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Review
Growth spurt: 2022 VW Tiguan Allspace first drive review
Craig Duff
June 30, 2022
Volkswagen’s Allspace is a Tiguan for those who like to entertain. The SUV packs plenty of technology into a design that provides plenty of space or can be used as a seven-seater.
Traditionally, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace accounts for around 40 per cent of sales of the mid-sized SUV. That figure is expected to rise with the release of the latest version, simply because it is relatively inexpensive compared to the five-seat model and access to vehicles is more assured.
The rationale behind that is simple: the seven-seater is sourced from Mexico and doesn’t attract a five-per cent import duty, unlike the European-built five-seater.
Volkswagen is still dealing with semiconductor shortages, so some of the features typically found on the Tiguan are about to be temporarily deleted off the standard inclusions list.
The major omissions include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, though the powered electric tailgate has also been relegated to the options menu.
The “de-specced” versions will start arriving in dealerships around September and VW expects the issue to exist until March next year.
For now, there are around 4000 Tiguan Allspaces in dealerships that do have all the gear initially promoted.
The Tiguan Allspace range covers three versions: Life, Elegance and R-Line. Prices start at $44,590 plus on-roads for the front-wheel-drive Life 110TSI and jump by $4000 for the more powerful all-wheel-drive Life 132TSI.
Driveaway pricing is $49,952 and $54,637 respectively.
The Elegance range brings a more powerful 162kW petrol engine with a sticker price of $56,990 or a diesel for $58,490. VW says that means they can be parked outside your property for $63,389 and $64,957.
The top-tier R-Line uses the same engines as the Elegance line-up. List prices of $60,190 and $61,690 translate to an on-the-road cost of $66,724 for the petrol and $68,291 for diesel owners.
Metallic paint adds $900 to the price of all versions.
Life owners can drop $5,500 on the “luxury pack” bundling powered driver’s seat with heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery and a sunroof.
Elegance and R-Line buyers can option the “sound and vision pack” with head-up display, surround-camera monitor and Harman/Kardon sound system for $2600. A sunroof adds $2100 to these versions.
Pre-paid servicing aligns with the five-year warranty and costs $2,600 for the first five trips to the dealership in the 110TSI; $2750 for diesel owners and $2950 for buyers of the 132kW/162kW petrol models.
Contenders for your money include the Hyundai Santa Fe with prices ranging from $45,550 to $66,050 plus on-roads, the Kia Sorento at $47,650-$65,070, the Toyota Kluger at $47,650-$75,700 and Mazda’s CX-8 priced from $40,190-$69,590.
Is the VW Tiguan Allspace safe?
The Tiguan was crash-tested in 2016 and testing results applied to all versions.
The update inherits the five-star rating awarded by ANCAP.
Adult occupant protection was awarded a 96 per cent score, child occupant protection came in at 80 per cent, and both vulnerable road user safety and safety assist features were judged to be 68 per cent.
The biggest criticism ANCAP levelled at the Tiguan was a “marginal” result for rear adult passengers in the frontal crash test.
The latest versions of the Tiguan have improved on the safety assist features (with the caveat of the temporarily removed sensors mentioned above), while the physical integrity is unchanged.
The side airbags extend to all three rows.
The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace doesn't drive like a big SUV.
The seating layout makes the VW Tiguan Allspace a 5+2-seater, rather than a genuine seven-seat SUV,
VW Tiguan Allspace buyers can choose between three petrol engines and a diesel.
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What’s the VW Tiguan Allspace like inside?
The Tiguan Allspace is a 5+2-seater, rather than a full-sized seven-seat SUV like the Hyundai Santa Fe.
That’s not a bad thing, given most owners will only occasionally use the third-row seats; typically to transport friends of their children.
Where the Allspace comes into its own is the load capacity when the third-row seats are folded flat (and they do lie flat to the floor, unlike some rivals).
There’s 700 litres of cargo capacity at that point, making the Tiguan a multi-purpose vehicle.
Beyond the rear space, the second-row seats can slide fore and aft and there’s tilt-recline for the backrests.
Up front, the driver is confronted by a digital driver’s display that is easy to read and configure.
The Life versions use an 8.0-inch infotainment screen; Elegance and R-Line variants adopt a 9.2-inch display.
Elegance and R-Line also have heated and ventilated front seats, along with heated outboard second-row seats.
Smartphone connectivity is good and the overall cabin ambience is better than average.
What’s under the VW Tiguan Allspace’s bonnet?
Four four-cylinder engines do duty in the seven-seat Volkswagen SUV. The entry 110kW/250Nm turbo petrol sends power to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch auto.
All other engines are paired with a seven-speed dual clutch auto and on-demand all-wheel-drive set-up, starting with the 132kW/320Nm turbo petrol, rising to the 162kW/350Nm turbo petrol and winding out for tow-conscious buyers with a 147kW/400Nm turbo diesel.
Not surprisingly the 162kW engine is the pick of the petrols, both in terms of performance and in relative fuel economy.
Boot space is 230 litres with all seats in use, expanding to 700 litres when the third row is folded flat.
Top-spec versions have handy features like a pocket in the back of the front seats.
Second row occupants are catered for with aircon controls and a USB and SUB-c port.
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Is the VW Tiguan Allspace efficient?
The 110kW engine uses a claimed combined figure of 7.7 litres over 100km. That rises to 8.9 litres/100km for the 132kW mill.
If you can afford the 162kW engine, the combined figure actually falls to 8.6 litres/100km, while the 147kW turbo diesel uses 6.2 litres/100km.
How does the VW Tiguan Allspace drive?
Ergonomically, the Allspace is hard to fault. The driving position is high riding, but the steering wheel adjusts for height and reach, ensuring drivers of all statures can find a comfortable driving position.
Just as impressive is the fact it doesn’t feel like a big car, despite the fact it is around 22cm longer than a regular Tiguan.
Reversing the VW is straightforward, courtesy of the adaptive guidelines projected on the screen and all-round visibility is good.
The steering feel is light but positive and there’s very little body roll in turns or fore-and-aft pitching when accelerating or braking.
There is some tyre roar over coarse bitumen but it’s comparable with most vehicles in this class.
Performance from the 110TSI entry level vehicle is more than adequate for general urban duties, while the diesel will cater for tow-types or long-distance tourers and the 162kW petrol engine will more than satisfy performance fans with a 6.2 second run to 100km/h.
The VW Tiguan Allspace Elegance sits in the middle of the three-tier line-up.
The VW Tiguan Allspace is almost 22cm longer than the five-seat Tiguan.
A digital driver's display is standard across the VW Tiguan Allspace range.
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Should I buy one?
The mid-sized SUV market is littered with decent vehicles and the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace holds its own against the cream of the crop.
Losing some safety sensors isn’t ideal but it is better than not having the vehicles in showrooms.
If the compromise isn’t a deal-breaker, the Allspace represents better value for your money that a regular Tiguan.
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