Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Review

The VW Tiguan Allspace adds seven-seats to the company’s growing SUV line-up – but at a price

Strengths & weaknesses

  • Seven-seat flexibility
  • Generous equipment level as standard
  • Strong engines
  • Rearmost seats are very cramped
  • Upper-spec models are expensive
  • Some versions attract the higher second-year road tax charge

Volkswagen Tiguan prices from £18,995  Finance from £299.40 per month

Nearly all carmakers have an SUV in their ranks - and the time has come to see how they can fine-tune their models. One way is to offer them with seven seats, as VW has with the new Tiguan Allspace.

Essentially it’s a stretched version of the five-seat Tiguan; longer by 215mm but better equipped as standard and more expensive, too. Above it sits the larger and much more expensive Touareg. Rivals include the Skoda Kodiaq, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4, as well as MPVs such as the Renault Grand Scenic.

The Allspace’s extra length benefits the car’s second row seating area especially. There’s much more knee and leg room here than in the smaller Tiguan. If your five-person family is on the large side, they’ll appreciate it.
However, most buyers will be interested in the Allspace for its third row of seats. They’ll happily accept a couple of small children but you can forget installing a couple of grown-ups in them. By the way, note that they don't have Isofix child seat mounting points, which may be an issue.

At least when they’re not in use, they fold neatly into the floor to create 760 litres of load space - with them upright there’s just 230 litres -but that’s a common problem with seven-seat cars. Fold both rows away and you’ve a van-like 1920 litres of load space.

The Allspace offers a choice of diesel or petrol engines, two or four-wheel drive (called 4MOTION) and manual or automatic DSG gearboxes. Economy ranges from a best of 46.3mpg (the 2.0 TDI SCR 150) to a worst of 30.4mpg (2.0 TSI 190). We favour the 2.0 TDI SCR 190 4MOTION for its blend of strong performance with reasonable running costs. Combined with entry-level Match trim it’s a well-equipped and cost-effective package that should serve a growing family well.

Thanks to its extra length the Allspace feels slightly more secure and composed in corners than the Tiguan. It rides more comfortably, too.

VW build quality is rarely an issue and the Allspace is no exception. Fit and finish are excellent. VW has also given the Allspace a more upmarket and distinctive look. Details include longer rear doors, a tweaked side window line and a redesigned grille. Roof rails are standard.

The model only drops serious points for its pricing. The more powerful and better equipped versions in particular are very expensive. In fact, because it costs more than £40,000, the sporty R-Line Tech 2.0 BiTDI 240 R-Line Tech auto falls into the higher road tax band from the second year.

It all means that you have to choose your Allspace very carefully if you’re to avoid spending too much money unnecessarily. Also, be sure you need those rearmost seats often enough to justify the extra outlay over the standard Tiguan.

 

Key facts

Warranty 3 years/60,000 miles
Boot size 230 litres
Width 1839mm
Length 4701mm
Height 1674mm
Tax £170 to £530 in the first year and £145 to £465 from the second

Best Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace for...

Best for Economy – VW Tiguan Allspace Match 2.0 TDI 150 SCR

Not just the cheapest version in the range, this is also the most economical thanks to being two-wheel drive and having a manual gearbox.

Best for Families – VW Tiguan Allspace Match 2.0 TDI 190 SCR 4MOTION

The security of four-wheel drive and the engine’s useful extra performance give this version the edge over the 2.0 TDI 150. Match trim has everything most families could wish for.

Best for Performance – VW Tiguan Allspace R-Line Tech 2.0 BiTDI 240 SCR 4MOTION

This top-spec version has the performance to match its sporty looks.

One to Avoid – VW Tiguan Allspace R-Line Tech 1.5 TSI EVO auto

The lowest-powered engine in the most expensive trim is never a good idea. Save £2000 and buy the Match 2.0 TDI SCR 150 auto instead.

History

2018 Model launched with seven seats as standard and in choice of SE Navigation, SEL and R-Line trims.
2019 Trim range revised so that Match replaces SE Navigation and R-LIne Tech replaces R-Line. Mid-range SEL continues. Economy figures now to WLTP standard.
2021 Tiguan Allspace gets a minor redesign with new technology; trim levels adjusted to reflect this.

Understanding Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace names

Trim Match

These enable you to gauge how much equipment and what features a Tiguan has. Match is the basic trim and R-Line Tech the best equipped.

Engines 2.0 TDI SCR

The first number is the size of the engine in litres. The following three letters tell you what fuel it takes. TDI is diesel and TSI, petrol. After TDI comes SCR which stands for selective catalytic reduction, a form of exhaust treatment that requires the addition of AdBlue in a separate tank. In the 1.4 TSI petrol engine’s case, TSI is followed by EVO which is VW’s name for a generation of engine that can shut down cylinders when they’re not required, to save fuel.

Drive 4MOTION

This is VW’s term for its four-wheel drive system offered on some versions of the Allspace.

DSG Gearbox

This is VW’s abbreviation for its double-clutch automatic gearbox, a kind of automated manual that is more efficient than a conventional automatic.

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Engines

Petrol 1.5 TSI EVO, 2.0 TSI,

Diesel 2.0 TDI 150, 2.0 TDI 190, 2.0 BiTDI 240

Urban commuter to long-distance, high-speed tourer – there’s an Allspace engine for pretty much every type of driver.
Kicking off the range is the 1.5 TSI EVO 150. Paired with two-wheel drive it’s a perfectly acceptable performer that helps keep the model’s starting price down to around £30,000 before a discount.

Its diesel alternative is the 2.0 TDI CSR 150.This offers a solid blend of performance with low running costs, especially in two-wheel-drive form. If you want more punch, go for the 2.0 TDI SCR 190.

The 2.0 TSI 190 is harder to justify since being only available with four-wheel drive, in expensive SEL and R-Line Tech trims and with an automatic gearbox, all the cards are stacked against it. The 2.0 TDI SCR 190 diesel feels just as fast and is more economical.

If outright performance is your goal, then only one engine will do: the 2.0 BiTDI SCR 240. Four-wheel drive helps it to get off the line securely on its way from 0-62mph in just 6.7 seconds. It’s expensive, though, and puts the Allspace into the higher road tax bracket from the second year.

 

 

Fuel

Fuel economy

Power

Acceleration

Top speed

1.5 TSI EVO

Petrol

35.3 – 36.7mpg

150hp

0-62mph: 9.5s

124mph

2.0 TSI

Petrol

30.4-30.7mpg

190hp

0-62mph: 8.2s

129mph

2.0 TDI

Diesel

38.2-46.3mpg

150hp

0-62mph: 9.8 – 9.9s

124-126mph

2.0 TDI

Diesel

38.2-39.2mpg

190hp

0-62mph: 8.6s

130mph

2.0 BiTDI

Diesel

34.4-34.9mpg

240hp

0-62mph: 6.7s

142mph

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Trims

Match (was SE Navigation until early 2019), SEL, R-Line Tech (was R-Line until early 2019)

Match trim, previously called SE Navigation, is the cheapest version in the range but wants for little, highlights including 18in alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, a sat nav, parking sensors front and rear, folding passenger seats throughout, lots of storage solutions and climate control.

SEL costs £3000 more than Match and brings LED headlights, sports seats, more styling tweaks and a panoramic sunroof.

R-Line Tech has replaced R-Line. It costs £2300 more than SEL trim for which you get larger 20in alloys, lowered sports suspension and a bodykit.

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Reliability and warranty

The Allspace is sold with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty from new. Sister car the Tiguan, on which it’s based, charted in 29th place in the current Auto Express Driver Power owner satisfaction survey but more for its comfort, practicality and infotainment than its reliability and build quality.

Used Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

Relative scarcity should help put the brakes on depreciation, although its higher list price means that in cash terms, it will still lose a lot of money compared with a standard Tiguan.

In terms of availability, capability, running costs, price and equipment, the best buy will be a 2.0 TDI 190 SE Nav 4MOTION, although if you’re a less undemanding driver, a 2.0 TDI 150 SE Nav will be a good alternative. Four-wheel drive is good to have but does hurt economy.

A 1.4 TSI of the same spec will be rare but cheaper still and a good buy for urban dwellers doing short commutes, the school run and shopping trips.

There are currently 14 VW Tiguan Allspaces available on BuyaCar, with prices ranging from £18,995 to £39,400 for nearly-new models. Monthly finance payments start from £299.40 per month.