Is the new Volkswagen Tiguan good for long drives?

Volkswagen's new Tiguan - a great choice for road-tripping?

The Tiguan is a much-loved SUV all over the world; it has won numerous awards and I think we can all agree that the outgoing 2nd-generation Tiguan was a great vehicle!

The outgoing second-generation model looks serious in its blue metal suit.

Now in its third generation, the new Tiguan, built on the new MQB Evo platform, has just been released (read our launch report here), and South Africans have questions. Is the new model is just as good at road-tripping as its predecessor?

We drove the 1.4TSI front-wheel-driven model in mid-spec Life and top-spec R-line guise recently and spent about 2.5 hours (or about 250 km) km in each.

Related: Top 5 alternatives to the VW Tiguan

The 2024 Tiguan R-Line, in Cippressino Green.

What's the 2024 Tiguan like in city traffic?

Thanks to its light steering, the Tiguan is a breeze in traffic, even though it's a relatively voluminous car. Parking is made easier in the new Tiguan because VW has decided to equip all models with Park Assist Plus with Park Distance Control in the front and rear.

Selling your Tiguan? Find out what its worth here.

The 2024 model's cockpit (seen here in R-Line trim) is fresh, modern, and tech-laden!

The seats are very supportive, but if you want Varenna Leather Seats with massage, ventilation, and memory function, they will cost R24 500 to add, and you can only specify them in the Life model; they're standard in the R-Line and not available in the base-spec Tiguan.

Buying used? Find out if the VW Tiguan Allspace's running costs can beat the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro and Haval H6 GT

The volume button atop the centre console (in all models) can also set the ambient lighting and choose your driving mode! 

In the R-Line model, you have choices galore to make the cabin more comfortable, like a R19 800 Harman Kardon sound system, Head-up display (R12 000) and Navigation System "Discover Pro" (R18 500), to name but a few. We found the touchscreen quite easy to use, and the cabin is very ergonomic, with many cubbies and recesses for smaller items like cups, keys, wallets, and devices.

Is the previous Tiguan good for families? Find out here.

The big news is that gear selection is next to the steering wheel, just like in Mercedes-Benz models.

How is the new Tiguan out on the open road?

The Tiguan is ideal for the highway and feels just as comfortable on gravel or dirt. If you're the type of person to take the road less travelled, opting for a smaller wheel size is advised for a more pliant ride.

The entry-level Tiguan and mid-spec Tiguan Life have 17-inch wheels, with the option to specify a larger wheel in the Life. Sticking to thicker sidewalls also helps with noise reduction at speed—not that there is much—the cabin is very well insulated, and ride quality (as well as road holding) is commendable.

Buying used? Check out the safety features of the 2021 Tiguan here.

You can go wild with wheel choices in R-Line trim.

The 1.4TSI (110kW and 250Nm) is no firecracker, but it's energetic enough, and overtaking manoeuvres don't require much planning ahead. You even have standard gearshift paddles in all three models if you insist on swapping cogs yourself.

We would definitely specify the intelligent HD IQ Lights Matrix LED headlamps, which at R16 500 give you the night vision of an African leopard.

Cruise control is standard, but you must specify a comprehensive safety package if you want adaptive cruise control. In the Life model, you can select the Life Plus Package (R20 500), which includes:

How is the latest Tiguan's fuel consumption?

On our two-morning road trip, our consumption in the FWD 1.4TSI (mated to a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch auto gearbox) came to 9 litres per 100 km. However, we were in a bit of a hurry to get to the airport on day two and to our hotel on day one. If you are a more relaxed driver, this figure should get lower. (We drove new cars that have also not been run in properly; with time, consumption should improve.)

VW's official figure is 7.6 L/100 km, and they reckon you should squeeze about 724 km from one 55-litre tank (based on this figure).

This colour makes the Tiguan's styling pop! Consumption wasn't fantastic though; but it will likely get better.

How much room is on board the third-generation Tiguan?

The cabin has a bit more space, and the boot can swallow 37 litres more luggage than before.

This is one person's luggage, but four more sets will fit.

The Tiguan makes a great family car because of the wide and comfortable rear seat that can accommodate three adults in a row; the central seat is larger than your average middle seat, and legroom is generous.

The central passenger need not be very skinny to be comfy!

What about standard safety features?

The base-spec Tiguan doesn't allow you to add extras regarding semi-autonomous safety. Still, standard specifications include ABS, EBD, an electric parking brake, traction and stability control, hill-start assist, a full-size spare wheel, a tyre-pressure sensor, 8 airbags, wireless Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, satellite buttons on the steering wheel, Bluetooth, keyless entry/start, child locks, ISOfix on the outer rear seats, LED headlights with LED daytime running lamps, headlight levelling, park distance control in the front and rear, side indicators in the mirror housings, and the aforementioned park assist plus.

The specification is not sparse in any of the Tiguans; seen here is the R-Line with an optional 15cm screen.

Visit the VWSA website here to see the specifications for each model.

What other engines are in the Tiguan lineup, and how powerful are they?

The fact that VW has detuned its SA-spec engines, has tongues wagging. The brand says favourable fuel economy is more important to our rainbow nation than performance. (We're not so sure!).

The other reasons why manufacturers detune engines can be because of things like emissions regulations, vehicle classification, cutting costs, and even safety.

There seem to be countless answers to why manufacturers detune some engines like the Tiguan's.

The new Tiguan 2.0 TDI (with 110kW and 340Nm) DSG (previously with 130kW and 380Nm) and 2.0 TSI 140kW DSG (22kW down from 162kW) will be hitting showroom floors from November 2024 and in the first quarter of next year, respectively. Pricing is as follows:

Tiguan 1.4 TSI 110kW DSG                                      R651 500

Tiguan Life 1.4 TSI 110kW DSG                                R702 800

Tiguan R-Line 1.4 TSI 110kW DSG                            R766 300

Tiguan 2.0 TDI 110kW 4MOTION DSG                       R755 700

Tiguan 2.0 TSI 140kW 4MOTION DSG                       R834 800

Verdict

The Tiguan is a great car for the longest roads, but if road-tripping is a regular occurrence in your life, I'd probably wait for the diesel model to get the highest number of kilometres out of one tank.

A dark grey Tiguan in Life trim.

If you can't afford that price, a 1.4TSI model will also be a reliable and comfortable companion.

Why not buy used? Find your perfect pre-loved Tiguan on AutoTrader here.

Find out which engine (2nd-gen Tiguan) is the most efficient.