Volkswagen Tiguan Review & Prices

A pillar of the medium-sized SUV world, the Volkswagen Tiguan is a great example of a family-friendly all-rounder. It looks smart, it’s spacious inside and it comes with a wide range of engine options, but you certainly pay a premium for it - especially in higher trim levels.

Choosing the Tiguan is a bit like taking the kids to Pizza Express for dinner. It’s a little fancier than most family-oriented restaurants, and there are options that everyone will enjoy, but it’s not the cheapest choice around.

Especially not when compared to capable alternatives such as the Citroen C5 Aircross and Ford Kuga. It’s just as expensive as the posher Audi Q3 and BMW X1, too, and while those cars may be a bit smaller, they have far more badge pedigree.

But they’re not necessarily better-looking, because the Tiguan is a handsome, square-jawed SUV - though slightly generic at the same time. Opt for a funky colour such as green, red or blue and it’ll turn more heads outside the school gates, but a grey or black Tiguan will blend into traffic, if you prefer to drive under the radar.

The interior is similarly stylish-yet-restrained, especially in upper-rung models such as the R-Line, which gets Alcantara trim across the dashboard and door cards. A huge 12.9-inch standard-fit infotainment screen dominates the dashboard, while soft-touch plastics and a smart design at least go some way to justifying the Tiguan’s price.

There’s plenty of room inside, too, with highly adjustable seats making it easy to get comfortable - even for tall drivers. Back seat space is much the same, with loads of headroom and legroom; three adults can sit comfortably abreast. The rear seats even slide and recline, ideal for long-distance trips.

A 652-litre boot puts the Tiguan right at the top of its class for luggage capacity, while handy storage pockets at either side and below the main cargo area are handy for loose items.

What’s most remarkable about the big Volkswagen is its engine range, because you can have yours as a petrol, diesel or a plug-in hybrid with a whopping 75-mile electric range, or 72 miles with bigger wheels fitted. The PHEV is the best option around town, near-silent in electric mode and cheap to run - if you have easy access to a charger.

All Tiguans are comfortable on rough roads and over speed bumps (you’re better off on the smaller wheels), settling down into a nice, refined motorway cruise. Don’t expect any thrills on a twisty road, however, as the Tiguan is stable and composed - but far from fun.

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Pricing kicks off from just over £38,000, which is more expensive than many alternatives - it’s around £5,000 more than an entry-level Kia Sportage or Skoda Karoq, for example, and similar to posh options such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

However, the Tiguan is extremely well-equipped so its entry spec is more equivalent to a mid-spec model from other manufacturers, which narrows the gap somewhat. Though you can still get a Nissan Qashqai with all the trimmings for the Tiguan’s basic price. Entry-level Life models are only offered with a 130hp petrol engine, but step up to Match trim and you get a wider choice of engines and more equipment.

Elegance models get a classier front grille, while R-Line versions have a far sportier, more aggressive body kit and sporty seats. Both come loaded with standard features.

They’re pretty tempting, being just £4,000 more than the entry-level model, but the top-of-the-range Black Edition is harder to justify at almost £11,000 more than the Life version. Even with all of its kit, that’s a huge price difference. Ouch.

Quiet and comfortable, but not the most exciting car to point down a twisty road

In town

The Volkswagen Tiguan hits a sweet spot in its dimensions, because it’s big enough that you get a spacious interior but it’s not so big that it’s intimidating to drive around town. Visibility is pretty good and you sit high for a commanding view of the road ahead.

You also get light steering, so you can quickly pull off tight manoeuvres when required and almost forget you’re in a practical SUV. The suspension is well-judged too, so if you hit a big speed bump it doesn’t send a crash through the cabin and settles down quickly. There is a slightly firm edge though, so some sharper edges such as potholes are more noticeable. Going for a lower trim with smaller alloy wheels should help with that, though.

Entry-level models don’t get a huge amount of assistance kit, but usefully all Tiguans come with front and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera. Step up to the Life trim and you get a system that will park the car for you.

On the motorway

The comfort and refinement largely continues out on the motorway, where the Tiguan is quiet at higher speeds. The suspension continues to deal with bumps well on the whole here, but there is a bit of road noise to contend with – though again, our test car was a top-spec model with the 20-inch alloy wheels, so lower trims should be a bit quieter.

Overtaking can take a little forethought, because although the gearbox can shift gears quickly and smoothly in most driving situations, if you give the throttle a push for a quick squirt of power the car can take a moment to realise you need a lower gear.

Again, it’s the entry-level model that’s missing useful assistance kit, but all other versions come with adaptive cruise control that can maintain your speed as well as keep a safe distance to the car in front. Lane-keeping assistance is standard-fit, but top-spec models get Travel Assist, which can help you stay in your lane while cruise control is active.

On a twisty road

As is usual for cars that major on comfort and refinement in most driving situations, there is some sacrifice to be made when it comes to having fun on a twisty road. You do get decent grip from the tyres, but the steering is quite light and doesn’t give a lot of feedback to inform you of that fact, which knocks your confidence and means you have to hold back a bit.

You can switch the car to Sport and the throttle is more responsive and the gearbox is a bit more open to dropping gears when you accelerate. Once you get in the groove it manages to quickly switch up and down the gears and keep up with your needs much better than its standard setting. However, it all feels a bit synthetic and not hugely fun. Probably not a deal breaker for this sort of car, but a BMW X1 is more enjoyable in the twisties.

Spacious interior with a useful boot, but some features are a little awkward

The VW Tiguan is a pretty large car so it should come as no surprise that the front seats are expansive. There’s loads of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, so finding a comfortable driving position shouldn’t be a problem for drivers of all shapes and sizes. A full leather upgrade with heating and ventilation is optional on all trim levels, while the faux-sporty R-Line trim comes with supportive bucket seats as standard.

The centre console holds two wireless charging pads, for driver or front passenger, and they’re both big enough to accommodate even the largest of phones. The door bins are a good size, and they’re felt-lined so that items such as keys or coins won’t rattle around on the move. The glovebox is large, too.

Space in the back seats

There’s loads of space in the back seats, as befits a family SUV. Two six-footers can easily sit behind front passengers of a similar size, with plenty of room for their knees and lots of headroom, even if the optional panoramic glass roof is fitted. A third passenger will be pretty comfortable, as the rear bench is quite flat and the centre seat comparatively wide.

The rear seats slide and recline, and can even be heated. They split 60:40 but the centre seat can also be folded down separately to accommodate longer loads. Keep it upright, and rear passengers have access to a clever centre armrest with cupholders and a tray to hold a tablet in place.

Storage in the back is good - there are two pockets on the back of each seat, and large door bins that are also felt-lined just like those in the front. There are two USB-C ports for keeping phones or devices topped up, too.

There are ISOFIX mounting points in both outer rear seats, with covers that flip up rather than remove entirely so you can’t lose them. With wide-opening rear doors and plenty of space, plus a high-up seating position, it's easy-peasy to fit and remove child seats.

Boot space

With 652 litres of boot space, the new Tiguan has one of the largest boots of any family SUV. It’s far bigger than the Skoda Karoq (521 litres) Kia Sportage (591 litres) or even the massive Honda CR-V (617 litres) so it’s perfect if you need to load up for a big holiday or perhaps have young children and a bulky pushchair to accommodate.

It’s not just big, either - it’s practical. There’s no load lip between the boot opening and the floor, so you don’t have to hoick items into it - and the rear seats fold down completely flat leaving no obstructions to you sliding items right to the back. You can fold the seats down from the boot, too, while there’s a clever ridge that keeps the rear seatbelts in place even when the seats fold. Annoyingly, though, you have to pull an awkward tab to get the seats back upright, and pull the release lever from the boot to unlock them before walking around to push them back up.

There’s space underneath the floor for charging cables as well as other paraphernalia, though on premium models some of this room is taken up by the subwoofer for the uprated sound system. There’s also a three-pin socket and 12V power supply, both useful additions.

A much better infotainment system than the old Tiguan, but physical switchgear would make it easier to use

The Tiguan’s interior has undergone a transformation for the latest model and now looks a lot like VW’s latest electric cars. That means the dashboard is dominated by a touchscreen infotainment display measuring 12.9 inches on the diagonal as standard across the range, which controls all of the car’s major functions.

It’s a big step forward over the last Tiguan’s infotainment and the software is much more similar to that used on modern smartphones. You’ll be instantly familiar with things like having multiple homescreens, configurable shortcuts and widgets, as well as gestures such as pressing and holding on things to adjust them.

Climate controls have been relegated to a slim bar at the bottom of the display, which stays put - and underneath the screen you’ll find some touch-sensitive sliders that can control the volume or temperature. It’s better than some VWs, but it’s still not the easiest thing in the world to get used to. A Kia Sportage, with its straightforward software and panel of physical controls, is easier to navigate, and probably a bit safer to use on the move too.

At least you get proper buttons on the steering wheel, whereas the last Tiguan had awkward touch-sensitive controls here that didn’t work particularly well. If you prefer voice control, the Tiguan gets the latest evolution of Volkswagen's system, which works well when you call upon it, but can be activated too easily in normal conversation. ChatGPT integration is coming soon, but as much as it feels like a bit of a gimmick, could be useful when your kids throw a question like 'why is the sky blue?' your way...

Material quality is excellent throughout, certainly a cut above a lot of SUVs in this price range with soft-touch plastics and solid build quality. It’s not quite as lush as a premium competitor like a BMW X1, but it’s sufficiently upmarket and everything seems to be screwed together well. It’s only if you poke further that you’ll find the occasional hard plastic, like low down on the centre console or the rear door cards.

The Tiguan has four engine options - a turbocharged 1.5-litre mild hybrid, 2.0-litre petrol, a plug-in hybrid and a turbocharged diesel engine. Officially, the mild hybrid and diesel return up to 45.6mpg and 50.9mpg respectively - which isn’t bad for a car of this size but is certainly nothing special.

The 2.0-litre petrols are less efficient, at 36.8mpg and 33.8mpg, while the eHybrid offers a ludicrous claimed 175mpg - totally dependent on how much electric-only driving you can manage.

The PHEV option has an all-electric range of up to 75 miles, which is a very useful figure indeed. You should be able to comfortably cover your family’s weekly mileage on a single charge, reserving the petrol engine for longer trips or weekend getaways. A Kia Sportage or Ford Kuga PHEV will only cover around 40 miles on a charge, making the Tiguan eHybrid a very impressive SUV.

A PHEV costs £3,000 or £6,000 (depending on the power output) more than the regular 1.5-litre engine, though, and if you don’t regularly charge it up or do a lot of long-distance driving then the running costs aren’t likely to make up the difference.

It is, however, definitely going to be the pick of the range for company car drivers, with low emissions promising great Benefit-in-Kind tax ratings - while all non-hybrid models offer relatively high Vehicle Excise Duty - especially the four-wheel drive, 2.0-litre petrol models.

Pretty much every Tiguan will be subject to the luxury car supplement between years two-to-six, unless you go for a totally bare-bones Life model, in a free paint finish.

The Tiguan underwent testing by Euro NCAP in 2024, where it was given the full five stars. It scored well in all of the four main areas, with adult occupant safety getting 83%, while child occupant safety got an impressive 88%. The larger, but related Tayron scored similarly when that was tested in 2025.

Safety systems play heavily into safety ratings now, and the Tiguan is loaded with them. You can expect systems such as lane assist, adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking as standard.

Volkswagen came a poor 27th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, which is far from reassuring.

The standard Volkswagen warranty is a lacklustre three year, 60,000-mile affair, while competitors from Hyundai, Kia and Toyota offer five, seven and up to ten years of cover, respectively.