Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Review

Caroline drives the new Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

Volkswagen’s SUV range has never looked so good. While the Volkswagen Tiguan continues to sell well here in Ireland, it’s been joined in 2018 by a brand new Volkswagen T-ROC compact crossover, and the new Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. Crowning Volkswagen’s SUV range is of course the new Volkswagen Touareg that arrived in Ireland over the summer.

More seats and space for the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

Available with five seats (from €34,050) or seven (add €770), the new Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is larger than the Volkswagen Tiguan with the all-important option of seven seats. The Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace were developed at the same time so there are many similarities between these two vehicles. But visually the Tiguan Allspace has a bit more presence. The bonnet has been raised up at the front and the rear doors of the Tiguan Allspace are longer to adapt the proportions to the longer overall length of the vehicle.

Inside, there’s a simple dashboard design and the quality of the materials used throughout is indisputable. Touchscreen infotainment systems are available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, while top of the range models get a very impressive digital driver information display.

There are three trim levels – Trendline, Comfortline and Highline – with standard equipment including 17″ alloys, air conditioning, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking and lane assist. Mid-range Comfortline models (from €38,895) add some more styling features, adaptive cruise control, front fog lights, tri zone climate control, 8″ touchscreen with App Connect and voice control, and parking sensors. Highline models (from €42,050) feature 18″ alloys, velour seat trim, LED headlights, heated front seats and a rear view parking camera, among other equipment.

How big is the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace inside?

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has a large and flexible interior with optional ‘5+2’ seating. There is plenty of headroom all round and the rear footwells are large. The second row seats split fold 60/40 and can be moved forward and back to give more wriggle room to those in row 3. In seven seat mode, Volkswagen has managed to eke out 230 litres of boot space, while in five seat mode there is about 700 litres of space! When not in use the two extra seats in seven seat models fold neatly into the boot floor.

Volkswagen is offering the Tiguan Allspace with a 1.4-litre TSI 150hp petrol engine (Trendline only) and with a 2.0-litre diesel with 150hp, 190hp or 240hp. The diesel range starts from €36,350. Manual and automatic gearboxes are available, as is ‘4MOTION’ all wheel drive. My test car was a seven seat Highline model with a 2.0-litre TDI 150bhp diesel, DSG automatic gearbox and 4MOTION all wheel drive retailing from €46,895.

Does it drive well?

On the road, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is everything you could want from a large family car – agile and easy to manouvre despite the large dimensions, comfortable and refined. It’s not sporty, but controlled and predictable in corners. The 2.0TDI with 150hp offers adequate performance and over a week of driving I averaged 6.5l/100km. Motor tax on this all wheel drive, automatic model is set at €390 per year.

With the Volkswagen Tiguan already proving to be a hit in Ireland, buyers looking for more space or seats to accommodate a growing family can be pointed in the direction of the Tiguan Allspace. Rather than feeling like an afterthought, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has been designed with care so it’s stylish, premium and huge! There’s competition within the Volkswagen Group’s own stable with the equally likable Skoda Kodiaq large SUV, but the Tiguan Allspace’s quality, style and finish will keep it highly desirable among aspirational families.

Model tested: Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Highline 2.0 TDI 150hp 4Motion DSG (7 seats)
Price: €47,665 (Range starts at €34,050)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo diesel
Power: 150hp
Torque: 340Nm
0-100km/h:  9.9 seconds
Top speed: 198km/h
Economy: 5.9l/100km
CO2 emissions:  153g/km
Motor tax: €390 per year

Caroline Kidd