- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
162kW, 350Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 8.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2016)
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 162TSI Review
Volkswagen was a bit late to the SUV party.
While rivals were creating big families of soft roaders a decade ago, the German brand was left napping.
But it has definitely woken up, with the impressive Tiguan that claimed Drive's 2016 Car of the Year crown now expanding to include a seven-seat Allspace spin-off.
- Cracking engine
- Solid handling
- Classy presentation
- Not quite a full-size seven-seater
- Has the price of a full-size SUV
- Lethargic in comfort mode
WHAT IS IT?
A ‘plus two’ version of Volkswagen’s excellent second-generation Tiguan, complete with 215mm more wheelbase length, 106mm more rear overhang, a larger 700-litre cargo hold and a pair of stowable kiddy seats back there, taking its total seating count to seven. It’s a dramatic turn-around from Volkswagen’s original Tiguan (2007-16), which was sized for Europe and often criticised for its meagre boot space.
Unlike the closely related five-seat Tiguan (which is built in Wolfsburg, Germany), the five-plus-two Tiguan Allspace hails from Volkswagen’s Puebla plant in Mexico. It mirrors the regular Tiguan’s engine line-up – 110kW, 132kW and 162kW turbo-petrols, plus 110kW and 140kW turbo-diesels – though MY19 Tiguan five-seaters will be petrol only moving forward (with no 110TSI entry-level variants until 2019).
Mirroring the five-seater, Volkswagen Australia says almost half of Tiguan Allspace buyers will choose the range-topping 162TSI, and 70 per cent of those punters will option the R-Line package, which is what you see here.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
The basic price for a Tiguan Allspace 162TSI 4motion is $52,990 (not including on-road costs), and that brings the five-plus-two seating and standard all-wheel drive, as well as an electric tailgate, dynamic LED headlights with high-beam assist, LED taillights, keyless entry and start, a rechargeable torch in the boot, electrically folding rear-view mirrors, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with a full suite of driver-assist tech, adaptive cruise control, adaptive chassis control (with Comfort, Normal, Dynamic and Individual modes), a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors with rear ‘manoeuvre’ braking, a 9.2-inch multimedia system with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, three USB ports, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control, eight-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory settings, heated front- and second-row outer seats, leather-faced upholstery, and ambient interior lighting.
Our test car, however, cost a smidge under 60 big ones ($59,590) courtesy of optional Blue Silk metallic paint ($700), a Sound and Vision package ($3000, which includes a 12.3-inch TFT instrument screen – the cousin of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit – called ‘Active Info Display’; front, side and rear aerial-view parking cameras; and a gutsy Dynaudio Excite Premium sound system with 16-channel digital amplifier, eight speakers with subwoofer, and 400-watts of total output), as well as an R-Line package ($2900).
It’s this popular R-Line pack that denotes the most powerful petrol Tiguan as the duck’s guts. Unique R-Line bumpers and side sills, guard-filling 20-inch ‘Suzuka’ alloy wheels, a black rear spoiler, R-Line black Vienna leather seats, stainless-steel pedals, a flat-bottomed R-Line steering wheel with paddles, black headlining, and R-Line aluminium scuff plates should inform your neighbours you didn’t skimp at your local VW dealership.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
Volkswagen’s increasingly familiar, and excellent, EA888-series 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four, as featured in the iconic Golf GTI and matching the Mk7 GTI’s 162kW/350Nm outputs in this instance. Tied to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the tubbier Tiguan Allspace, that’s enough grunt to achieve 0-100km/h in an impressively strong 6.8sec, as well as a combined fuel-consumption figure of 8.3L/100km.
If our experience is anything to go by, that consumption number is no longer a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream. Volkswagen’s current turbo-petrol engine series is known for delivering class-leading efficiency, especially given the performance on offer.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
The greater your cornering enthusiasm and the keener your right foot, the more impressive the Tiguan Allspace is. Thanks to its beautifully refined, superbly responsive engine (if the transmission is in Sport mode), it surges forward with uncharacteristic vigour for a medium SUV. And when you hook the Allspace into a corner, it responds by sending enough drive to the rear wheels to ensure it goes exactly where you point it. There’s also the abundant traction of its all-wheel-drive system, supported by fat, grippy Pirelli Scorpion Verde 255/40R20 tyres on this R-Line spec.
Yet there are other layers to the GTI-engined Allspace beyond its outright pace and panache. A longer wheelbase than the regular Tiguan, mixed with the benefits of ‘Adaptive Chassis Control’ suspension means the 162TSI R-Line manages to ride respectably on its huge 20-inch wheels. While we’re hardly talking magic-carpet stuff, it generally feels well-damped and unobtrusive. Comfort mode does introduce more body movement on lumpy roads, however, and, as a result, more head toss for occupants.
It’s in less-demanding situations that the Allspace 162TSI falls down a little. In regular Drive mode, its transmission can be slow to respond to right-foot inputs, as well as slow to kick down a gear, and a bit lethargic when mustering all its mechanical components off the line. Yet if you flick the DSG transmission into Sport (or select the Dynamic drive mode), it can feel a bit too hyperactive, mainly due to over-sensitive throttle tuning. There’s a happy medium in between both calibrations that currently eludes the Tiguan Allspace 162TSI.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
Just like a five-seat Tiguan, only longer. The same broad but comfortable front seats, great storage (including two capacious overhead bins if you don’t option a sunroof), fully adjustable rear seat, vast (carpeted) door pockets with proper grab handles, and a pair of seatback ‘picnic’ tables for outer passengers in the second row are all approaching class-best in terms of versatility.
Where the Allspace doesn’t quite follow through here is in the third row. Calling it a ‘plus two’ space is very clever, because no adult could last back there longer than about five minutes. It’s an occasional space only, but at least it’s one that’s offered. A near-upright backrest, dead-flat cushions and restricted visibility mean only the blackest sheep in the family will be subjected to the ‘plus two’ confines over any distance.
A flap at the trailing edge of the boot houses the luggage cover when the third row is in use, with the space-saver spare below it. Two deep cavities either side of the boot enable more storage opportunities, though it’s a pity you can’t remove the whole lot. Then the Allspace would go from roomy to gargantuan.
IS IT SAFE?
Certainly. All-wheel purchase, a sophisticated stability-control calibration, as well as inherent levels of dynamic passive safety ensure the Tiguan Allspace can confidently avoid an accident. But if things do go pear-shaped, a five-star NCAP rating with 96 per cent for frontal occupant protection and 80 per cent for child protection bode extremely well. That frontal score is one of the best in the business, regardless of vehicle type.
WOULD I BUY IT?
Given a fairly moderate $4000 premium for the Allspace treatment, there’s value to be had in this five-plus-two Tiguan. Greater seating flexibility, combined with a better ride and only a slight reduction in the pertness of its overall styling, and the crispness of its handling ability, says the Allspace could well be the Tiguan you should buy … providing your parking space can cop its extra length.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER?
None of these alternatives can match the Tiguan Allspace 162TSI’s performance, but there’s its Skoda Kodiaq relative, as well as seven-seat versions of the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander. The Land Rover Discovery Sport also has a ‘plus two’ option but will cost many thousands more if you want equivalent grunt. Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento seven-seaters are slightly larger, though again lacking the Tiguan’s performance appeal. And Mazda’s CX-9, while quick and amazingly comfortable, is simply far too big to be considered a direct rival. Instead, there’s the diesel-only CX-8.
2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN ALLSPACE 162TSI R-LINE PRICE AND SPECIFICATIONS
Price: $59,590 (as-tested, without on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Power: 162kW at 4300-6200rpm
Torque: 350Nm at 1600-4200rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWD
Fuel use: 8.3L/100km
WHAT IS IT?
A ‘plus two’ version of Volkswagen’s excellent second-generation Tiguan, complete with 215mm more wheelbase length, 106mm more rear overhang, a larger 700-litre cargo hold and a pair of stowable kiddy seats back there, taking its total seating count to seven. It’s a dramatic turn-around from Volkswagen’s original Tiguan generation (2007-16), which was sized for Europe and often criticised for its meagre boot space.
Unlike the closely related five-seat Tiguan (which is built in Wolfsburg, Germany), the five-plus-two Tiguan Allspace hails from Volkswagen’s Puebla plant in Mexico. It mirrors the regular Tiguan’s engine line-up – 110kW, 132kW and 162kW turbo-petrols, plus 110kW and 140kW turbo-diesels – though MY19 Tiguan five-seaters will be petrol only moving forward (with no 110TSI entry-level variants until 2019).
Mirroring the five-seater, Volkswagen Australia says almost half of Tiguan Allspace buyers will choose the range-topping 162TSI, and 70 per cent of those punters will option the R-Line package, which is what you see here.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
The basic price for a Tiguan Allspace 162TSI 4motion is $52,990 (not including on-road costs), and that brings the five-plus-two seating and standard all-wheel drive, as well as an electric tailgate, dynamic LED headlights with high-beam assist, LED taillights, keyless entry and start, a rechargeable torch in the boot, electrically folding rear-view mirrors, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with a full suite of driver-assist tech, adaptive cruise control, adaptive chassis control (with Comfort, Normal, Dynamic and Individual modes), a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors with rear ‘manoeuvre’ braking, a 9.2-inch multimedia system with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, three USB ports, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers, three-zone climate control, eight-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory settings, heated front- and second-row outer seats, leather-faced upholstery, and ambient interior lighting.
Our test car, however, cost a smidge under 60 big ones ($59,590) courtesy of optional Blue Silk metallic paint ($700), a Sound and Vision package ($3000, which includes a 12.3-inch TFT instrument screen – the cousin of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit – called ‘Active Info Display’; front, side and rear aerial-view parking cameras; and a gutsy Dynaudio Excite Premium sound system with 16-channel digital amplifier, eight speakers with subwoofer, and 400-watts of total output), as well as an R-Line package ($2900).
It’s this popular R-Line pack that denotes the most powerful petrol Tiguan as the duck’s guts. Unique R-Line bumpers and side sills, guard-filling 20-inch ‘Suzuka’ alloy wheels, a black rear spoiler, R-Line black Vienna leather seats, stainless-steel pedals, a flat-bottomed R-Line steering wheel with paddles, black headlining, and R-Line aluminium scuff plates should inform your neighbours you didn’t skimp at your local VW dealership.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
Volkswagen’s increasingly familiar, and excellent, EA888-series 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four, as featured in the iconic Golf GTI and matching the Mk7 GTI’s 162kW/350Nm outputs in this instance. Tied to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the tubbier Tiguan Allspace, that’s enough grunt to achieve 0-100km/h in an impressively strong 6.8sec, as well as a combined fuel-consumption figure of 8.3L/100km.
If our experience is anything to go by, that consumption number is no longer a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream. Volkswagen’s current turbo-petrol engine series is known for delivering class-leading efficiency, especially given the performance on offer.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
The greater your cornering enthusiasm and the keener your right foot, the more impressive the Tiguan Allspace is. Thanks to its beautifully refined, superbly responsive engine (if the transmission is in Sport mode), it surges forward with uncharacteristic vigour for a medium SUV. And when you hook the Allspace into a corner, it responds by sending enough drive to the rear wheels to ensure it goes exactly where you point it. There’s also the abundant traction of its all-wheel-drive system, supported by fat, grippy Pirelli Scorpion Verde 255/40R20 tyres on this R-Line spec.
Yet there are other layers to the GTI-engined Allspace beyond its outright pace and panache. A longer wheelbase than the regular Tiguan, mixed with the benefits of ‘Adaptive Chassis Control’ suspension means the 162TSI R-Line manages to ride respectably on its huge 20-inch wheels. While we’re hardly talking magic-carpet stuff, it generally feels well-damped and unobtrusive. Comfort mode does introduce more body movement on lumpy roads, however, and, as a result, more head toss for occupants.
It’s in less-demanding situations that the Allspace 162TSI falls down a little. In regular Drive mode, it’s transmission can be slow to respond to right-foot inputs, as well as slow to kick down a gear, and a bit lethargic when mustering all its mechanical components off the line. Yet if you flick the DSG transmission into Sport (or select the Dynamic drive mode), it can feel a bit too hyperactive, mainly due to over-sensitive throttle tuning. There’s a happy medium in between both calibrations that currently eludes the Tiguan Allspace 162TSI.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
Just like a five-seat Tiguan, only longer. The same broad but comfortable front seats, great storage (including two capacious overhead bins if you don’t option a sunroof), fully adjustable rear seat, vast (carpeted) door pockets with proper grab handles, and a pair of seatback ‘picnic’ tables for outer passengers in the second row are all approaching class-best in terms of versatility.
Where the Allspace doesn’t quite follow through here is in the third row. Calling it a ‘plus two’ space is very clever, because no adult could last back there longer than about five minutes. It’s an occasional space only, but at least it’s one that’s offered. A near-upright backrest, dead-flat cushions and restricted visibility mean only the blackest sheep in the family will be subjected to the ‘plus two’ confines over any distance.
A flap at the trailing edge of the boot houses the luggage cover when the third row is in use, with the space-saver spare below it. Two deep cavities either side of the boot enable more storage opportunities, though it’s a pity you can’t remove the whole lot. Then the Allspace would go from roomy to gargantuan.
IS IT SAFE?
Certainly. All-wheel purchase, a sophisticated stability-control calibration, as well as inherent levels of dynamic passive safety ensure the Tiguan Allspace can confidently avoid an accident. But if things do go pear-shaped, a five-star NCAP rating with 96 per cent for frontal occupant protection and 80 per cent for child protection bode extremely well. That frontal score is one of the best in the business, regardless of vehicle type.
WOULD I BUY IT?
Given a fairly moderate $4000 premium for the Allspace treatment, there’s value to be had in this five-plus-two Tiguan. Greater seating flexibility, combined with a better ride and only a slight reduction in the pertness of its overall styling, and the crispness of its handling ability, says the Allspace could well be the Tiguan you should buy … providing your parking space can cop its extra length.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER?
None of these alternatives can match the Tiguan Allspace 162TSI’s performance, but there’s its Skoda Kodiaq relative, as well as seven-seat versions of the Honda CR-V, Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander. The Land Rover Discovery Sport also has a ‘plus two’ option but will cost many thousands more if you want equivalent grunt. Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento seven-seaters are slightly larger, though again lacking the Tiguan’s performance appeal. And Mazda’s CX-9, while quick and amazingly comfortable, is simply far too big to be considered a direct rival. Instead, there’s the diesel-only CX-8.
2018 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN ALLSPACE 162TSI R-LINE PRICE AND SPECIFICATIONS
Price: $59,590 (as-tested, without on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Power: 162kW at 4300-6200rpm
Torque: 350Nm at 1600-4200rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, AWD
Fuel use: 8.3L/100km
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