VW TIGUAN: ABOVE & BEYOND
Having seven seats in a sports utility vehicle was once the purview of the luxurious. While the VW Tiguan wasn’t the first to bring that small pleasure down to the automotive masses, it was the first and continues to be the only one that carries with that premium sensation associated with this feature.
The 2022 Tiguan Allspace is all-new, but with enough familiarity to ensure potential buyers know what they’re getting into. Externally, the lines are just a bit sharper. Move through the three trims available and the appearance does change to indicate what the buyer paid for, such as bigger wheels and a LED lighting package that includes an illuminated front grille that highlights the new VW badge. Go for the R-Line and things get sportier.
Inside, it’s much the same as the exterior, full of those premium touches that elevates the Tiguan to the class above, but without the wallet-busting price. These continue to be refinements of what the previous models had. Convenience entry is supplemented by puddle lamps at night. Once in the leather-powered memory seats, drivers are greeted by a spacious high-quality cabin with premium touches like wood inlays and soft-touch materials at the key contact points. Ambient lighting makes driving at night a soothing experience while during the day the panoramic sunroof adds to an airy feeling. Whatever function that isn’t powered can be automated.
Technology rules the interior of the Tiguan Allspace. There’s full digital instrumentation, an eight-inch touchscreen running the infotainment, and even touch sensitive HVAC controls. These all make operating the Tiguan a breeze as one can swipe, touch, tap or even order the vehicle around by triggering the voice assistance using the “Hello Volkswagen” command. Connectivity with modern electronics is simple, with the Tiguan even able to recognise if a smartphone is left in the vehicle and issue a warning. Wireless charging frees up an extra USB port for passengers.
Access to the third row is a simple press of a button. The second row moves enough to offer short-term comfort for adult passengers, but children and young adults will have no problem with long road trips. There is still good cargo space with all three rows in use. When they’re not, folding everything flat makes the Tiguan cavernous and since all seats fold there are multiple passenger/cargo combinations. The practicality continues around the cabin with plenty of storage solutions.
Besides the host of premium features, and the third row option, the VW separates itself from the pack due to its driving dynamics. For 2022, it leans heavily into that by dropping the front-wheel drive option and its smaller engine. All new models come only with VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system and a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. The combination of traction and power elevates the driving experience over rivals. Fully laden or unladen the Tiguan never struggles for any sort of pace. In ECO mode it putters unbothered through urban traffic sipping fuel and able to deliver overtaking speed at any moment. On longer highway voyages, it can settle into a constant state of warp speed to challenge the average sporty car. On narrower lanes or inclement weather, the all-wheel instils plenty of confidence.
For 2022, the Tiguan Allspace sits where it’s always been, a premium experience at a real world price.