Volkswagen Tiguan 2021 Review

The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan ushers in a comprehensive mid-life upgrade for the mid-size SUV, which has had its line-up reshuffled and repriced as more safety tech comes on board under its IQ.Drive suite, among other updates.

Opening the new six-variant Volkswagen Tiguan range is the 110TSI Life tested here, which is the most affordable variant in the refreshed range at $39,690 plus on-road costs – well up from the $34,990 plus ORCs asked for the previous Trendline opener.

The 110TSI Life will be followed by more powerful 162TSI petrol and 147TDI diesel models across mid-spec Elegance and flagship R-Line grades in late May, while a 132TSI Life with all-wheel drive will arrive in June to sit $4000 upstream of the entry 110TSI Life as a new second-tier model. See our full pricing story here.

Once they’re all on sale by mid-year, Volkswagen Australia expects the 2021 Tiguan to be its top-selling model in what is a changeover year for the Golf, which is typically the brand’s number-one nameplate.

VW also expects most buyers to be unconcerned by the premium pricing for the new Tiguan, with the 162TSI R-Line at $53,790 plus ORCs forecast to be the biggest seller.

While the Trendline grade has gone, Volkswagen says that in comparison to the previous 110TSI Comfortline – priced at virtually the same mark as the new 110TSI Life – the 2021 update represents much better value with various extra safety and driver assist features now fitted standard. The claim is a ‘saving’ of $1400 on safety gear alone.

The 2021 Tiguan is higher-spec in other areas, too, with 18-inch alloy wheels, LEDs for the headlights, fog lights and tail-lights, automatic high beam, auto wipers, electric-folding mirrors, an electric tailgate, and more.

Besides metallic or pearl paint (both $800), a Luxury Package is the only option for the Tiguan 110TSI Life, adding heated Vienna leather seats with power adjustment (including lumbar) and memory for the driver, as well as a leather steering wheel with shift paddles, heated steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors with memory and a panoramic sunroof – all for an extra $5000.

It sounds pricey, but after experiencing our tester which was equipped with the Luxury Package and finished in the $800 Dolphin Grey Metallic – bringing its as-tested price up to $45,490 (plus ORCs) – we can vouch for ticking both option boxes.

The metallic grey isn’t for everyone but is gorgeous in the eyes of this tester, and by the same token the Luxury Package makes the Tiguan 110TSI Life feel much more premium – so much so, most people won’t even pick it as the cheapest Tiggy in the line-up. Not that $45K, or approaching $50K on the road, is ‘cheap’.

Volkswagen takes care of Tiguan customers with a three- or five-year Care Plan, which costs $1200 and $2400 respectively for servicing due every 12 months or 15,000km.

Every 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan comes with the car-maker’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Doing the sums is one thing, but there’s no escaping the fact that the optioned-up 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life provides a premium environment for its occupants.

The door cards and centre console lid are trimmed in a leather-feel material, while silver faux-carbon-fibre inserts sit neatly atop every door card and along the dash.

Everything from the leather-appointed steering wheel, with its new VW emblem, to the new touch-button climate-control system feels way more upmarket than before.

It’s not the same haptic-touch system you find in late-model Audis and is probably better experienced than explained, but works via touch-sensitive ‘buttons’ and slider bars that are responsive and easy to use, even on the move.

The sound system is crisp too, even without the more expensive Harman Kardon audio system, while a 10.25-inch digital cockpit behind the steering wheel brings plenty of customisation and information.

An 8.0-inch colour central touch-screen comes standard on the 110TSI Life – every other Tiguan gets a larger 9.2-inch unit – and operates well with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and even gesture control, although the latter is a little fiddly at first.

Wireless phone charging and navigation is about all that’s missing from the cabin, although using smartphone maps via Apple CarPlay is easy enough and fast-charging USB-C ports aren’t so bad once you invest in the correct cable.

An electric tailgate that’s much quicker (and quieter) to open and close than most rivals is one of the features that may go unnoticed when shopping for an SUV, but it’s something that adds to the Tiguan’s appeal and will be noticeable to those who’ve dealt with much slower units before.

The IQ.Drive suite that now comes standard on every 2021 Tiguan includes travel assist, front assist with pedestrian monitoring, lane assist with adaptive lane guidance, emergency assist, adaptive cruise control, side assist, rear cross traffic alert, park assist, driver fatigue detection, 360-degree proactive occupant protection, reverse camera and front and rear parking sensors.

Travel assist brings semi-autonomous driving functionality on highways, and after a brief test amid weeknight Sydney traffic, we can definitively say it makes the journey a little more pleasurable.

An often gripe with Volkswagen models is the sensitive lane keep assist, however it was noticeably more subtle this time around.

And it’s the creature comforts, such as auto up/down windows for all four doors, that sometimes seem insignificant (until you don’t have them) that make the biggest difference.

Fitted with the least powerful engine available in the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan line-up, the 110TSI Life is motivated by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and mated to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.

It’s the only grade to use the six-speed DSG – every other Tiggy comes with a seven-speed DSG – as well as the only front-wheel drive option (all others use VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive), sending its 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque exclusively to the front-end.

With just the driver on board, taking off with too much acceleration produces a tonne of wheelspin, but only after the turbo/DSG lag lets you move off.

As with almost every other Volkswagen model we’ve tested with a dual-clutch, the 110TSI is slow off the line, hesitating a little too much before take-off. This can make pulling out from side street or performing a hasty three-point turn a little tricky, but it’s something those with a DSG surely become accustomed to?

There are no selectable drive modes in the 110TSI Life, however nudging the gear shifter down (from Drive) selects ‘Sport’ mode, while flicking it across to the right brings manual mode, which can be used via the transmission lever or shift paddles. Both offer sharp shifts and make even the slowest Tiguan more appealing.

Once you’re off, the entry-grade Tiguan feels good to drive, with more than enough power on offer from mid-range. The gearbox, which is prone to hesitation at low speeds, is great at speed, with sharp, precise shifts.

Steering is super-light – which might not suit those predisposed to a sportier, firm feel from the wheel – but for everyone else, it’s easy to drive, park and manoeuvre into tight spaces.

And while the steering isn’t overtly sporty, the Tiguan’s dynamics are certainly up to par, with next to no body roll and great stability through corners. Bumps and potholes are no problem either, with the Tiguan riding confidently no matter the road.

As for fuel economy, Volkswagen Australia says the 110TSI Life uses 7.7L per 100km on the official combined cycle – a figure we bettered on test, hitting an average of 5.9L/100km after a mix of highway and suburban driving.

Those who regularly travel with extra passengers or gear might need to think about opting for the more powerful 132kW/320Nm 132TSI grade fitted with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, which also brings the all-wheel drive layout, however the 110TSI still gets the job done.

Meanwhile, those who plan on doing regular country kilometres may be better suited to the reintroduced turbo-diesel powertrain, with the incoming all-wheel drive 147TDI 2.0-litre oil-burner (147kW/400Nm) offering the lowest consumption (6.1L/100km) of the 2021 Tiguan family.

As for towing, the 110TSI Life has a 1800kg braked towing capacity, but other models are rated at 2500kg.

From the driver’s seat in the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life, vision is great in every direction and it’s made even better with the large panoramic sunroof optioned in our tester.

With the sun blind open, the huge glass roof fools you into feeling more connected to the outside world, which is nice.

It’s easy to find a comfortable seating position, and once you do, the cabin is a cosy and comfortable place to spend time.

For everyone else, the cabin is just as comfortable as well as supremely quiet. Road noise is minimal even on coarse-chip surfaces, with the standard 18-inch rims wrapped in Pirelli rubber doing a good job of soaking up every type road surface.

Rear seat occupants are treated to great levels of comfort as well. There are large door pockets on either side, map pockets (plus a pair of smaller pockets above, perhaps for a phone), a single USB-C port, a 12-volt socket, ISOFIX anchor points for the outboard seats (and three top tether strap points) and a centre armrest with two cup holders.

Two adults would sit comfortably in the second row, with oodles of legroom and toe-room and deep seats that provide plenty of under-thigh support. There’s also a good amount of headroom, even with the sunroof.

A child could easily squeeze into the middle rear seat without being too uncomfortable as well, but the narrow position rules it out for larger people.

Another feature to note is the temperature controls for rear seat passengers. Two buttons (blue for colder and red for hotter) allow those in the back to select their own temperature, but it’s not a proper tri-zone climate control system as they don’t have the option to choose fan speed.

In the boot, the Tiguan comes with another 12-volt power outlet, space-saver spare tyre under a hard floor and two cubby spaces on either side. There are also a few tie-down points, a safety triangle built into the underside of the tailgate and pull handles to quickly fold down the 60/40-split folding rear seat.

With 615 litres (or 1655L with the rear seat folded), cargo carrying ability is good but not great for the mid-size SUV class.

As it sits, the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life is pricey, yet still feels worth every dollar.

The entry-level Tiguan’s premium-feeling cabin, top-shelf tech and revised exterior make it a standout against rivals, nearly all of which come with more palatable opening prices in the low-$30,000s.

If it had just a little more grunt and an all-wheel drive layout, the base-spec Tiguan might be the perfect mid-size SUV package, despite Volkswagen saying that an ever-increasing proportion of SUV sales are front-wheel drive.

Whether buyers will be prepared to see beyond the headline price of Volkswagen’s major rivals remains to be seen, but the VW badge does bring with it a package designed to please.

The new Tiguan should definitely be on the shopping list.

How much does the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life cost?
Price: $39,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 175g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2016)