International First Drive: Volkswagen Tiguan
It’s hard to imagine that the Tiguan is only in its third generation now, isn’t it? More specifically, the inbound Tiguan, set to launch locally in a few weeks, is only Gen-3. The thing is, Volkswagen has adopted a glacially slow pace in updating its medium-sized SUV since its introduction in 2007.
The result? Well, I wouldn’t categorically call the second generation dated but it's starting to show some wrinkles. Still, the overall aesthetic has aged well since 2016, thanks to quality-of-life feature updates and sub-models like the Allspace and R. Remember the R? That moment when Volkswagen accidentally injected its typically vanilla offering with more character and, to an extent, more capability than its Golf R.
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Nostalgia aside, and Tiguan generation three certainly looks good, albeit a bit soft compared to the outgoing Tiguan. While you can make up your own mind on the topic of aesthetic preferences, I’ll give you the highlights: The optional IQ.Light matrix LED headlights have 38,400 individual LEDs, and the rounded design allows for a drag coefficient of 0.28 compared to the previous edition’s 0.33. For some perspective's sake, that’s a drag coefficient on par with the wind resistance incurred by a modern-day hatchback or sedan. Keep in mind that this is still an SUV.
As with any SUV, practicality has always been at the Tiguan’s core what with muddy-boots-and-all families and it always had to have some measure of robustness to withstand Johnny’s incessant seat kicking. As such, it was tough, yes, but also bland. Apparently VW has taken this feedback to heart and gone to town in terms of an interior overhaul. As subjective tastes go, it may have even gone overboard. First and foremost, the digital instrument display stands out as an encyclopaedia of car functions and information. Though that’s standard fare these days, it’s still worth mentioning since VW helped democratise this tech in small SUVs with its generation two Tiger-Iguana (yes, that’s where the name comes from).
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Centre-stage of the dashboard is a slick 15-inch infotainment display that’s larger than life with its own haptic OLED touch operation module on the centre console for changing volume, drive modes, and other often-used features with a simple slide or rotate and click. It’s all straightforward to use once you get the general hang of it—as it should, since VW had years to perfect the often subtle art of user-friendly interfaces. While it works well and is slanted toward the driver for that cockpit immersion feel, it does seem a bit like a response to suggestion rather than a fully integrated system with plenty of screen real estate. For one, it’s really, really big—distractingly so, and also, due to its size, my right hand obscured a large section of the screen’s left side map section when driving the Tiguan in Germany. It should be a relatively easy fix on paper, but where to put the floating screenscape? More to the passenger side, and it’s going to be more off-balance than a Disco 5’s behind. Any smaller, and it loses its unique selling point to digitally engrossed millennials while also taking away some of the incentive to purchase the top-spec models. And yes, the screen is linked to how much you are willing to fork out for a Tiguan.
Another standout feature is the ambient lighting that changes colour based on your driving preference. Also, and this is as un-Tiguan-like as it gets, but it has decorative backlighting patterns inserts on the passenger side dash and door panels. Who said the new Tiguan would lack chic? It might have been an in-office conversation here when it was first unveiled... Oh, and I must mention IDA, the Tiguan’s on-board personal assistant powered by Cerence Chat Pro and enabled by ChatGPT. While not all functions were calibrated yet at the time of my test drive, IDA was well capable of handling some basic in-car functions as well as having articulate conversations about motorsport as well as the dynamic trade partnership between Germany and SA.
Bet you want to know more about the drive... The model I tested was the 2.0-litre turbodiesel (TDI) with 110kW which is making a reappearance in South Africa. While we initially suspected that the Tiguan will launch with the 1.5-litre TSI engines, VW has since announced that the local range will consist of both 2.0-litre TDI derivatives and the familiar 1.4 and 2.0-litre TSI derivatives (110 and 140kW) while there is a chance that later deployment could also consist of the eTSI mild-hybrid options that produce 96kW and 110kW.
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Set the new drive selector stalk-based toggle to Drive (it replaces the conventional drive selector), and the 2.0-litre TDI engine proves that it's still a solid performer, as it should, since it's always been a hallmark in diesel refinement. Now, it just rides atop a new platform, the MQB evo that underpins the Tiguan range. Part and parcel of these new evo underpinnings is the adaptive chassis system called DCC Pro (optional), which employs two-valve shock absorbers to fine-tweak the Tiguan’s dynamic and handling involvement on the go. Standard, though, is the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, which is also used in the brisk hatchbacks (GTI and R) and takes care of issues that would normally plague SUVs, such as corner precision and stability, by adjusting the shock absorber settings and, VW says, applying wheel-specific braking.
A good passive system is naturally measured by how unobtrusive it is while driving. So, by that standard, it works well. The Tiguan is stable during directional changes with virtually no stability issues, and the suspension even firms up when requesting Sport mode from the onboard brain. If I'm honest, it becomes a bit overly firm and doesn't really suit the character and refinement of the Tiguan, even in the torquey TDI configuration. What of high-speed refinement? I let the Tiguan loose on a derestricted section of the Autobahn, and at 160km/h it was all very calm, collected, and serene thanks to that considerate improvement in aerodynamics that filtered considerable amounts of wind noise out of the cabin environment.
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So, verdict? VW’s third-generation Tiguan is a radical departure from the previous model in all areas that buyers in this segment demand. VW’s designers clearly spent significant time in the sketch room since 2016 to get it right, and, well, the result speaks for itself. While its lines are significantly softer and more aligned with the ID range, the tech loadout should keep the new Tiguan relevant for at least a while still.
It’s perhaps playing it a bit safe under the bonnet, and a question mark remains about whether the 1.5-litre TSI will be up to the task of getting the relatively heavy Tiguan off the line. Still, it’s a solid choice—even if it won’t light your sensory fires around the twisties. And for a market that prioritises getting their muddied-booted brood safely from point A to B while prioritising connectivity and, to some extent, newfound chic, the Tiguan makes a solid case for itself. The final verdict, however, will hinge on the pricing and whether it’s as convincing.
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