Volkswagen Tiguan review

Quick verdict

The Volkswagen Tiguan will fit the bill for those looking for a practical, nicely finished, efficient, and refined mid-sized SUV. Anyone looking for low company car tax costs should also consider the excellent plug-in eHybrid model.

The Tiguan isn’t as nice to drive as the Ford Kuga, nor does it ride as well or offer the same value for money as a Hyundai Tucson, but it has won many fans over the years for being an accomplished, family-friendly vehicle, and there’s little here that’ll put off those sorts of buyers from choosing another Tiguan.

Volkswagen Tiguan: price, specs and rivals

Now in its third generation, the Volkswagen Tiguan is a big deal for the German brand. It’s the manufacturer’s best-selling SUV and has chalked up some 7.5million sales since its introduction in 2007, following the continued success of the SUV trend.

The fact that the latest Tiguan looks a lot like its predecessor is unsurprising since you don’t want to mess with a winning formula. VW CEO Thomas Schafer announced at the 2023 Munich Motor Show that the Tiguan would endure long into the electric car age, along with Golf and GTI nameplates.

What won’t endure is the VW Tiguan Allspace seven-seater. The SEAT Tarraco rival is replaced by a standalone model called the Volkswagen Tayron, leaving the Tiguan as a five-seater. That’s just as well, considering many of its immediate rivals, from the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashaqi, Renault Austral, and Vauxhall Grandland are all strictly five-seaters.

Under the skin is the same heavily revised MQB evo platform as the latest Volkswagen Passat, which enables the inclusion of a rapid-charge facility for the plug-in hybrid model, similar to the current Range Rover Evoque. That’s no doubt a good thing, especially when the battery capacity of the eHybrid model has been increased from a useable capacity of 10.4kWh to 19.7kWh, which means the electric-only range is now up to 77 miles for the 201bhp eHybrid, or 72 miles for the more powerful 268bhp eHybrid.

If you’re not a company car driver and are looking for a more affordable Tiguan, then there’s a lineup of two petrol engines and a diesel. The range starts with a 128bhp 1.5-litre eTSI, followed by a 148bhp version with more get up and go. If you’re looking to tow, the 2,000kg braked trailer capacity of the 148bhp 2.0 TDI and 272 eHybrid should fit the bill, or the up to 2,200kg capacity of the 261bhp 2.0 TSI petrol for those pulling a seriously big caravan. The latter comes as standard with four-wheel drive for better traction on wet grass.  

You’ll not be wanting for choice when it comes to trim levels, with five on offer. The entry-level is simply called Tiguan, and starts at a little over £34,000. For that, it comes exclusively with the 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol and gets you 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, plus a reversing camera, blind spot monitoring, and lane keep assistance, Next up is Life for just under £36,000, providing 18-inch alloys, power lumbar support, adaptive cruise control and three-zone climate control.

Well-specified Match trim is next at a touch over £36,000, and adds an electric tailgate, privacy glass, and keyless entry and start. That’s followed by Elegance trim at just under £39,500, which includes 19-inch alloys, a 30-colour ambient interior lighting system, heated front seats with a massage function, and a 360-degree camera system. The priciest R Line costs a little over £39,500, and has sportier exterior and interior styling, 20-inch alloys, and sports front seats. This trim is the only way of being able to get the most potent 2.0 TSI petrol.

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The latest Volkswagen Tiguan is an easy to drive and refined mid-size SUV. The 148bhp 1.5 eTSI is our preferred version because its 9.1 second 0-62mph provides enough performance to suit most needs without sacrificing economy. The optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive suspension (standard on the 261bhp 2.0 TSI petrol) doesn’t offer the smoothest of rides at speed compared with more accomplished rivals. Read more about the Volkswagen Tiguan's engines, performance and drive…

There shouldn’t be any complaints about the fuel economy of 45.6mpg from the 1.5 eTSI, or 52.3mpg the 2.0 TDI, while the long electric range of over 70 miles of the plug-in eHybrid should please company car drivers. Unfortunately, like most plug-ins, the Tiguan will incur a surcharge on top of the yearly road tax. Other running costs should be reasonable, such as the competitive insurance rankings and solid residual values. Read more about the Volkswagen Tiguan's MPG, emissions and running costs…

The latest Tiguan may have lost the easy-to-use physical controls of its forbear, but at least the latest Volkswagen infotainment system has been made more responsive and with clearer graphics than before that it’ll hopefully not cause too many issues for owners. There’s stacks of high-tech features available, although many are part of very expensive option packs. Read more about the Volkswagen Tiguan's interior, design and technology…

Despite the passing of the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace, the latest five-seat Tiguan should still live up to all the practicality needs of a family. The 652-litre boot (490 litres for the eHybrid) is competitive with a number of its key rivals, while the back seat is easily big enough to fit bulky child seats or taller adults. Towing capacity is up there with the best, but there are some versions of Ford Kuga that do even better. Read more about the Volkswagen Tiguan's boot space, comfort and practicality…

A solid five-star safety rating and plenty of standard safety assistance features should provide peace of mind for parents. We can’t comment on what the ownership experience will be like for the latest Tiguan, but the VW brand really needs to do better in order to improve its Driver Power score, and the standard manufacturer's warranty is pretty average compared with rivals. Read more about the Volkswagen Tiguan’s reliability and safety…

Should you buy a Volkswagen Tiguan?

The latest Volkswagen Tiguan is great for families; it’s even more practical inside, with a bigger boot for your clobber, and slightly more room in the back for adults and bulky child car seats. The Tiguan is quieter, too, making longer trips during the summer holidays more bearable, while the infotainment shouldn’t raise too many concerns compared with what went before.

However, we’d still recommend the Hyundai Tucson because it is significantly cheaper than the Tiguan yet offers just as plush an interior and enough space inside. You can have a full hybrid version instead of the expensive plug-in used in the Tiguan, too. The latter will appeal to company car drivers, though, especially given its huge electric range and low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax implications.