New Volkswagen Tiguan: carwow gets hands on with new SUV

• New Volkswagen Tiguan revealed
• Overhauled design for family SUV
• All-new interior design and technology
• Updated engine lineup
• Plug-in hybrid gets 62 miles of range
• On sale in the spring next year

This is the new Volkswagen Tiguan, and this alternative to the Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V has an overhauled design, new interior technology and an updated engine range. 

While we’ve not been able to drive it yet, carwow has been given the chance to get up-close and personal with this new SUV, so stick around for our first impressions.

New Volkswagen Tiguan design

The current Volkswagen Tiguan has been around for a while now, and the design was starting to look a touch dated. Well this new one has been given an all-new look to modernise things.

There are some sleek headlights up front which are blended into a black trim panel across the bonnet, and they’re LED as standard with a full-width light bar. R-Line models also get a deeper front bumper with an aggressive-looking black grille.

This new Tiguan has a similar side profile to the current car, albeit with a slightly more rounded shape. Alloy wheels start at 17 inches on the entry-level car, going up to optional 20-inch wheels on top-spec models.

The rear end is where things have changed the most over the outgoing car. You now get a large rear spoiler as standard, as well as a funky-looking full-width light bar across the tailgate. Go for the R-Line model and you get a sporty-looking rear bumper.

New Volkswagen Tiguan interior and infotainment

The cabin of the outgoing Tiguan was a pleasant enough place to spend time, it was just starting to look a bit dated. This new one has a much more interesting interior, while still retaining Volkswagen’s reputation for solid build quality.

Standing proud in the middle of the dashboard is an all-new 12.9-inch touchscreen, or a larger 15.0-inch display is available as an option. That’s a big step up from the current car, which gets up to a 9.0-inch screen.

The new Tiguan also gets a new user interface from Volkswagen, and it’s much easier to use than the one you get in the ID4. The screen is bright and responsive, but you do still have to control all of the climate control functions though it.

To make that easier, the climate menu is always at the bottom of the screen for better access on the move, and the touch sliders are now backlit so you can see them at night. You may also be pleased to hear that the touch sensitive buttons on the steering wheel are no more, with the brand making the switch back to physical buttons.

The centre console is now home to a new smart dial which can be used to control multiple functions. You can adjust the stereo volume, change the driving modes and alter the interior ambient lighting using this knob.

Talking of ambient lighting, there’s a cool-looking pattern on the passenger side of the dashboard which changes colour at the turn of that aforementioned dial, a feature which livens things up inside the Tiguan.

As you’d expect in a Volkswagen, build quality is pretty good throughout. There are plenty of soft-touch materials to help keep things feeling plush, and everything feels well screwed together. It feels more premium inside than something like a Citroen C5 Aircross, however the Peugeot 3008 has more flair inside.

New Volkswagen Tiguan space and practicality

The new Volkswagen Tiguan is 30mm longer than the outgoing car, so the already decent interior space has been further enhanced.

There’s plenty of adjustment in the front seats, so finding your ideal driving position won’t be a problem whether you’re big or small. You also have a good amount of storage for your bits and bobs, with a pretty big glovebox and good-sized door bins. These are also lined with felt, so you don’t get any annoying rattles on the move.

You’ll find yet more storage under the armrest, and there’s a clever tray in the centre console with dual wireless charging pads, as well as two USB-C ports. There are two more USB-Cs in the rear, so there won’t be any squabbling over charging points.

It’s when you step into the back seats that you start to see the benefit of that extra 30mm, because there’s more space in the rear than before. There’s loads of knee room, even for taller passengers, and headroom is decent as well even with the panoramic glass roof.

There are also decent-sized door bins in the rear of the new Tiguan, along with easy-access ISOFIX anchor points. Fitting a child seat should be fairly simple, thanks to the wide door opening.

Another cool feature in the rear is the cup holder situation. It may not sound that interesting, but you now get a pull-out tray which features two cup holders, as well as a holder for a tablet which you can angle towards either rear passenger. It’s a neat solution, however it could lead to kids arguing over who gets to use it.

You also get more boot space in this new Tiguan, with 652-litres on offer. That’s 37-litres more than the outgoing car, and it’s 30-litres more than you’ll find in the Hyundai Tucson. You can also slide the rear seats forward if you need even more space, and they fold completely flat with no ridge in the floor.

There’s no load lip to lift heavy items over, and there’s enough storage under the false floor to keep the charging cables if you go for the plug-in hybrid. If you have the premium sound system, there is a subwoofer under the floor which eats into space, and it prevents you from being able to lower the false floor as well.

Another handy feature in this new Tiguan is the addition of a three-pin in the boot, so you can power things like vacuum cleaners and cool boxes, and you have plenty of tie-down points as well.

New Volkswagen Tiguan engines

There’s a wide range of new engines available for the new Volkswagen Tiguan, with a choice of mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, petrol and diesel units. There won’t be an all-electric Tiguan, as that would step on the toes of the Volkswagen ID4.

The range kicks off with a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine with either 130hp or 150hp. Those looking for a more punchy petrol engine will be kept happy with a couple of 2.0-litre turbos, one with 204hp and one with 265hp. Both of these cars have all-wheel-drive.

If you do a lot of motorway mile munching, diesel may still be the right option for you. Well VW has you covered with a couple of oil burners. Both are 2.0-litre engines, one with 150hp and front wheel drive and the other getting 193hp and all-wheel-drive.

There might not be an all-electric Tiguan, but those wanting a taste of EV life without the range anxiety may want to look at the plug-in hybrid models. There are two to choose from, both using the 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor.

Check out Mat’s in-depth review of the outgoing Volkswagen Tiguan…

You can choose between a 204hp version or there’s one with 272hp. Both of these cars can manage up to 62 miles of range on electric power alone, so you can waft around town in silence.

When can I buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan?

The new Volkswagen Tiguan will go on sale in Germany in February next year, so expect it to hit our shores in early spring.

In Germany, the new Tiguan will cost 36,660 euros. That’s around £31,400, which is almost the same as the current car’s starting price. An official UK price is yet to be announced though, so it could fetch more than this when it goes on sale here.

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