in the near future...

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How much fuel does it consume? 8/10

The dual-clutch automatic transmission is designed to reduce fuel consumption, and this certainly applies to the Tiguan, at least according to its official figures.

The 110 TSI Life we ​​tested for this review has an official/combined consumption figure of 7.7L/100km, while our test car showed around 8.5L/100km.

Meanwhile, the 162 TSI R-Line also has an official figure of 8.5L/100km, and our car showed 8.9L/100km.

Keep in mind that these tests were done over just a few days and not our usual weekly test, so take our numbers with a pinch of salt.

Either way, they are impressive for a midsize SUV, especially the 162 TSI all-wheel drive.

On the other hand, all Tiguans require at least 95RON as the engines are not compatible with our cheapest entry level 91 engine.

This is due to our particularly poor fuel quality standards, which look set to be corrected if our refineries receive upgrades in 2024.

What is it like to drive? 8/10

With so much in common in the Tiguan lineup in terms of performance and equipment, which option you choose will primarily affect the driving experience.

It's a shame, for example, that the entry-level 110 TSI didn't get a facelift, as our claims on that variant still stand.

The 1.4-litre turbo is efficient and snappy enough for its size, but has an annoying lull in power when it comes to stopping that can work with the dual clutch to make some lagging, glitchy moments.

The instrument cluster is one of the best on the market in terms of looks and usability (image: R-Line).

However, where the base car shines is in its smooth ride. Like the Golf below it, the 110 TSI Life strikes a fine balance between ride quality and comfort, exhibiting good cabin isolation from bumps and road debris, while still providing just enough driver input in corners to make it feel a bit like a giant hatchback.

If you want to know more about 110 Life, we have a review option here.

We weren't able to test the mid-range Elegance and didn't use the 147 TDI diesel engine for this test, but we had the opportunity to drive the top 162 TSI R-Line.

It immediately becomes apparent that there are good reasons to pay more for more grunts. This engine is excellent in terms of the power it offers and the way it is delivered.

The big boost in those raw numbers helps it handle the extra weight of the AWD system, and the extra low torque makes it even more suited to a fast dual-clutch automatic transmission.

This results in the removal of most of the annoying jerks from stop-and-go traffic, allowing the driver to maximize the benefits of instantaneous dual-clutch shifting when accelerating in a straight line.

The all-wheel drive system, more aggressive tires and sharper steering in the R-Line make cornering at speed an absolute pleasure, offering handling prowess that betrays its shape and relative weight.

Sure, there's something to be said for the bigger engine, but the R-Line isn't without its faults.

The huge wheels make the ride a little stiff when bouncing off the bumps in the suburban road, so if you're mostly into town and aren't looking for weekend thrills, the Elegance, with its smaller 19-inch alloy wheels, might be worth considering.

Stay tuned for a future overview of the driving experience options for the 147 TDI and of course the Allspace and full-size R when they become available next year.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 8/10

Great news here. For this update, the entire VW safety package (now branded IQ Drive) is available even on the base Life 110 TSI.

Includes automatic emergency braking (AEB) at motorway speed with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, warning about the attention of the driver, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

The Tiguan will have the highest five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded in 2016. The Tiguan has a total of seven airbags (the standard six plus a driver's knee) plus the expected stability, traction and brake control.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 8/10

Volkswagen continues to provide a competitive five-year unlimited mileage warranty, which is the industry standard when it comes to its predominantly Japanese competitors.

He'll have more of a fight when the next generation Kia Sportage finally arrives.

Volkswagen continues to offer a competitive five-year unlimited mileage warranty (Image: R-Line).

Service is covered by the price cap program, but the best way to keep the cost down is to purchase prepaid service packages that cover you for three years at $1200 or five years at $2400, whichever option you choose.

This brings the cost down to a very competitive level, although not to Toyota's absurd lows.

Verdict

With this facelift, the Tiguan is moving forward a bit in the market, now its entry cost is higher than ever, and while that may rule that out for some buyers, no matter which one you choose, you'll still get the full experience. when it comes to safety, cabin comfort and convenience.

It's up to you to decide how you want it to look and handle, which is subjective anyway. Based on this, I have no doubt that this Tiguan will delight its customers for many years to come.