Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2019 Review

What’s it all about?  With the arrival of the second-generation Tiguan in September 2016, Volkswagen’s entry SUV was bumped by industry statistician VFACTS from a small to a mid-size rating. And less than two years later, in July 2018, it emphatically underlined its new segment status with the introduction of the longer-bodied, longer-wheelbase, seven-seat Allspace. Essentially the same Tiguan we have come to know in the last three years, but with an at-times differing range of engine and equipment choices that underline its usefully-expanded bulk, the Allspace greatly broadens the mid-size SUV’s family appeal and bridges the gap to the bigger Volkswagen Touareg SUV – which is due for replacement in May this year as a full-blown challenger to the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. How much will it cost?  In what turns out to be a complex pricing strategy and an even more complex marketing strategy, the seven-seat Tiguan, arrived in the country last year priced at around $40,000 before on-road costs for the front-drive 110 TSI Comfortline. That entry-level variant and the sole diesel in the range have since been axed. The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 4MOTION 132 TSI Comfortline, to name it in full for the model reviewed here was priced at $45,990. Volkswagen is currently selling it at $50,047 drive-away, which is $1970 more expensive than the drive-away price for the current five-seat equivalent in the Tiguan range. Drive-away pricing will remain in force until the end of March this year. The Tiguan Allspace in this specification features seven-speed DSG transmission, self-parking capability, multi-zone climate-control air-conditioning, sat-nav, adaptive LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels and various other niceties. And the seven-seat Allspace delivers increased total load capacity – up from 1655 litres in the five-seater to 1775 litres – which also happens to be better than you’ll find in competing seven-seaters such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, Honda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail. Volkswagen’s recently-extended five-year warranty can’t do anything but help either. Why should I/shouldn’t I buy it?  In terms of bulk, the Allspace is even further removed than the regular, second-gen Tiguan from the handily-dimensioned 2008 original. And feels it. The extra size and weight mean it’s a decreasingly wieldy and responsive driver’s car. But it compensates with its silent cruising-speed aplomb and, with the benefit of a few extra centimetres of wheelbase (up from 2681mm to 2790mm) it rides fractionally better than the five-seater. At 2.6 turns from lock to lock the steering is a bit slow, but nevertheless nicely weighted and communicative and, combined with the absorbent but grippy 235/55R18 tyres, enables the Allspace to be pointed with satisfying accuracy.  The 132TSI engine does feel the weight (1735kg tare compared to the five-seater’s 1600kg tare) though. The Allspace is best described as capably responsive, rather than brisk. The towing ability is impre

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