Test: Volkswagen Tiguan – AutoWeek

Wait a minute, the Volkswagen Tiguan in this test is brand new, right?

Well, it's a completely new generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan, the third generation now. However, under the skin there are a few bits borrowed from the previous generation Tiguan. The MQB platform, for example, which is now called MQB Evo, but it's not new from the first screw. You can see this, for example, in the dimensions. Height, width and wheelbase are not much different from the previous Tiguan. It is three centimeters longer and provides an additional 37 liters of luggage space for a total of 652. That's a lot and the Tiguan is also very spacious in the back seat.

The interior looks great and works well.

Is the Tiguan's interior the same too?

No, the new Tiguan looks really new in this regard. Beautiful materials and finishes and an optional 15-inch multimedia system, which we know, for example, from the ID7. It looks sleek, responds quickly, and you can adjust a lot yourself. This is nice, because it means you can quickly access the functions you want to operate quickly while driving.

Speaking of driving, has the Tiguan changed in this regard?

Not basically. The Tiguan still drives like a Volkswagen: not exciting, but good. There are new adaptive dampers optional under the name Dynamic Chassis Control Pro. Thanks to the two valves, they can regulate the inward and outward movement of the damper separately, providing a more comfortable driving experience, while at the same time providing more stability. Moreover, it is a high wave. OT Rock is great.

Thanks in part to the “closed” nose, the Cd value dropped from 0.33 to 0.28.

What engines are in the Tiguan?

In our country, you can choose between two engines, the 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid or the 1.5 eHybrid plug-in hybrid. Both are available in two versions. The eTSI 1.5 is always linked to a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission, but can produce 130 PS and 200 Nm, or 150 PS and 250 Nm. The last version existed and is actually the bottom line for the Tiguan. However, we can also drive the 204bhp hybrid and this seems to be the better version. The 115 hp electric motor does its job safely and quietly, and thanks to a new 19.7 kWh battery, you can travel about 100 kilometers. If the 150bhp TSI has to intervene, it's almost unnoticeable, and so it has to work much less hard than the mild-hybrid version. There is also a version in which the 1.5 TSI engine produces 177 hp, increasing the maximum figures from 204 hp and 350 Nm to 272 hp and 400 Nm. Since the electric motor is no different, the added value of this version is probably not that great.

Physical buttons on the steering wheel are back, which is good news for ergonomics.