Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace
Five-seat Tiguan gets an XL makeover with two extra seats and a bigger boot On sale Now Price from £26,200 (est)
Stretched, seven-seat version of VW’S SUV
SIZE MATTERS. AT least it does for family SUV buyers. So, although the five-seat Volkswagen Tiguan can already be filed under ‘resounding success’ (it’s currently VW’S third-best seller in the UK), the manufacturer is looking to exploit its popularity by adding this bigger variant. In total, 215mm has been added between the front and rear wheels of the standard Tiguan to help accommodate seven seats in this Tiguan Allspace. There’s also a slightly different front end design. Aside from that, it’s much the same as the fiveseater. With no mechanical differences, the Tiguan Allspace feels similar to the standard version on the road. We drove what is expected to be the biggest seller: the 2.0 TDI 150 with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. The engine is flexible, offering enough low-end pull to haul a fully laden car around town while still having the poke to take it up to motorway speeds without breaking a sweat – all the while remaining remarkably quiet. The suspension is on the firm side but not uncomfortable. The car is composed and unflustered through quick corners, with nicely weighted steering and reassuring grip. All told, it is considerably better to drive than the Nissan X-trail and has the edge over the Skoda Kodiaq for ride comfort.
Inside, the two third-row seats can be folded into the boot floor and are easily accessible when they’re up, once you slide the second row forward. As with so many seven-seaters, adults won’t be comfortable on longer journeys in the back row, but it’ll be fine for children.
The Tiguan Allspace’s boot is some way behind that of the Kodiaq and X-trail but, with the rearmost seats down, it is usefully bigger than the five-seat Tiguan’s, at 700 litres versus 615 litres. Aside from the extra seats, the interior remains the same, with the general fit and finish being right up there with the best in class.
It’s clear that the Tiguan Allspace is a high-quality, capable family car with genuine added flexibility over the standard version. Pricing and specs have yet to be finalised, but we’d expect the Allspace to cost more than its main rivals. If that’s the case, we’d still recommend that those in the market for a seven-seater should consider the Kodiaq first.
SAYS Has even greater family appeal than the regular Tiguan, but likely to be pricey next to rivals