2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Life 132TSI review

The Volkswagen Tiguan, the German company's most popular model, has copped a mid-life update, to try and keep it at the pointy end of the mainstream mid-size SUV market. The timing of the Mk8 Golf’s arrival means new bits for other Volkswagen models, which includes the Tiguan.

Having been around since 2016, the current Tiguan’s interior is brought up to date with a new steering wheel and an updated dash display for the driver, while the HVAC controls become touch-sensitive panels rather than buttons.

Outside, small changes to the headlights, bumpers, and grille have made the Tiguan more muscular and modern, most easily seen from the front.

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Pricing and Features

The specific variant we’ve got here is the Life 132TSI, the most affordable Tiguan before dipping down into the less powerful front-wheel-drive Tiggy. Think of it as the 4Motion AWD base model. Coming in at $45,490 before on-road costs, it takes aim at the more popular Toyota RAV4 (most closely the near-top-spec Cruiser), Mazda CX-5 Touring and Kia Sportage SX+ or GT-Line depending on what engine you go for.

As you’d hope from a Tiguan, even the ‘base’ Life variant has some premium touches. Keyless entry, automatic LED headlights and a fresh version of the old steering wheel, though at this level in the range the old 8.0-inch infotainment screen remains, as does the lack of digital radio.

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On our test model, Volkswagen has added the optional Luxury Pack, which upgrades the upholstery to leather, the front seats to electrically adjustable with heating, adds heating capability to the steering wheel, and includes a panoramic sunroof. The catch is that it adds $5100 to the asking price, and with the $600 Dolphin Grey paint option seen here, that’s an extra $6K.

When we used the online VW configurator to spec a car exactly like this, we were given a $58,388 drive-away price in Victoria and an estimated seven-month wait for delivery. Worth considering, even if rivals are experiencing similarly frustrating wait times.

With the Luxury Pack, this Tiguan's rivals bump up to top-spec models like the Toyota RAV4 Edge or Mazda CX-5 Akera. At that point, it might be worth considering the Tiguan Elegance or even top-spec R-Line for the extra power and standard equipment.

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Stepping up to the Elegance gives you a bigger and newer 9.2-inch touch screen, adaptive dampers, swish animated LEDs and matrix headlights, plus the choice of a more powerful 162kW/350Nm petrol or torquey 147kW/400Nm diesel engine.

If five seats aren't necessarily sufficient for your family needs, the Tiguan Allspace provides a third row with two extra seats for a premium starting from $3100.

Comfort and Space

Even without Luxury Pack, the Tiguan Life’s cabin would be a pleasant, and still visually interesting place. It still feels relatively current despite its age, and its packaging is clever in terms of elements like the centre console, where the storage compartment features pop-out cup holders.

Comfortable as well as convenient, the front seats added by the Luxury Pack are easy to adjust for an optimal seating position. The controls for almost everything remain buttons, and even the touch-sensitive climate controls are preferable over the more recent method of being part of a touchscreen menu.

The 8.0-inch centre screen found in the Life can now wirelessly operate Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, though it can lag (not unique to the Tiguan, or even to VW) so using the USB-C for a cabled connection yields a better result.

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Plenty of space and clear vision make the Tiguan feel almost a size up from a medium SUV, even adult rear passengers being treated to ample legroom and headroom thanks to seats that can slide on rails and backrests that can recline. HVAC controls, a USB-C port, and a 12-volt plug are accessible for the second row too.

Behind that, 615 litres of boot space is huge for its class, even the RAV4’s 580 litres ranking a distant second as far as popular models go.

On the Road

Starting a drive in the Tiguan often means two things are quickly clear; Volkswagen’s EA888 engine has stuck around for a reason and there’s a reason people are still divided on the topic of dual-clutch gearboxes.

While the 2.0-litre turbo four is smooth and subtle even in a relatively low power tune, the slight lag where the turbocharger and the DSG both take a moment to kick in can make the acceleration feel a tiny bit binary. Once up and moving, its 132kW figure almost doesn’t seem to matter.

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Steering feel is weighted well for a balance of calm commuting or lively cornering and helps provide a feeling of confidence in the Tiguan’s handling.

Much like the smaller Golf with which it shares a platform, the Tiguan (especially with its AWD) feels planted and secure in cornering, even at high speeds. It behaves predictably, meaning no surprises or spooky situations.

Similarly confidence-inspiring is the way it handles bumps in the road, even though its suspension is on the stiffer side. It never lets harsh bumps rattle through the cabin and settles again quickly.

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While our test week resulted in an 11.1L/100km of fuel use, it was primarily urban and test driving, both detracting from any moments of efficient highway driving and moving our figure north of the 8.8L/100km claim posited by Volkswagen.

Safety

While the Tiguan carries a five-star safety rating as tested by ANCAP, the score was awarded in 2016 when this generation was new. Although the model hasn’t fundamentally changed, ANCAP’s testing has. But at least the Tiguan’s actual crash protection scores highly.

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It also has seven airbags, two rear-seat ISOFIX points, auto emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera (but no 360-degree view), and pedestrian monitoring.

Ownership

Volkswagen’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty covers the Tiguan, with servicing intervals taking place at every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. At the time of writing, VW quotes $472 for the 12-, 36-, and 60-month services, $922 for the 24-month service and a hefty $1,625 for the 48-month visit.

Alternatively, Volkswagen offers ‘Care Plans’ with a five-year service plan costing a total of $2950 with the first service free.

Verdict

While the Tiguan makes sense as an upmarket mainstream SUV, the added cost of the Luxury Pack brings the lower-spec Life's price into top-spec territory for rivals from Japan such as the enduringly popular and much newer Toyota RAV4 or even the recently updated Mazda CX-5.

The Tiguan 132TSI Life is an excellent mid-sized SUV, and at its base price is good value. For anyone wanting something a bit more plush and powerful, it could be worth stepping up to the 162TSI Elegance that, at $52,790 before on-road costs, is only a little more than the as-tested price of our Life with its Luxury pack and optional paint.

We can see why the Tiguan is such a popular model for VW, but if it’s the 132TSI Life on your list, keep the price low and enjoy the value.

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