VW Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI does the job in style
THE vehicle options when you have a look at Volkswagen South Africa’s website are almost endless, ranging from an entry-level Polo through to the luxury Caravelle and Touareg with a couple of bakkies and performance cars thrown in for good measure.
There’s virtually something to suit everyone’s taste, including the SUV space where the company has every base covered with the T-Cross, T-Roc, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg.
The Tiguan remains a popular choice having overtaken the Golf as the company’s most popular vehicle worldwide.
With the world discarding their fondness for sedans and hatchbacks quicker than Eskom changes blackout stages, it’s not difficult to see why it’s such a popular option, providing a sophisticated, practical and attractive everyday vehicle, especially for families.
It helps that quality has always been a hallmark of VW as well as a country-wide dealer network to give owners peace of mind.
Which brings us to the seven-seater Allspace 1.4 TSI R-Line variant on test here.
It really does impress as an overall package that’s well put together, handles impressively, and provides all the tech you would ever need.
Think of it as a long wheelbase that is 220mm longer than the standard version, allowing for more interior space, including the two extra rear seats.
They are fine for smaller people, but for us taller folk I wouldn’t recommend a long journey.
Despite being longer the clever people at VW have managed to keep the design eye-catching and you have to be a real aficionado to pick up the subtle differences at first glance.
Standard on the R-Line model we drove are 19-inch “Valencia” alloys, giving it a beefy look and stance.
Under the hood sits the company’s familiar 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine producing 110kW and 250Nm driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
The Allspace interior and cockpit is very much a premium affair with soft-touch surfaces, leather, aluminum inserts and white stitching to offset the black seats.
As with all premium VW products the cockpit is completely digital, allowing you to set your views according to your liking.
For now, the Tiguan still has touch sliders for volume (on the steering wheel) and climate control, which VW intends to ditch going forward. At least you don’t have to go into the touchscreen to fiddle with the air conditioning settings but the sliders are less than ideal, especially while driving.
I keep meaning to, but inevitably forget, to buy a USB port adaptor considering that a number of new cars come fitted with only USB-C ports. That’s the case with the Tiguan, and I often wonder why there isn’t one of each or a third port. I mean, how much in the greater scheme of things in a car’s production life can it cost?
It’s a minor irritation, though, considering the driving experience once you slide in behind the wheel.
It feels solidly planted and although the 1.4-litre engine isn’t going to light up the wheels it suits the Tiguan’s set-up well.
Fully loaded with four adults and overnight bags it takes a while to get going, not irritatingly so, though, and once up to speed it cruises along effortlessly with enough spare power on tap when passing without cause for concern.
Over some twisty roads it behaved well without any unwelcome surprises or excessive SUV body roll, with the suspension, chassis and tyres working in harmony to provide a decent driving experience.
Steering inputs are on the light side but more than adequate for a car of this nature.
After a week of combined driving weighted more to highway cruising, we averaged 7.6l/100km which isn’t bad but doing the daily home, work, home, school run would probably see it closer to the 9 to 10l/100km.
The VW Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI R-Line is a welcome addition to the range and it’s easy to see why it’s a popular choice for an everyday car that does the job in style and comfort.
It comes with a three-year/120 000km warranty, five-year/90 000km service plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.