TIG THINKS BIG (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_volkswagentiguan_2021

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 103

Cool, calm and connected, the second generation version of Volkswagen's Tiguan sold big for its brand and this updated version, launched in 2020, saw that AD/BW-era design through to the end of its life in 2023. As part of this enhancement, there were smarter looks and an improved media package, along with extra technology and efficiency. Plus the range was widened to include PHEV power and a Tiguan R performance flagship model. There was a classier cabin too and as a result, this car felt just that bit more complete than it ever had before. Does that make it a good used buy?

Modelsword count: 11

5dr SUV (1.4 TSI PHEV, 1.5 TSI, 2.0 TSI, 2.0 TDI)

Historyword count: 320

This, for the time being anyway, is Volkswagen's most important car. True, in the UK, the Tiguan is outsold by the Polo and the Golf, but worldwide, it's not only the most successful model for Volkswagen but also for the entire Volkswagen Group of brands. Which of course also makes it the world's best selling SUV. Quite simply, people really like it and in testing this updated version of the second generation model, we're going to find out why. This really is a global car, made not only in Germany (which serves European markets) but also in China, Russia and Mexico and since this model line's original launch back in 2007, over 6 million Tiguans have been sold. This second generation Volkswagen Tiguan design was launched in 2016 to cash in on an explosion of interest in family SUVs that by 2020 saw this genre account for over a third of all new car sales. Every volume brand of course sought to tap into this but the Tiguan continued to appeal primarily for one simple reason; it provided the look and feel of a premium brand model for not much more than the cost of one from a volume maker: we can all relate to that. By the end of this century's second decade, rivals of course were busy trying to replicate this clever formula, hence the need in mid-2020 for this updated take on the MK2 model. As expected, it was smarter, more efficient and better connected and there were new drive, assist and entertainment systems. There was also a new diesel engine, an e-Hybrid plug-in petrol option and a really potent Tiguan R high performance flagship variant. You could have clever matrix headlamp and 'Travel Assist' autonomous driving tech - and there was a fresh MIB3 infotainment platform too. It was all enough to sustain the Tiguan model line until an all-new MK3 version arrived in late 2023.

What You Getword count: 526

Volkswagen's Head of Design Klaus Zyciora describes the look of this updated second generation Tiguan model as 'confident', which is probably a good way to describe what's on offer here. As before, there's a choice of the standard five-seat body shape or the 7-seat Allspace version: it's the five-seat model that's our focus here. It's certainly an intricately fashioned thing, cut like a diamond with super-sharp slashes and creases. And in this updated form, it made a little more of a school run statement than it did before. Mainly at the front, where a wider redesigned grille with an extra lower chrome strip aimed to forge a visual link between the Tiguan and pricier Volkswagen SUVs such as the larger Touareg and the huge Atlas Cross Sport model sold in North America. The side profile was much as before, emphasised by rather unusual double character lines. It's from this angle that you notice that this MK2 model is larger than it looks - more of a rival to upper mid-sized SUVs like Ford's Kuga than to smaller mid-sized models like Nissan's Qashqai. At the back, changes to this updated model were very much of the detail kind. The 'Tiguan' lettering for instance, moved to a more conspicuous central position below the VW badge. More important though of course, is the stuff you can't see, specifically the stiff, sophisticated Golf-style MQB platform underpinnings that lie beneath the precise, carefully contoured lines. Inside, it's certainly difficult to fault, with a premium-style feel that you just don't get from cheaper mid-sized Qashqai or Ateca-style mid-sized models in this segment. You sit quite commandingly and as before, the build quality and general ergonomics are difficult to fault. Changes made to this updated model included the introduction of illuminated touch sliders for fan and temperature control. And there were big improvements in media connectivity too, thanks to the incorporation of Volkswagen's MIB3 technology for the central screen, normally 8-inches in size, but upgraded by some original buyers to 9.2-inches. Either way, you get an Online Connectivity Unit with an integrated eSIM that allows access into a wider generation of in-car connectivity through Volkswagen's 'We Connect' media set-up. The three-spoke wheel was new too. And through it, from mid-range trim upwards, you view a customisable 'Digital Cockpit Pro' 10.25-inch screen which replaced the conventional dials. The back seat is still one of the more spacious ones you'll find in the mid-sized segment, but the main reason we like it is that Volkswagen integrated a sliding feature so that you can prioritise either legroom or boot space behind. Out back, the hatch rises to reveal a spacious 520-litre boot, which with the seat pushed right back is 520-litres in size. Push that rear bench forward and you'll improve this figure to 620-litres, a figure that few other rivals in this segment can match. With the rear seat totally flat, up to 1,655-litres of space can be freed up with conventionally-engined models. And, providing you avoid entry-level trim, you get a feature now rare in this class, a fold-forward front passenger seat, so that really long items like surfboards and ladders can be transported.

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