Family friendly

The new VW Tiguan’s technology, safety features and eye-catching looks make it a great choice for families as reports

When you think of Volkswagen, you think of Golf. The legendary family hatch has been the German brand’s best performer in the UK for years, pursued by the slightly smaller Polo but in third place is the Tiguan, an unsung hero of Wolfsburg’s expansive range. It’s been upgraded visually and borrows in-car tech from Audi, making the Tiguan’s interior one of the most up-to-date in its sector.

Looks and image

The Tiguan’s chiselled, Germanic features set it apart from more fluid-looking rivals. It’s a handsome car and has much more road presence than the outgoing generation, which didn’t benefit from Volkswagen’s current design language. The inside of the car is largely well-built. Beige plastic dominates the front below knee-height, though the seats are fetching and the soft-touch plastic feels built to last. Volkswagen’s image has been undeniably dented by its emissions scandal, but that’s unlikely to put buyers off. The VW badge is still an upmarket, if conventional, choice.

Space and practicality

There’s more room in the Tiguan than before. Legroom has been improved, but avoid the flimsy tables, they fill the extra space with hard plastic that will bruise the knees of your rear passengers. The boot can theoretically hold more than 600 litres of luggage, depending on the exact position of the adjustable rear seats. Those rear seats can be adjusted or folded down with a tug of a small springloaded tab, a very user-friendly system. When the seats are folded down, the Tiguan boasts 1,655 litres of space for those occasional garden centre trips.

Behind the wheel

Volkswagen has lengthened the wheelbase of the Tiguan, making it slightly more comfortable on British roads. Noticeably light steering suggests that the Tiguan has been optimised for urban and suburban driving. But buyers of the 4x4 Tiguan will be pleasantly surprised at how adept their new car