Volkswagen has always had a multitude of vehicles for families, of different formats. With the rise of SUVs, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace hit the market in 2017, which had an update in 2022, which is just the protagonist of this week’s in-depth test.
It is the seven-seater version of the Volkswagen Tiguan and has been very successful since its launch, having sold some 1.5 million units. That, despite the fact that it is a car that has two rivals at home, Skoda Kodiaq and the Seat Tarraco. Very similar, but with differences between them.
Today we are going to compare the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace with those models and also with other 7-seater SUVs that have gone through our YouTube channel. Of course, we will also analyze in detail all the news that this new generation brings.
This model is available from 38,990 euros, a price that does not include discounts. You can find Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace offers in our new cars section, published by official brand dealers. We also have interesting tools to finance the car and pay more comfortably month by month.
Exterior
It is very easy to recognize the new Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace from its predecessor on its front, much changed but still serious. The lower radiator debuted design and the upper grille has the illuminated center strip. It leads to headlights that have a new LED light signature and headlights with Matrix IQ.Light technology, very similar to those of the Golf.
This is a unit with an R-Line finish, the sportiest, like the Sportline from Skoda or the FR from Seat. With him we have on the outside a combination of chrome elements and pieces in glossy black, with the bumper, which simulate air intakes.
Also wheels, up to 20 inches as the test unit (of 17 series). Beyond the R badges on the wings and the chrome trim on the bottom of the doors, a very German design, which seeks not to upset more than to impact visually.
The changes have made the Volksagen Tiguan Allspace grow, a large SUV that goes to the 4,728mm in length, 22 cm more than a standard Tiguan. It is quite tall, going to 1,839mm and standing 1,689mm tall.
Compared to the Group’s cousins, the Seat Tarraco is slightly longer and lower, while the Skoda Kodiaq is much wider.
MEASURES
VW Tiguan Allspace
skoda kodiaq
seat tarraco
Length
4,728mm
4,697mm
4,735mm
Width
1,839mm
1,882mm
1,839mm
Height
1,686mm
1,681mm
1,658mm
At the rear, the Tiguan Allspace premiered LED taillights and an updated bumper, as well as relocating the Tiguan name and 4Motion badging. We have the increasingly common false exhaust outlets.
Inside
Is the interior of the Tiguan Allspace better done than that of its Seat and Skoda relatives? Well, the truth is that there is a good performance, the materials are good and there may be more soft plastics, but the different Kodiaq and Tarraco that we have tested (also with high-end finishes) scratched at a good height. It may be better, but he wins by the minimum, not by a landslide.
Regarding the model that it replaced, it has new features. First, the configurable digital instrumentation, with multiple modes of displaying the information, and then the 9.2-inch infotainment system screen (8 as standard), which is compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Something worse in ergonomics. Like many others, the Tiguan Allspace also says goodbye to physical controls. For the air conditioning there are sliding touch panels to control it. They have a recess where you must move your fingers, but simpler, in our opinion, the physical controls of the Kodiaq.
We also have touch surfaces on the steering wheel, similar to what we saw in the Golf. They force you to guess well to move in the menus of the control panel or connect the cruise control. Those of the Kodiaq or the Tarraco are less dazzling, but more effective. Of course, good for the roulette of the lights and not the tactile surface of the Golf.
In the center console, a fairly open space, with USB-C connections in the front, with a hole to rest the mobile. A rotary knob for selecting off road and drive modes accompanies the gear selector. We also have a couple of drink rests and a chest between the seats, not too deep.
In the rear seats we find a wide space, as befits a car of its size. And very practical solutions, such as a bench that can be moved lengthwise by 18 centimeters and reclining seats. There are no side blinds, but the windows are tinted as standard so that the sun does not bother.
The width may be suitable for three, but the occupant of the central seat will have a somewhat more uncomfortable seat and a transmission tunnel that makes it a bit difficult to place your feet. At the end of the console there is no shortage of air conditioning outlets, we can also select temperature in addition to flow and a 12 V socket.
From the Tiguan family, this is the Allspace, with a longer wheelbase and has seven seats. Access is somewhat complicated for adults and the squares are occasionally used by children. If you are going to use them often, better bet on a Kia Sorento or a SsangYong Rexton, which are more spacious… since the cars are somewhat larger.
Trunk
With all the available capacity we barely have 230 liters trunk. It is a very similar surface to those of its rivals.
The most common configuration is with five seats. In that sense, we can have a maximum space of 700 liters, which is fine (with the center row of seats in its most forward position). It is a capacity identical to that of the Seat Tarraco but less than the Skoda Kodiaq, which goes to 735 liters.
Model
VW Tiguan Allspace
skoda kodiaq
seat tarraco
maximum trunk
with 5 places
700 liters
735 liters
700 liters
It is a practical trunk, where there is no lack of hangers or rings to fix the load. There is no lack of lighting on both sides (one of them a removable flashlight) and a 12 V socket. Under the floor there is a hole for the anti-puncture kit where we can store the trunk cover tray. By pulling some levers on the sides we can fold down the seatbacks of the central row. In this way you get a loading surface with 1,755 liter capacity.
Engine
In the mechanical section, the protagonists are turbocharged engines, two gasoline on 1.5 TSI 150 hp and the 2.0 TSI of 190 CV. In cars of this volume, many still opt for diesel. We have two options too, the 2.0 TDI 150 hp and this top of the range, the 2.0 TDI with 200 hp.
In this unit, it is associated with the 7- speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission, we have the 4Motion all-wheel drive system. With it under the hood you can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and an average cost of 6.7 liters per 100 kilometers.
Before I tell you how it goes, a thought. Does the Tiguan Allspace lack engines? The standard Tiguan has a 320 hp R version and a PHEV, but not this larger one. Its cousins have a more powerful variant, the Kodiaq RS and the Tarraco FR, both with 245 CV and the Seat also has a plug-in hybrid version in the range, the Tarraco e-Hybrid, also with 245 CV that we already tested in the channel, which can be interesting for many as it has about 50 km of electric autonomy.
Behaviour
The 150 hp engine may be enough to move calmly with a Tiguan Allspace. Of course, whoever can, choose the most powerful. It offers good performance and you will appreciate it when you travel loaded, as we had to do, on steep roads.
And all with a moderate expense. Except in the city, where it is true that consumption skyrockets, we do not have any type of hybridization, you can drop 7 l/100 km effortlessly and move in those 6.7 l/100 km at legal rates.
These consumptions will also rise when driving off-road. The 4MOTION all-wheel drive allows you to choose between several specific programs. In addition, you have at your disposal help to start on a hill, hill descent control, in addition to being able to control traction, suspension hardness and steering feel. The R-Line finish is the antithesis of off-roading, especially with those wheels, but the car is very capable.
Those 400 Nm of torque help when you venture down complicated roads, but this is a car more designed to be used in more everyday driving. And it makes it easy for you. It is an easy car to control, with safe reactions at the wheel.
Simple is not synonymous with boring. You can change the character of the car with the driving modes and, above all, with the adaptive suspension DCC. You can make it more comfortable, with a configuration that leaves the body more free or a more formal one that contains it better, without becoming dry. The tuning of all the configurations seemed very good to us for what is asked of it.
They are not extreme changes, but they are noticeable. If you want to get more involved in driving, you can also use the paddles behind the steering wheel to control the gearbox, which manages gear changes well and doesn’t always look for the longest ratio so you always have some torque.
Opinion cars.com
Volkswagen offers many options for those looking for 7 seats: from the Touran to the Multivan, passing through the Caddy. The Tiguan R-Line is not the best if you have to use them often, but it offers in return, especially the 4Motion versions, greater versatility. Without being an SUV, it defends itself very well on roads.
The interior is very well finished off, it drives great, with poise and without too much noise from that diesel engine that, moreover, uses little and offers good performance.
These qualities are also found in the Skoda Kodiaq and the Seat Tarraco, which can have this same engine. The Tiguan Allspace has a slightly better interior than them if we talk about quality and is somewhat better equipped if we choose these versions with a sporty image (with elements such as the sunroof or the folding passenger seat), but beware, you have to pay for it.
This unit, without extras, has a starting price of 58,500 euros. A Seat Tarraco is worth less and a Skoda Kodiaq, something even less. If you pay for it, you’re not going to get a bad car and you’ll have more standard features, but with engines and propulsion technology identical to those of its more economical cousins (especially the Skoda).