Steadying the ship, Volkswagen’s new Tiguan seeks to answer recent criticisms of the German brand’s offerings and international correspondent Neil Briscoe finds out if it has.
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Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI 110kW Excellence Fast Facts
- Price: TBC
- Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbodiesel
- Power: 110 kW @ 3 000 r/min
- Torque: 360 N.m @ 1 600 r/min
- Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
- Fuel consumption: 5.3 L/100 km
- Emissions: 139 g/km
As soon as you sit inside the new Volkswagen Tiguan, you find yourself breathing a faint sigh of relief. Having been often — rightly — criticised for some of the cabin quality and especially for the interface between humans and software in its recent touchscreens, VW has clearly been listening and the Tiguan is in some ways a big, 2.0-litre apology for past issues.
Certainly, the cabin of the Tiguan is incredibly well made, and the choice of materials used makes it feel much more high-end than some of the company’s recent products, especially the early versions of the Golf 8. As you’d expect from a midsize SUV, you sit high on comfortable front seats (borrowed from the larger Touareg, and featuring an optional massage function), with a great view out, despite the chunky windscreen pillars.
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In front of the driver, surprisingly, are some physical buttons. These are on the steering wheel and replace the haptic touchpads that Volkswagen has been using of late for its steering wheel controls – and this is again a response to customer and critical feedback. Certainly, the buttons are easier and far more natural to use than the haptic controls, and they don’t look any less smart.
Behind the steering wheel there’s a pair of column stalks, one which controls the gearshift, and one which — Mercedes-style — controls lights, wipers and indicators. There’s an updated 10.25-inch digital instrument screen and in the centre of the dashboard is a new infotainment touchscreen. In our test car, this measured a whopping 15 inches across the diagonal, effectively the same as the item that features in the all-electric Volkswagen ID.7.
More good news is that the software within is a palpable improvement on VW’s recent system. Dubbed MIB4, it features a much more sensible menu layout that allows you to find major functions easily, rather than stabbing at the screen in frustration. The ‘slider’ controls below it now light up at night, too, which means you can actually find them, and while we’d still prefer a few more physical buttons to make a comeback, the way in which this screen works, and the way in which its shortcut buttons are customisable, is to be applauded. It moves Volkswagen — in infotainment terms — from the back of the class to somewhere near the front.
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The system is about to become a lot more sophisticated, too. VW is set to introduce ChatGPT artificial intelligence software into its cars’ IDA digital voice assistant, starting this year. The Tiguan and the updated Golf are the launch models for this, but if you’re worried about Terminator-like tech taking over your dashboard, don’t be; Volkswagen is installing ChatGPT purely as a form of entertainment. It can be used to give you information on local landmarks or tell your bored kids a story on long journeys. All the data is anonymised, and nothing to do with the car nor your location are shared with ChatGPT, but there’s an undeniable creepiness to the synthesised computer voice. VW says that software updates coming later this year will expand its repertoire and make it seem more natural in its interactions, but for now there’s no chance you’ll mistake the AI for a human being. Which is probably just as well.
Before we finish with the Tiguan’s interior, it’s important to note that in the back, this is a hugely practical vehicle. The rear passenger compartment features lots of leg- and headroom, and plenty of storage space too, so the Tiguan is immensely family-friendly. The boot is massive too — slide those rear seats forward and it stretches to a claimed 652 litres, or 1 650 litres if you don’t need use of the rear bench.
Volksagen Tiguan Dimensions
- Height: 1 660 mm
- Length: 4 539 mm
- Wheelbase: 2 676 mm
- Ride height: Not quoted
- Width (excl mirrors): 1 859 mm
- Track front: 1 590 mm
- Tow rating (Braked): 2 100 kg
- Fuel tank: 55 litres
- Turning circle diameter: 11.7 m
On the outside, while the Tiguan still looks familiar. Volkswagen has seemingly styled it as a mix-and-match of cues from the outgoing model and the all-electric ID.4 which isn’t yet sold in South Africa. This approach is partially successful, but the big, chrome-filled grille beneath the lights looks a bit chunky. Those slim headlamps can be optionally equipped with HD Matrix LED technology, which can selectively dim and dip the high-beam pattern to keep as much light on the road without dazzling oncoming traffic.
Under the new skin, there’s an update of the familiar MQB platform off which Volkswagen has been spinning endless variations of Group products for a decade now. The platform has been stretched a bit, adding 60 mm to the length of the Tiguan (no wonder it’s so roomy inside) and is capable of accommodating a more sophisticated plug-in hybrid model. The e-Hybrid versions (there’s a basic 150 kW model and a more powerful 200kW option) get a larger 19 kWh battery and a potential electric-only range of up to 100 km on a full charge.
For most buyers in South Africa, though, the good old 110 kW 2.0-litre TDI diesel will likely be a better bet. Although the local line-up has yet to be confirmed, it would be the more affordable model in a range that’s expected to be more expensive than the outgoing Tiguan. With 360 N.m of torque backing up that 110 kW, this engine really does feel like a sweet spot in the range, with enough performance to make you question the need to upgrade to the more powerful 142 kW version. Meanwhile, fuel economy — easily dropping down to around 5.5 L/100 km —will keep your running costs under control. It’ll haul a useful 2 100 kg on a braked trailer, too. There is a bit of diesel chatter at low speeds, but that goes away once you’re cruising, and the seven-speed DSG automatic transmission — now standard across the range — feels smooth and alert.
With the increase in length, though, the Tiguan is starting to feel on the XXL side, and you become aware of this on tighter roads. Select Sport mode on the gorgeously tactile little rotary selector down on the centre console and you can fling the car about with confidence, but you’re always aware of just how much road space you’re taking up. Equally, the Tiguan doesn’t really seem like the kind of car you ought to be flinging about, and to be honest it’s better off on the highway, where you can revel in its comfort and refinement. The optional DCC adaptive suspension dampers — which use some trick dual-valve technology to separate the compression and rebound forces — do tighten things up a bit for cornering, but given that most people will probably just pick the Comfort setting and leave it there, it’s debatable as to whether the system is worth having.
While it does all feel familiar in many ways, there’s no doubt that this is a comprehensive update of the Tiguan, one that really does answer a lot of the questions people have been asking of Volkswagen lately. The quality’s definitely back in the cabin, and the tech finally has been simplified at the point of use, even if it’s becoming increasingly advanced in the background. Thankfully, the Tiguan still manages to feel as it always has — like a roomy and classy family SUV.
Find the full article in the May 2024 issue of CAR Magazine.
