Long-term test: Volkswagen Tiguan

One of the things about the Volkswagen Tiguan that I have been most looking forward to testing is its real-world fuel economy. I wanted to see where the benefits of the mild-hybrid tech would be most obvious in everyday use.

Unfortunately, for someone who lives in south-west London, I soon realised that heavy stop-start traffic did the car no favours. The Tiguan basically doesn’t do any urban trips – even in part – in economy-boosting EV mode. At one point in a particularly painful recent journey, the car’s trip computer was showing just 19mpg. Although, to be fair, I generally expect about 30mpg around town.

Instead, the benefits of the MHEV tech are most obvious on longer, higher-speed trips, where I can take advantage of the cylinder cut-off tech and coasting features when there’s no load on the engine. On a journey back from a sports tournament in Wiltshire using the A4, M4 and M3, for example, the VW returned more than 50mpg without any effort on my part. Much more impressive.

Volkswagen Tiguan long-term test: first report 

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We’re joining the crowd and testing this mild-hybrid SUV for the next six months

• Mileage: 589 miles
• Efficiency: 37.9mpg

I’ve never been one to follow fashion, but even by my standards, taking delivery of a brand-new car without a plug in 2026 seems deliberately perverse. As you can see from our recent 16-car PHEV megatest, plug-in hybrids are rocketing in popularity, while electric car sales are at record levels.

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To further befuddle my ageing brain, my last fleet car was a pure-electric Volvo EX30, so when this Volkswagen Tiguan arrived I was a little bemused at the prospect of reacquainting myself with filling stations rather than topping up on my driveway.

Used - available now

2023 Volkswagen

Tiguan

55,810 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £18,709

View Tiguan

2024 Volkswagen

Tiguan

13,774 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £25,302

View Tiguan

2024 Volkswagen

Tiguan

12,812 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £27,005

View Tiguan

2024 Volkswagen

Tiguan

20,713 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L

Cash £24,773

View Tiguan

The Tiguan will be my family’s transport for the next six months. But although what is in effect a pure-petrol car feels very old-school in 2026, there is plenty of tech on board.

Not only is my car a mild hybrid, it also has Active Cylinder Technology Management, which shuts down two of the engine’s four cylinders when there’s low load on the engine, boosting fuel economy. To be honest, though, I only know that because it said so on the spec sheet that came with the car – the system is utterly imperceptible in everyday driving.

I was also a little surprised to find that this is the most popular powertrain in the Tiguan range, with almost three in four private buyers choosing it. I thought more people might be tempted by a plug-in hybrid, but presumably the £3,000 extra it costs is a step too far. It’s a different story with company car users, though. They prefer the PHEV because of its lower, more tax-friendly CO2 emissions.

Where I also follow the crowd of private Tiguan buyers is by going for Match trim – but it’s not hard to see why it’s so popular, given that it includes everything I consider a must-have: dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, all-round cameras to help with parking and Apple CarPlay. Given that this will be our family’s main transport, its five-star Euro NCAP rating is a major draw, too.

The Cipressino Green metallic paint is part of the standard package, too – and growing on me – plus there are numerous features that give this Volkswagen a premium image. Having illuminated front and rear badges, plus the VW logo projected onto the ground from the door mirrors, for example, elevates the Tiguan above so many carbon-copy mainstream rivals.

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That impression continues inside, with ambient lighting, comfortable seats and a couple of very-high-definition screens. I’ve always been a fan of the VW Group’s digital driver’s display, so I’m delighted to have it here. Overall, in fact, ‘delighted’ is a pretty good summary of life so far with the Tiguan. My family has immediately warmed to the space and practicality on offer – much more than was available in the Volvo, despite the cars being almost identically priced – and the VW has easily settled into life in suburban south-west London.

Thus far, the car has only taken me beyond the M25 once, so since it was delivered, the suburbs are pretty much all it has seen. But nothing has fazed it, and it’s taken the ‘Dad’s Taxi’ mix of football matches, rehearsals, shows and shopping trips in its stride.

Admittedly I’ve noticed the VW’s larger dimensions over the Volvo, but it’s only really an issue when parking – and the around-view cameras make it wonderfully easy to squeeze the Tiguan into parking spaces without the fear of clobbering something. I’ve also appreciated that I can turn the speed-warning system off with just two touches on the infotainment screen.

There are a few shortcomings, though, and perhaps chief among those is the over-eager emergency brakes. The anchors have already been slammed on a few times for no apparent reason while I’ve been reversing on to my drive – which is very alarming.

I’m also missing the immediate torque of an EV, something that is only exaggerated by the occasionally slow responses of the automatic gearbox and petrol engine at low revs. The low-speed ride is rather lumpy, too, and I wish the economy was better – I hope that these rough edges will be smoothed off as the car gets more miles under its wheels.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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