A much larger touchscreen and a 62-mile electric range for the plug-in hybrid – the new VW Tiguan starts from £34,060.
The new, third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan is now on sale in the UK. Boasting a clean design, a broadened lineup of plug-in-hybrid engines and tech borrowed from the flagship Touareg, the Tiguan looks like it has the ingredients to carry on the popularity of its predecessors. It now only comes with an automatic gearbox, for an even easier driving experience.
Needing little introduction, the Tiguan is a best-selling SUV that rivals cars like the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Kuga. It’s in the middle of the VW engine-powered SUV range, which spans smaller models like the T-Cross, Taigo and T-Roc, up to the larger Touareg.
New Volkswagen Tiguan prices and specs
Three main trim levels are available to Tiguan buyers, plus an unnamed base model that only comes with the least powerful engine option. Matching the outgoing car, you'll be able to pick from Life, Elegance and R-Line trims.
The base Tiguan spec doesn't leave you short of equipment, though, with highlights including alloy wheels, LED headlamps, wireless smartphone mirroring, a rear-view camera and a whole host of driver assistance tech. Life adds ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control, parking assistance and three-zone climate control.
Elegance trim brings heated, massaging front seats, an area view camera, keyless entry and a powered tailgate, while R-Line largely boasts design and trim changes.
Life starts at £35,905, Elegance kicks off from £39,275 and R-Line adds around £400 to the asking price. Choosing the diesel engine costs £2,000 on Life trim and £1,200 on Elegance and R-Line cars. Expect top-spec cars with the most powerful plug-in hybrid engine to crest £45,000 when it joins the range in several months' time.
Interior
It’s all change inside. Bringing the Tiguan up to date is a new 12.9-inch centre touchscreen – 15 inches if you tick the right option box – with an updated infotainment system from the one you get in the current Golf. Volkswagen has moved the climate controls to the base of the screen, which could prove contentious as the current Tiguan’s buttons and dials are very easy to use. A digital instrument cluster will be fitted to all versions of the Tiguan.
There is a rotary control dial on the lower centre console, with a ‘mini-screen’, which can be used to change drive modes, radio volume and ambient lighting colours.
You’ll notice that this dial is where you’d expect the gearlever to be. Like VW’s ID electric models, the Tiguan’s gear selector has moved to a stalk behind the steering wheel – you’ll simply push the toggle forwards to select drive and pull it back to select reverse. This is possible because all future Tiguans will have VW’s DSG automatic gearbox as standard – there won’t be a manual gearbox offered.
Options will include an acoustic package that promises extra sound deadening and ‘premium-class noise comfort’, and 'ergoActive' front seats with heating, ventilation and massage functions.
Engines and platform
Underpinning the new Tiguan is VW’s latest ‘MQB evo’ platform, which is already used on the Volkswagen Golf as well as the SEAT Leon, Skoda Octavia, Audi A3 and Cupra Formentor. Expect upcoming replacements to the Volkswagen Passat, SEAT Ateca and Skoda Karoq to use this platform too.
The engine range sounds similar to the current Tiguan, with TDI diesel engines, TSI petrol engines, mild-hybrid eTSI petrols and plug-in hybrid engines with eHybrid badging. VW says the eHybrid versions will be able to manage up to 62 miles of electric-only driving – nearly double the 34-mile electric range of the current car – and faster charging. The plug-in hybrids are due to arrive in spring, and a pair of 2.0-litre petrol engines will bolster the range before the end of the year.
Boot space
The new Tiguan will grow by about 3cm in length compared to the old one, but height and width will remain roughly the same. Despite marginal gains to the car’s size, the new Tiguan will boast a boot that’s 35 litres bigger than before. Its 652-litre space will push the Tiguan right to the top of the mid-size SUV class.
When can I buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan from Motorpoint?
With the new Tiguan now on sale, we’d expect the first examples to trickle into our stores by the end of the year or in early 2025. For now, check out our selection of used VW Tiguan cars, which can be financed monthly and are able to be delivered to your local Motorpoint store or to your front door.
