2022 Volkswagen Tiguan review: 147TDI Elegance

As Volkswagen’s best-selling model in Australia, the Tiguan could well be on its way to taking its Golf sibling’s ‘people’s car’ crown – offering the brand’s famous practicality but combined with an increasingly premium experience and that ever-popular height elevation.

2021 saw a major update for the medium-sized SUV, bringing new design elements inside and out, upgrades to VW’s Digital Cockpit Pro, new haptic feedback touch controls and improved safety features courtesy of the carmaker’s IQ.Drive system. The facelift also brought with it a new diesel powertrain.

For 2022 there’s a $1000 price increase across the range.

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We’ll tell you what we love about this car, and not so much, in a moment – but before you fall too hard for it, we should make you aware that Volkswagen has flagged stock shortages with the Tiguan (and others), which may mean a long wait to gets those keys into your hands.

A seven-seat stretched version, the Tiguan Allspace, which is not included in this review, is not impacted by the delays.

The version tested here is the 2022 Tiguan 147TDI Elegance – sporting Kings Red premium paint, the Sound and Vision Package and a panoramic sunroof.

Pricing

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In total there are three trims; the Life, Elegance and range-topping R-Line, each offering two engine options. All-wheel drive and a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission are standard on all but the base 110TSI Life grade, which is exclusively offered in front-wheel drive with a six-speed DSG.

The entry-level Life comes with a 1.4-litre 110TSI turbo-petrol engine or 2.0-litre 132TSI turbo-petrol, while the Elegance and R-Line variants are available with a choice of either a 2.0-litre 162TSI petrol or a 2.0-litre 147TDI turbo-diesel.

The Tiguan 147TDI Elegance we’ve got on test costs $53,290 before on-road costs and options, while the 162TSI petrol will cost $1500 less.

At the base of the range, the Life comes in at $40,590 for the 110TSI and $44,590 for the 132TSI, while the two R-Line grades top it off at $54,790 for the 162TSI and $56,290 for the 147TDI. All prices are before on-roads.

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There is a choice of six paint colours (unless you want to pay $800 more to have a metallic or pearlescent effect), with each specification having two interior materials available – both are standard except on the Life, where black Vienna leather seats will cost extra.

While there are optional packages available, it’s worth noting that a lot of premium features come as standard – with only some of the more luxurious attributes off limits without putting in the extra cash.

The interior is where all the fun is on this car. Inside the experience feels very premium – pretty much on par with Audi’s SUV range.

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For example, the Luxury Package, which can only be added to the base Life variant for $5000, includes Vienna leather-appointed upholstery, a heated steering wheel, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory function, heated front seats and a panoramic electric glass sunroof (the latter can be added to higher grades for $2000).

Meanwhile, the Sound and Vision Package, which can be added to the Elegance or R-Line for $2500 (and has been added to this test car) includes a head-up display, area view camera and Harmon Kardon premium sound system.

All in, the car we have here would set you back $58,290 before on-road costs.

Features

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On the outside the 2022 Tiguan Elegance is identical to the previous model year – sporting attractive chrome accents around the grille, lower air intakes, bumper, and window surrounds to name a few, as well as striking lines along the doors and bonnet adding edge and personality.

The rear is a simple affair, but not at all unappealing, and it rides on 19-inch Auckland alloy wheels wrapped in 235/50-profile Hankook rubber.

These tyres also contain Volkswagen’s Airstop ‘viscous mass’ material which, according to the manufacturer, can automatically seal a tyre puncture up to 5mm in depth. The benefit of this is no sudden loss of pressure, with the ability to keep driving safely even if you do suffer multiple punctures.

Measurement-wise, it’s 4509mm in length, with a width of 1839mm and height of 1645mm – its wheelbase remains unchanged too at 2681mm.

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The interior is where all the fun is on this car. Inside the experience feels very premium and – having driven a number of Volkswagen Group products – we’d say is pretty much on par with Audi’s SUV range, just without the higher price tag.

Other standard features for this variant – such as the folding, heated and electrically adjustable (with memory) door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, matrix LED headlights with dynamic indicators and auto tailgate – also have a touch of Audi class about them.

The Vienna leather-appointed trim feels high quality, with the padded dash and tops of the door-cards offsetting the slightly scratchier plastics found below. There are three USB-C ports, two front and one rear, as well as a 12V socket in each row. The driver and front passenger benefit from electrically adjustable heated seats, and the steering wheel is heated too.

It's hard to imagine that last one coming in handy in many places in Australia, but having lived through many harsh UK winters we know it would certainly be a welcome addition in cooler climates.

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The 9.2-inch touchscreen is clear, crisp and straightforward to operate – as is the 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro – and settings can all be adjusted easily without traipsing through a series of menus plus it comes with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto that exhibited no obvious hiccups in performance.

While the Tiguan comes with wireless smartphone connectivity it does not feature wireless charging, meaning you’ll need to make sure you have a USB-C cable in the car if you need to top up your phone battery.

So many of the creature comforts in this Tiguan come as standard, which is great, but one optional extra we’d definitely tick has to be the panoramic sunroof. It was a big hit with all members of the family, quickly winning over the youngest member as he could suddenly see planes, birds and even the moon on occasion, all big stuff when you’re two.

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We grown-ups equally loved it too though, as it opened up the space in a way you just don’t appreciate until you have one, making it much airier and light. Thanks to a retractable visor, there is almost no buffeting with the roof open either, even at freeway speeds.

While there is obviously more road noise, you can still enjoy music or hold a conversation without having to nudge the volume up or wear your vocal cords out. It’s a stark difference to the sardine-can sunroofs of yesteryear.

Also added to the test car we have here is the Sound and Vision Package, which brings with it some much-appreciated creature comforts, starting with the head-up display. It’s a very useful addition and is easily adjusted depending on the driver’s height and seating position.

The Harmon Kardon sound system – highly customisable either through presets or via the equaliser on the touchscreen – really elevates the in-cabin experience with rich and textured delivery, and an area-view camera provides handy 360-degree vision for easier parking.

Comfort and space

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Most of our time with this model was limited to shorter journeys, thanks to Melbourne’s ongoing lockdowns limiting travel, but on the few longer trips we managed, both front and rear rows were perfectly comfortable and we couldn’t see it being an issue for those long weekends away, especially given the driver and passenger also benefit from comfort sport front seats that are electrically adjustable and include three memory settings.

These seats easily allow you to find the perfect position and optimise lumbar support, and while the Vienna upholstery is leather-appointed rather than 100 per cent the real deal, it still feels soft and luxurious.

The front chairs also give more side support for your thighs, while the second row has a flatter design. It isn’t a problem, but more sculpting would just provide that little bit of extra comfort for rear passengers.

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When it comes to space, the Tiguan has truly been made with family living in mind and there are pockets of storage absolutely everywhere. From big door bin spaces large enough to accommodate a 1L drink bottle to a central bin and thoughtful phone pouches and map pockets on the seatbacks, there is somewhere to put other essentials, such as toys and snacks, within easy reach of big and little hands.

The second row has also been well catered for, with all-important tinted glass to protect young children’s skin and eyes from harsh sunlight, the same amount of door-bin space as in the front, a central armrest available when the middle seat is down (complete with two additional cupholders) and its own air vents with the option to control temperature and airflow separately through a small digital display.

As mentioned above, one USB-C port and 12V socket allow fast charging for rear occupants as well, and child seats slot in easily thanks to the ISOFIX anchors and wide-opening door apertures.

When it comes to space, the Tiguan has truly been made with family living in mind – there are pockets of storage absolutely everywhere.

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The boot is large enough to take care of all the usual suspects, making easy work of a buggy, back carrier, inflatable stand-up paddleboard as well as a child’s bike and picnic hamper. Here too there are deep pockets of extra storage space on either side, handy for when you have small items to ferry about that you don’t want rolling around all over the place when you’re driving. With the second row lying flat, boot capacity is rated at 1655L or 615L with the seats up.

On the road

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The Tiguan 147TDI Elegance is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, mated to a seven-speed DSG (dual-clutch transmission), producing 147kW of power and 400Nm of torque. It has got more than enough oomph to dart around the suburbs and is a perfect match for those lengthier road trips we had all stored up in our ‘Distant Memories’ box.

Its turbocharged diesel engine is pretty punchy and although you might expect it to be noisy too, its rumblings are kept well and truly in check, no matter if you’re on higher-speed roads or just pottering around town. In fact on the freeway, it’s a really docile unit that proves just how far diesel donks have come in terms of refinement.

Wind and tyre noise are kept impressively low too, making for an altogether relaxing drive.

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That plentiful spread of torque makes it an excellent cruiser and ensures freeway overtakes and constantly varying speed limits are a breeze to negotiate. You never feel like you’re wanting for more. It’s quick off the line too, not bogging down or showing any noticeable turbo lag.

Cornering is undertaken with ease; it handles well with a decent amount of traction thanks to its all-wheel drive, has well-judged brakes and feels composed with little body roll. Yes, this is a family-sized SUV, but it’s a very capable one at that. Fun to hustle along too, especially in Sport mode.

When you are looking for a more sedate drive, though, the DSG transmission is at times too keen to change down at lower speeds, for example entering a roundabout, when we’re sure it could still hold on to the same gear and make use of the torque on offer. This can make for what is an otherwise smooth and relaxing experience to feel somewhat interrupted.

The rest of the time, it’s business as usual, with super-fast shifts, especially in manual mode.

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Though the steering isn’t that light, it doesn’t ever feel too heavy either; it feels comfortable and communicative whatever mode you’re in, with the most noticeable difference being in Sport mode where there’s a much heavier sensation. We preferred to keep this particular setting in auto, even when on the twistier roads.

There’s only one obvious area in which this car lets itself down, and that’s the suspension. Despite having VW’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which electronically adapts the dampers dependent on the drive mode you select, the ride can be very bumpy on all but the smoothest of surfaces, particularly on pothole-ridden roads like the Monash Freeway or other major metropolitan highways.

Even switching to Comfort mode doesn’t seem to make much difference, with some fairly harsh feedback being a common occurrence. It’s not consistently unpleasant but is noticeable if the road surface is poor.

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Officially rated at 6.1L/100km on the combined fuel consumption cycle, we’ve found the best fuel economy we could achieve was 5.4L/100km – which is pretty impressive, though during the time we had the Tiguan the performance ranged from this figure up to a high of 6.5L/100km.

Compared to its competitors, on paper, it offers similar results – with the Mazda CX-5 claiming 5.7L/100km (combined) from the mid-spec Touring or GT variants, both of which come with a 2.2-litre diesel engine and six-speed auto transmission.

When it arrived with us it had a full tank quoting 920km – plenty of driving range in the real world and almost enough to get you from Brisbane to Canberra on one fill-up.

There’s only one area in which this car lets itself down, and that’s the suspension. Despite its adaptive dampers, the ride can be very bumpy on all but the smoothest of surfaces.

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Putting the Tiguan’s fuel economy figures side by side with the much more popular, segment-leading Toyota RAV4 is trickier, owing to the latter not offering a diesel powertrain. Its 2.5-litre petrol hybrid and 2.0-litre petrol engines (available on both GXL and Cruiser mid-range variants) are rated at 4.8L and 6.5L/100km respectively – though only the hybrid is AWD.

Though it is not the version we have under review here, the Tiguan 147TDI’s turbo-petrol twin, the 162TSI, offers 8.5L/100km combined.

Safety

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The Tiguan comes with a host of active and passive safety systems across its line-up – which are all standard with the exception of the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system with hill descent control, which is not available on the front-drive-only Life variant.

Highlights include:

• Travel assist (replaces traffic jam assist)
• Front assist with pedestrian monitoring
• Lane assist with adaptive lane guidance
• Emergency assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Side assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Park assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Driver fatigue detection
• Reversing camera
• 360-degree proactive occupant protection.

This last one is available for the first time on the Tiguan, automatically closing the windows and panoramic sunroof (if optioned) as well as tightening the front row seatbelts as a precaution if it detects the risk of an accident happening.

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Fortunately, we didn’t have cause to test this, however, the safety features that did present themselves worked very well.

The lane assist gently drew the vehicle back into the middle of the lane if we came too close to leaving it without making any sudden, jerky movements – or using a loud and annoying alarm noise.

Equally, the adaptive cruise control performed so well that we almost didn’t notice it. The controls on the steering wheel are intuitive and not at all fiddly, making it simple to set up without taking your attention away from driving, while the way it adjusts itself based on how fast or slow the car in front is moving is incredibly sophisticated.

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What the Elegance misses out on with this feature is the ability to adjust the speed by increments of 1km rather than just 10km at a time which we would have found useful. This is, however, available on the range-topping R-Line.

The Tiguan has a five-star ANCAP rating, awarded in 2016.

All Volkswagens come with a standard five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty – with capped-price servicing every 12 months or 15,000km. VW’s three-year care plan will set buyers back $1200, rising to $2400 for the five-year version.

VERDICT

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There’s a good reason the Tiguan is not just Australia’s favourite VW, but also the brand’s best-selling vehicle globally – it delivers everything the modern family needs and wants.

It’s an incredibly capable daily driver with impressive fuel economy, oodles of space and practical storage solutions. There are also plenty of finer touches and gadgets that many new-car buyers want, without the hefty price tag of a premium badge.

Out of the Life, Elegance and R-Line variants, we’d stick with the mid-range Elegance 147TDI. It gains several creature comforts over and above the Life, and although many of these can be optioned on the base Tiguan, we really liked the punchy 2.0-litre diesel that unfortunately isn’t available on the lower grades.

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Equally, the added spec the R-Line gains is mostly trim-related and the Elegance doesn’t miss out on any major equipment, so we don’t feel we’d need to upgrade to really enjoy this car.

The Tiguan’s Elegance 147TDI is listed at $53,290 before options (which bumps up our car’s as-tested price to $58,290) and on-road costs.

By comparison, mid-range spec variants from its rivals – the Toyota RAV4 (as a 2.5-litre AWD in either GXL or Cruiser guise) is $47,430/$51,073 and the Mazda CX-5 Touring or GT (both AWD) are $46,081/$52,031 ( all drive-away).

While these competitors are cheaper, they are not necessarily equal on spec (only the range-topping RAV4 Edge variant having an optional sunroof for example) so we’d advise doing extensive research before making any purchase decision.

2022 Volkswagen Tiguan 147TDI Elegance specifications