History/Overview
Volkswagen jumped into the compact SUV segment with the Tiguan in 2009. While it was fun to drive, its small size hampered sales next to the category’s roomier and most established offerings. The current, second-generation Tiguan arrived in 2018 boasting a lot more interior space, but with more sedate performance.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
Following last year’s styling refresh, the Tiguan gets very minor updates for 2023: Comfortline R-Line trim gets new black wheels and adds front footwell lighting.
Available Trims
VW offers the Tiguan in Trendline, Comfortline, Comfortline R-Line, and Highline R-Line trim levels. In all, power is from a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine, an eight-speed transmission, and AWD.
Standard Features
Trendline comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, auto on/off LED headlights, LED taillights, and heated side mirrors/washer nozzles. Inside, there’s a six-speaker stereo, 6.5-inch touchscreen, digital gauges, manual A/C, heated front seats/steering wheel, and a variable-height cargo floor.
Every Tiguan also comes with a basic suite of driver safety assists comprising forward collision mitigation, pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Comfortline gets 18-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, wireless smartphone integration/charging, an upgraded gauge cluster and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. You also get remote engine start, passive keyless entry, a power tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone A/C, an auto-dimming interior mirror, a power driver’s seat, and leatherette upholstery.
Comfortline R-Line rides on 19-inch wheels, and also gets front and rear parking sensors, a panoramic roof, black exterior trim, ambient lighting, footwell lighting, and a sport steering wheel.
Finally, Highline R-Line trim adds 20-inch wheels, park assist, surround-view cameras, road sign recognition, adaptive headlights with automatic high beams/LED signature lighting, navigation, an eight-speaker stereo, power-folding side mirrors, front wiper de-icer, three-zone A/C, a power passenger seat, and heated rear seats.
Key Options
All three Tiguan trims offer a third row of seating for a total of seven places.
Comfortline also offers a panoramic roof as a stand-alone option.
Fuel Economy
Volkswagen estimates the Tiguan’s fuel consumption starting at 10.6/8.0 L/100 km (city/highway) for Trendline and Comfortline trims; the R-Line configurations are rated for 11.0/8.3 L/100 km.
Competition
The Tiguan is a compelling choice in a crowded segment in which it competes with the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox, Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-50, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander, GMC Terrain, Kia Sportage, and Jeep Cherokee.
