Tiguan Facelift Review: Check Out New Volkswagen SUV For India

Compared to the previous version, the new Tiguan is more aggressive and premium looking. This new Tiguan is locally assembled and is a 5-seater aimed at luxury SUV buyers.

The new Tiguan compact SUV

This year has seen the new Tiguan compact SUV from Volkswagen but they also promised another new SUV in form of the new Tiguan. The Tiguan has been a midsize premium SUV and has been on sale earlier too in the Indian market. This is the new Tiguan and it comes in the 5-seater form. This is not to be confused with the Tiguan Allspace which was a three-row variant. This new Tiguan is locally assembled and is a 5-seater aimed at luxury SUV buyers.

While this is a facelift, it does change the look of the Tiguan in a big way. Compared to the previous version, the new Tiguan is more aggressive and premium looking. A lot has to do with the new-look front end with a large chrome grille while the new Matrix LED headlamps are a premium touch. The Matrix LED headlamps have 24 individual LEDs along with added functionalities similar to more expensive SUVs.

Even the rear styling has been updated with a new bumper along with new LED tail lamps. There are 18-inch alloys as well. Crucially, the build quality speaks of its German roots as it is superb and feels solid. What is also impressive is its wide colour options though our test car was a Deep Black one.

The interiors are all black but of really good quality. Everything from the way the steering wheel is finished to the soft-touch materials- its all top quality. The design of the cabin might seem conservative but there is no faulting the quality. It's amongst the best.

New to the Tiguan is an 8inch touchscreen with the latest infotainment system while the new instrument cluster is all digital too. I especially loved the dials being digital and customisable. The touchscreen feedback is nice too and I liked the touch response along with well laid out menus while it also gets gesture control. The new Tiguan comes with touch-based AC controls which do require you to take your eyes off the road to use- but you get used to it.

There is only one fully loaded model and compared to rivals, you do get a lot of stuff in terms of features. There are USB C ports, a panoramic sunroof, three-zone climate control, ambient lighting with 30 mood lighting options, leather upholstery, connected car technology and more. There are heated seats too which we liked in the Delhi cold. However, while there is a rearview camera, a 360-degree one was expected and so were dual-powered seats in place of the driver's seat is powered. Safety-wise you do get 6 airbags, front and rear disc brakes, Hill Start Assist, Hill descent Control, Auto Hold etc.


The Tiguan is spacious and ideal for being chauffeur driven while it is best used as a four seater since the central tunnel limits space for the middle passenger.

In comparison to the earlier Tiguan, the new one gets a turbo petrol 2.0l engine. It is quite powerful with 190PS and 320 Nm while the standard gearbox is a 7-speed DSG along with a 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system. Some might miss a diesel but frankly, the petrol here is so good and smooth, that you instantly like it. The engine is refined and powerful while the gearbox is fast enough in terms of shifts while paddle shifters further make it a fun driving experience. Compared to rivals or even SUVs priced above, this is one of the top petrol engines in terms of performance. The Tiguan also feels like a smaller car and handles nicely for a fairly big SUV. In the city the steering felt light but it's connected and feels confident at high speeds. It also handled some bad roads quite well and while it might not be a hardcore off-roader, it will handle far tougher conditions than what its look might suggest. While the official mileage is 12.65 kmpl, expect 10 in the city.

Priced at Rs 31.9 lakh, the Tiguan is slightly pricey but a quality premium SUV. It does what VW is all about and that's performance and quality plus features. It looks, feels and drives like an expensive SUV hence in that way it is good value. If you do not mind getting petrol, then the new Tiguan is something you should seriously look at in terms of fun to drive premium SUV

What we like- Looks, quality, features, engine performance

What we do not- expensive, no diesel option