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A proper all-rounder with a spec for everyone. As long as you want an SUV, of course.

It may look like a Touareg that shrunk in the wash, but this is actually the brand-new (well, comprehensively facelifted) Volkswagen Tiguan.

The Tiguan isn’t just VW’s best-selling SUV these days either, it’s the brand’s best-selling model altogether worldwide – a fact that comes as less of a surprise when you learn that, in 2019, a brand-new one rolled off the production line every 35 seconds. Crikey.

It’s that success that goes some way to explaining the slightly conservative visual updates to this second generation, too. If it ain’t broke, and all that.

There is a new face up front, of course. The bonnet is higher than before and VW says this is now its ‘SUV-family’ grille – hence the similarities with the bigger Touareg. All UK cars will get LED headlights as standard too (with the even-more impressive IQ.Light LEDs standard on top spec cars), and ‘Tiguan’ is now spelt out in fresh lettering across the boot – because that’s all buyers really want these days.

There’ll be a Y structure to the new Tiguan’s trim levels, with the base spec car (simply called Tiguan) starting at £24,915 – that’s £545 less than the previous equivalent if you were wondering. Above that will be the Life trim, before the range splits into the top spec Elegance (for maximum comfort and tech) and R-Line (for sporting touches inside and out) models.

There’s a fairly hefty amount of drivetrain options for each trim level too, although base spec Tiguans can only be combined with the 128bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine, front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual gearbox in the UK. Make the step to Life and you’ll still be able to spec the aforementioned setup, but you can also choose between a more powerful 148bhp version of the same four-cylinder petrol engine with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG. There’s also a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel that can only be combined with the DSG at this point in time.

Still with us? Good, because it’s about to get even more complicated, and this is only ‘Wave 1’ of the drivetrain combinations that’ll be available on our shores. The joint top specs – that’s Elegance and R-Line trim levels – can be had with the 148bhp petrol engine and 7spd DSG or the 148bhp diesel with 7spd DSG and either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Plus, there’s then a more powerful 197bhp version of the same diesel engine that only comes with the auto gearbox and 4Motion four-wheel drive. Just for reference – VW reckons around 20 per cent of Tiguans sold in the UK will still be diesels.

Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned yet that in addition to those obvious powertrains, there’s now a 316bhp Tiguan R and an eco-friendly Tiguan  eHybrid PHEV that can manage 31 miles of all electric range. You can read our first impressions on both of those by clicking the blue words. They’ll be in the UK early in 2021.

Driving

What is it like on the road?

Well, to keep things a little bit simpler, we’ll stick to just the standard Tiguan in all of its different forms here and avoid both the full-fat R and the eHybrid.

The pre-facelift Tiguan was a tidy thing to drive, and this new one seems to hit all the same benchmarks from first impressions. It’s still based on the tried and tested VW Group MQB platform and turns in well, corners with only a small amount of body roll and generally deals with its extra height with confidence.

We haven’t driven a lower-powered manual yet but the DSG offers supremely smooth changes and makes it a relaxing thing to pilot. Just make sure you avoid using sport mode where the ‘box will hold a lower gear than necessary. Do that and the engines are quiet and smooth.

Make no mistake it’s by no means exciting, but the Tiguan really is an easy thing to get along with. You can see why previous generations have been so popular. If you’re looking for something with a turn of pace, the top spec 197bhp diesels manage 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds – just under two seconds quicker than the petrols and the other diesel. The 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol doesn’t feel sluggish, though, and Volkswagen assures us that more powerful 2.0-litre versions are on the way.

The only real issue might be the slightly firm ride. On smooth German tarmac with slightly smaller wheels it doesn’t present much of a problem, but back in the UK it might be worth avoiding the largest of the alloy wheel options.

On the inside

Layout, finish and space

Right, let’s get it out of the way first. For this facelifted Tiguan, Volkswagen has done away with the easy-to-use, buttoned climate control panel of old and has replaced it with a completely unintuitive touch-button panel that provides no feedback at all. Great. The new panel is also set so low that you’re always taking your eyes off the road to either check the temperature you’ve just set, or to check whether you’ve actually pressed a damn button at all. It’s bad, really bad. Oh, and R-Line cars also get a sports steering wheel with similar touch buttons rather than real ones. Nightmare.

Still, the rest of the interior is well laid out and there’s nothing too scary. The infotainment systems are new with base spec cars getting an 8.0-inch touchscreen and higher specs upgrading to VW’s 9.2-inch Discover Pro setup. As you’d expect, it’s responsive and trades on connectivity, with Wireless App Connect that can mirror your phone using Bluetooth.

R-Line and Elegance trims also get a 10.25-inch digital cockpit, heated front seats and 30-colour ambient lighting as standard. There’s an optional (and fantastic) Harman/Kardon sound system too, while Elegance brings a panoramic sunroof and R-Line cars get stainless steel pedals.

Owning

Running costs and reliability

VW is at pains to point out the work that has gone into improving the efficiency of its internal combustion engines in the Tiguan. Wonder why? Anyway, that means the petrols now have cylinder deactivation tech that can shut down two of the four cylinders, whilst the diesels get a new dual SCR catalytic converter and produce less nitrogen oxides as a result.

The claimed mpg figures seem to be easily attainable too. On an extended run that included a proportion of enthusiastic driving, the 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol that we drove managed 38.5mpg. That’s compared to a claimed WLTP figure of 37.2 – 38.2mpg with the 7spd DSG. Not bad.

The diesel engined Tiguans can improve on that, with the front-wheel drive 148bhp engine managing 47mpg on the WLTP cycle and the four-wheel drive version 42mpg. The 197bhp diesel with its standard four-wheel drive manages just over 41mpg. The base spec 128bhp Tiguan with its 6spd manual will supposedly do between 43.5 – 44.8mpg and also emits the least CO2 at 143g/km. That’s if we’re ignoring the e-Hybrid, of course.

There are obviously a huge amount of different combinations of spec and drivetrain, but for now ‘Life’ models will start at £26,915, Elegance at £32,430 and R-Line at £32,730.

VW reckons 50 per cent of UK sales will be in Life trim, though, so we’ll outline what you get as standard with that. Ready? There’s 18-inch wheels, rear tinted windows, a leather steering wheel, three-zone climate control, Adaptive Cruise Control, front and rear parking sensors, a Driver Alert System and a road sign display. Only R-Line cars come with VW’s new Travel Assist system that can control steering, braking and acceleration at speeds of up to 130mph.

All trim levels provide a practical package though, with plenty of space and – crucially – light in the rear. Plus, there’s a hefty 615-litre boot – something that might just provide the biggest argument for ICE over PHEV as the eHybrid only gets 476 litres of space back there.

Probably the Goldilocks of the range – just enough kit without an alarming price tag

As you’ll be well aware, the Tiguan is not without rivals these days. At the lower end of the range there’s the Peugeot 3008 and the Kia Sportage as well as the VW Group’s own Skoda Karoq and Seat Ateca. Then, as things get more expensive, smaller compact SUVs like the Mercedes GLA, the Volvo XC40, the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 come in to play.You’d struggle to find anything as rounded as the Tiguan, though. It’s certainly not the last word in fun, but it’s at least a lot of things to a lot of people. Need to tow a caravan and cross the occasional muddy field? There’s a higher-powered diesel with four-wheel drive with your name on it. Want an SUV but with a downsized petrol engine and a manual gearbox? The base spec car is for you.

Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed whether we’ll get a seven-seat AllSpace version of this facelifted Tiguan just yet, but with the R and the eHybrid set to join the range soon, you’d be hard pressed to find a drivetrain combination that doesn’t suit your needs.

Source topgear.com