The facelift Volkswagen Tiguan another homerun?
With more than 6 million cars sold since the first Tiguan rolled off the line in 2007, the second generation is selling big again. The facelift Volkswagen Tiguan should keep sales high, but the playing field has never been this challenging. Can it keep up with modern times?
Last year the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan rolled out of the plastic surgeon's office and did so with anticipation running high. It visited the doctor so it could shine another four years, keep cash flowing whilst VW makes the leap to electric. I was given the keys to the 1.5 TSI version for a week to see just why this car is so popular. What did I do in that week? Acted as much as good Samaritan as I could. This car is meant for that, it has no other predictions. It is, like the VW Golf, a master in everyday travel.
Botox without needles
Wearing the R-Line package, the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan is easily distinguished from the pre-facelift model. The openings in the front bumper now reach further up and are curved more. Combined with the new headlights, the front looks more aggressive overall. No other body panels have been revised in the process of prolonging the Tiguan's success. More to the rear of the car and more tweaks do show: a new reflector is there, a new layout of the taillights shows too, and last but not least are the new exhaust ornaments. Move inside and the update translates into the integration of touch-based surfaces on the steering wheel and climate control. Volkswagen has also updated the infotainment screen.
Inside and out, Volkswagen managed to make the Tiguan look fresh again, despite the pre-facelift not looking aged yet.
New drivetrains have, and also will, find their way into the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan. A 300hp R version is hitting the road soon and alongside that sporty version, a PHEV is arriving this year. The latter will be equipped with the drivetrain of the Golf GTE.
Good old ICE works
As I mentioned earlier the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan I tested was equipped with the 1.5 TSI, what I didn't say is that it was paired to a 7 speed DSG. Those two go together like, well like a DSG and TSI. Smooth and perfectly suited for everyday driving, the engine offers enough power, and the DSG shifts when and where it should. Zero to a hundred is met in 9.2 seconds, enough to get along with traffic. Never did the 150 hp, and 250 Nm, engine feel low on power or did the DSG felt off in terms of timing. Engine noise is low inside the cabin, even on that frosty morning I took the car out for a drive. Overall consumption averaged out on a respectable 7.2l/100km, an acceptable number for a near 1500 kg crossover. The engineers equipped the engine with cylinder deactivation, which dropped fuel consumption by 0.2l/100km. You never notice it working, but it does the job.
Suspension, steering, and dampening haven't been revised in the facelift and there was no need to. They offer a comfortable ride and predictable chassis response at every speed and road type. Twisty roads do show it could use a bit less body roll and more feedback, but that's something you can get rid of with the optional sport chassis easily.
Space, plenty of it!
Six hundred liters of trunk space, plenty of headroom for a driver being 1.9 meters, all while leaving plenty of legroom for passengers. That sums up just what the Tiguan offers on the inside. But it does so with German quality, not the top-notch quality as that's for Audi, but more than sufficient. This spacious interior originates from the Tiguan rather large exterior dimensions. It measures 4.5 meters in length, 1,84 meters in width, and stands 1.68 meters tall. Need more space? The Tiguan All Space, which measure 20 centimeters more in length, gets an update next year.
Seating is great, albeit a bit too upright for people under 40, and the leather they're equipped with is premium grade. Most of the surfaces you touch are in fact of high grade. From the gear selector to the arms rests, everything is positioned correctly and ergonomically. Ergonomics is what Volkswagen excels in, and it shows throughout. Being equipped with the R-Line package means heated seats and other creature comforts made the Tiguan not only practical, but also comfortable. I only ended up missing te ‘Ergo’ seats the Golf VIII had, which offers a welcome lower back massage on longer drives.
And now time for the inevitable complaint about touched based surfaces! The steering wheel and climate control now have no physical buttons anymore, which takes time to get used to. At the end of the week, I still had to look down to find some of the buttons, as there are not enough psychical properties to distinguish them by. The haptic feedback did help, but the operation seemed far easier back when psychical buttons were present. Climate control was easier to control though, but that was always something I had to look down at anyway. I'm curious about what the steering wheels will turn into over the next years. Not one journalist I know is happy about the lack of buttons.
Prolonged success
Overall the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan is an excellent car. It offers near-premium quality transportation for those wanting a lot of space in a crossover shaped car that rides ever so comfortably. It does so while looking pretty fierce with the R-Line package. It has very little to no flaws throughout. A slight downside to this high-quality average-ness is the price tag, as the version, I tested costs nearly €50k in BE. That could get you an ID.4 nowadays, albeit less specced.
