Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2019 Review

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.

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.

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 impressive, easily outstripping Outlander, CR-V and X-Trail with a braked capacity of 2400kg, yet is fractionally below the five-seater which – although there’s a catch in the allowed towball weight – is rated at 2.5 tonnes.

Fuel economy? Over an extended holiday season experience that factored-in a lot of freeway driving, we averaged, on Volkswagen-recommended 95 octane unleaded, better than 8.0L/100km, equivalent to the official 7.9L/100km claim. With more urban use, that figure would likely climb, though we expect not too much.

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace touched down nationally in July 2018 with the full range of safety technology including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with active assist, and rear cross-traffic alert – all of which were optionally fitted to our review car.

Comfortline-spec Allspaces come with autonomous emergency braking, in forward and reverse, pedestrian avoidance, lane-keep assist (and departure warning) and adaptive LED headlights, as well as the self-parking capability mentioned earlier.

Unless you have absolutely no conceivable need for extra seating capacity and luggage-toting capabilities, the Tiguan Allspace makes more sense than its five-seat sibling.

Even if you only occasionally have the need to transport a couple of extra kids, you’re bound to appreciate the extra 120 litres of total load capacity, or simply the fact that the space behind the centre-row seating is larger than the claimed 615 litres available in the regular Tiguan.

Volkswagen doesn’t tell us exactly what the boot (in five-seat mode) measures, but a quick calculation suggests there must be something like 730-odd litres available back there. This brings the Allspace into the same realm as Holden’s capacious (five-seat) Equinox SUV, which only reaches its claimed 846 litres if you remove the false floor covering the space-saver spare.

The Allspace uses a space-saver too but, unlike the Equinox, the tucked-away third-row seat doesn’t leave that much under-floor space to play with. The quoted capacity is actually more realistic than that of the Equinox.

Clearly more comfortable as a five-seater, the Tiguan Allspace never pretends those twin third-row seats are intended for anything but kids. An average-size adult could conceivably reside back there, but not for long.

And it’s somewhat awkward getting in an out anyway, which tends to rule out the rearmost seats for any adult other than a yoga master. As mentioned earlier, it’s really a five-plus-two that is happier with five adults on board who are able to make use of the supportive seating and the generous head, shoulder and legroom to help take the fatigue out of extended road trips.

On test, a four-hour drive into north-eastern Victoria revealed no shortcomings in seat comfort and passengers felt virtually as fresh at the end of the day as they did at the beginning. About the only thing missing was ventilation to the rearmost seats, although the centre-row outlets did a good job of distributing cool air to the sixth and seventh passengers (kids) in 40 degree-plus heatwave conditions.

The Tiguan Allspace, over a slightly longer than usual test, revealed that it’s a refined, truly practical family SUV and a worthwhile consideration for customers who may only have the very occasional need to carry an extra passenger or two.

The argument is that seven seats are better than five, even you don’t always use them. The extra money is well spent.

How much does the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 132 TSI Comfortline cost?
Price: $50,047 (including on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 132kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 181g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP